Question

I want to create a custom component in C# and the custom component is going to act as a gauge and consist of a panel with some icons inside it. Is there a way to create a custom panel component with all of these items inside it and then interact with it all as one component?

Answer 1

It is called a Usercontrol (or composite control):

• How to add and create a Usercontrol in Visual Studio 2008 (Says 2008, but everything should also apply to 2010)

• Walkthrough: Authoring a Composite Control with Visual C#

See also: Walkthrough: Creating a Windows Forms User Control that Supports Lookup Databinding

To create the .NET user control

1. Create a Visual C# Windows Forms Control Library project named
   WindowsFormsControlLibrary1: On the
   File menu, click New and then click
   Project. In the Visual C# folder,
   select Windows Forms Control Library.
   Accept the WindowsFormsControlLibrary1
   project name by clicking OK. By
   default, the name of the .NET control
   will be UserControl1.

2. Add child controls to UserControl1: In the Toolbox, open the All Windows
   Forms list. Drag a Button control to
   the UserControl1 design surface. Also
   add a TextBox control.

3. In Solution Explorer, double-click UserControl1.Designer.cs to open it
   for editing. Change the declarations
   of the TextBox and the Button from
   private to public.

4. Build the project: On the Build menu, click Build Solution.

Ref.