Windows Forms Visual Inheritance

Occasionally, you may decide that a project calls for a form similar to one that you have created in a previous project. Or, you may want to create a basic form with settings such as a watermark or certain control layout that you will then use again within a project, with each iteration containing modifications to the original form template. Form inheritance enables you to create a base form and then inherit from it and make modifications while preserving whatever original settings you need.

You can create derived-class forms programmatically or by using the Visual Inheritance picker.

In This Section

How to: Inherit Windows Forms
Gives directions for creating inherited forms in code.

How to: Inherit Forms Using the Inheritance Picker Dialog Box
Gives directions for creating inherited forms with the Inheritance Picker.

Effects of Modifying a Base Form's Appearance
Gives directions for changing a base form's controls and their properties.

Walkthrough: Demonstrating Visual Inheritance
Describes how to create a base Windows Form and compile it into a class library. You will import this class library into another project, and create a new form that inherits from the base form.

How to: Use the Modifiers and GenerateMember Properties
Gives directions for using the GenerateMember and Modifiers properties, which are relevant when the Windows Forms Designer generates a member variable for a component.

Related Sections

Inheritance basics (Visual Basic)
Describes how to define Visual Basic classes that serve as the basis for other classes.

class
Describes the C# approach of classes, in which single inheritance is allowed.

Troubleshooting Inherited Event Handlers in Visual Basic
Lists common issues that arise with event handlers in inherited components