Having hard times while developing custom control using C#...

[Yonatann]

Hi,
I'm developing a custom control using C# to provide drop down list with
auto-complete (type-ahead) functionality. My control is working fine expect
that it is taking the values list directly from a WS, my customer want it to
take the values from a secondary data-source inside the form.

1. Is there a way for a custom control (.net code, deployed as an Active-X)
to access the form assets (i.e. the secondary data-source)? this.container
and this.partent are null, how can I access the form object?
2. Is there a way for a custom control to add a property to the designer? I
mean that when the user will right click on the control and select
"properties" he will see custom properties that he can change.
3. The built-in controls (Text Box, Combo Box, etc.) have a set of standard
designer fields: Data Validation, Rules, etc… Is there a way for an Active-X
control (developed with C#, VB6 or whatever) to implement this designer
fields? If no, why? Doesn't Microsoft provide a way to build control with
the same rich functionality as the built-in controls?

Thanks.

 

[Shiva]

Hello,
1. We do not have option in InfoPath we have to use existing dropdown
controls.
2. We do not get the control properties in code and we have to implement
that functionality in InfoPath UI.
3. We can create custom template but we do not have option to create custom
controls in InfoPath. Whichever requirement we need to set those validation
or rules for existing controls.

Solution: We can use two dropdowns for same control and bind those dropdown
values from one is directly web service and another one is secondary data
source inside the form. Based on the condition you have to show above one the
dropdown list in InfoPath.