Using a ControlDesigner causes problems with DataBinding

[Johmi]

Environment

Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 (64-bit) - Preview
Version 17.13.0 Preview 5.0

.NET version

.NET 9

Did this work in a previous version of Visual Studio and/or previous .NET release?

Unknown

Issue description

I have a simple winforms program which contains a custom TextBox (MyTextBox) using a TextBoxDesigner (that inherits the ControlDesigner). The Designer just draws a rectangle on the MyTextBox for simplicity.

There is a Form with a MyTextbox as well as a normal Textbox.
My ViewModel contains just a Property "TextValue". Both textboxes have Databinding to this Property. When I enter anything in the normal Textbox, the Text appears also in the custom MyTextBox.

When I look at the Program in the Winforms Designer, everything is fine:

I can also compile the program.

When I run the program I get this error:

   at System.Reflection.TypeNameResolver.GetTypeFromDefaultAssemblies(String typeName, ReadOnlySpan`1 nestedTypeNames, TypeName parsedName)
   at System.Reflection.TypeNameResolver.GetType(String escapedTypeName, ReadOnlySpan`1 nestedTypeNames, TypeName parsedName)
   at System.Reflection.TypeNameResolver.GetSimpleType(TypeName typeName)
   at System.Reflection.TypeNameResolver.GetTypeHelper(Char* pTypeName, RuntimeAssembly requestingAssembly, Boolean throwOnError, Boolean requireAssemblyQualifiedName)
   at System.Reflection.CustomAttribute.CreateCustomAttributeInstance(RuntimeModule module, RuntimeType type, IRuntimeMethodInfo ctor, IntPtr& blob, IntPtr blobEnd, Int32& namedArgs)
   at System.Reflection.CustomAttribute.AddCustomAttributes(ListBuilder`1& attributes, RuntimeModule decoratedModule, Int32 decoratedMetadataToken, RuntimeType attributeFilterType, Boolean mustBeInheritable, ListBuilder`1 derivedAttributes)
   at System.Reflection.CustomAttribute.GetCustomAttributes(RuntimeModule decoratedModule, Int32 decoratedMetadataToken, Int32 pcaCount, RuntimeType attributeFilterType)
   at System.Reflection.CustomAttribute.GetCustomAttributes(RuntimeType type, RuntimeType caType, Boolean inherit)
   at System.Attribute.GetCustomAttributes(MemberInfo element, Type attributeType, Boolean inherit)
   at System.ComponentModel.ReflectTypeDescriptionProvider.ReflectGetAttributes(Type type)
   at System.ComponentModel.ReflectTypeDescriptionProvider.ReflectedTypeData.GetAttributes()
   at System.ComponentModel.TypeDescriptor.DefaultTypeDescriptor.GetAttributes()
   at System.ComponentModel.TypeDescriptor.GetAttributes(Object component, Boolean noCustomTypeDesc)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Binding.CheckBinding()
   at System.Windows.Forms.Binding.SetBindableComponent(IBindableComponent value)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ControlBindingsCollection.AddCore(Binding dataBinding)
   at System.Windows.Forms.BindingsCollection.Add(Binding binding)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ControlBindingsCollection.Add(String propertyName, Object dataSource, String dataMember, Boolean formattingEnabled, DataSourceUpdateMode updateMode, Object nullValue, String formatString, IFormatProvider formatInfo)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ControlBindingsCollection.Add(String propertyName, Object dataSource, String dataMember, Boolean formattingEnabled, DataSourceUpdateMode updateMode)
   at DesignerTestApp.Form1.InitDatabinding() in C:\Users\xxx\source\repos\xxx\DesignerTestApp\DesignerTestApp\DesignerTestApp\Views\Form1.vb:line 17

This error happens when I create the databinding for the custom MyTextBox.

When I remove the databinding, then the program is starting without issues (aside from the missing databinding).

Is there any way to get rid of this problems?

Steps to reproduce

Here is the full code that causes the issues. The error also occures in my main program, but this small code is more easy to reproduce:

Form:

Public Class Form1

    Private _vm As FormViewModel

    Sub New()
        ' This call is required by the designer.
        InitializeComponent()
        ' Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call.
        _vm = New FormViewModel

        Call InitDatabinding()
    End Sub

    Public Sub InitDatabinding()
        Try
            TxtInput.DataBindings.Add("Text", _vm, "TextValue", False, DataSourceUpdateMode.OnPropertyChanged)
            TxtShow.DataBindings.Add("Text", _vm, "TextValue", False, DataSourceUpdateMode.OnPropertyChanged)
        Catch ex As Exception
            Throw ex
        End Try
    End Sub

End Class

ViewModel:

Imports System.ComponentModel

Public Class FormViewModel
    Implements INotifyPropertyChanged

    Public Event PropertyChanged As PropertyChangedEventHandler Implements INotifyPropertyChanged.PropertyChanged

    Private _textValue As String
    Public Property TextValue As String
        Get
            Return _textValue
        End Get
        Set(value As String)
            If _textValue <> value Then
                _textValue = value
                OnPropertyChanged(NameOf(TextValue))
            End If
        End Set
    End Property

    Protected Overridable Sub OnPropertyChanged(ByVal propertyName As String)
        RaiseEvent PropertyChanged(Me, New PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName))
    End Sub
End Class

MyTextBox:

Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.ComponentModel.Design

<Designer(GetType(TextBoxDesigner))>
Partial Public Class MyTextBox
    Inherits TextBox

End Class

Designer:

Imports Microsoft.DotNet.DesignTools.Designers

Partial Public Class TextBoxDesigner
    Inherits ControlDesigner

    Protected Overrides Sub OnPaintAdornments(pe As PaintEventArgs)
        MyBase.OnPaintAdornments(pe)
        Dim rect As New Rectangle(New Point(1, 1), New Size(10, 10))
        Using brushRed As New SolidBrush(Color.Red)
            pe.Graphics.DrawRectangle(New Pen(Color.Red), rect)
            pe.Graphics.FillRectangle(brushRed, rect)
        End Using
    End Sub
End Class

Diagnostics

[Zheng-Li01]

@Johmi cannot reproduce the issue based on your description as below screenshot, and attached the reproduce application, please correct it if there have anything is missing.
RepoIssue12897.zip

[Johmi]

Hello @Zheng-Li01,
thank you for your time and your reply!

I downloaded your Repo and tested it - you are right that it is running fine. However it seems that the WinForms Designer is not used. I installed the nuget "Microsoft.WinForms.Designer.SDK" Version="1.6.0" to your problem and got the same error that I described above.

In your gif it is also visible that there is no red square painted on the Textbox in the designer (like in the screenshot in my initial post). This square only appears after using the Designer.SDK.

Here is the modified .vbproj of your project. I did not change anything else:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net9.0-windows</TargetFramework>
    <StartupObject>Sub Main</StartupObject>
    <UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms>
    <MyType>WindowsForms</MyType>
    <AssemblyVersion>1.0.0.8</AssemblyVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Import Include="System.Data" />
    <Import Include="System.Drawing" />
    <Import Include="System.Windows.Forms" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.WinForms.Designer.SDK" Version="1.6.0" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Update="My Project\Application.Designer.vb">
      <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <DependentUpon>Application.myapp</DependentUpon>
    </Compile>
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <None Update="My Project\Application.myapp">
      <Generator>MyApplicationCodeGenerator</Generator>
      <LastGenOutput>Application.Designer.vb</LastGenOutput>
    </None>
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

I also attached the repo that I used to reproduce the error on my home computer right now (it is the same code but created and executed on a different machine). Maybe it helps.

DesignerTest.zip

[Zheng-Li01]

Yes, got the below exception when running the attached project.

[01:31:02.099135] fail: System.InvalidOperationException: Can't resolve types until ITypeIdentityResolutionService has started processing enqueued assemblies.
                           at Microsoft.DotNet.DesignTools.Protocol.Types.AssemblySearchingTypeIdentityResolutionService.TryGetType(TypeIdentity typeIdentity, Boolean ignoreCase, Type& type)
                           at Microsoft.DotNet.DesignTools.Protocol.Types.AssemblySearchingTypeIdentityResolutionService.ResolveNamedType(TypeIdentity typeIdentity, TypeIdentityResolutionOptions options)
                           at Microsoft.DotNet.DesignTools.Protocol.Types.TypeIdentityResolutionService.ResolveType(TypeIdentity typeIdentity, TypeIdentityResolutionOptions options)
                           at Microsoft.DotNet.DesignTools.Client.Types.BaseTypeResolutionService.GetType(String name, Boolean throwOnError, Boolean ignoreCase)

                        For information on how to troubleshoot the designer refer to the guide at https://aka.ms/winforms/designer/troubleshooting.

[Tanya-Solyanik]

@Johmi We have a different designer model to support .NET in the Visual Studio, please see https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/state-of-the-windows-forms-designer-for-net-applications/

[Johmi]

@Tanya-Solyanik Hello Tanya, thank you for your reply.
I am aware that the WinForms Designer has changed since .NET 5 (I think). It is now running as an Out-Of-Process Designer in a seperate .exe file, as Visual Studio is still on .NET Framework.
I have read the article that you have linked, as well as the follow-up article by Klaus Loeffelmann (https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/custom-controls-for-winforms-out-of-process-designer)

In my .vbproj you can see that I am using the required nuget for the new designer. "Microsoft.WinForms.Designer.SDK" Version="1.6.0"
I have also tested the preview-versions of this nuget but without luck - still the same error.

In his article Klaus describes what has to be done to add some simple extensions to the designer. To my understanding it should be quite easy to do small things like using action lists and the existing glyph on controls (this little triangle button) or painting on controls in the designer (as I am doing in my code above).
Here is the chapter talking about it: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/custom-controls-for-winforms-out-of-process-designer/#migrating-existing-control-designers-with-almost-no-effort

Also note that the designer does not cause problems when starting the application as long as I dont use databinding on controls using the designer.

I think this might be a bug. If you need any further information, dont hesitate to ask.