Hi,

I was hoping I could create a "base" SF Maintenance form that will contain standard code and components, e.g. DefaultLookAndFeel, then inherit this form whenever I create a new form. I have my base form called frmBase_01 and, the code in my test form that is trying use the base form is:

Public Class frmBase_02
   Inherits TMS_Test_01.frmBase_01
End Class

 This generate the error:
"Error 1 Base class 'frmBase_01' specified for class 'frmBase_02' cannot be different from the base class 'MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.StandardForm' of one of its other partial types. C:\Documents and Settings\pmj\My Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Projects\TMS_Test_01\TMS_Test_01\frmBase_02.vb"

Try as I may I just can't stumble my way past this error - can you please point me in the right direction. The recent work I've done with creating a "base" BO class works great but I notice that, for forms, the inheritence is in the partial class - I guess this is a fundemental difference that stops my base BO approach working when trying to achieve the same outcome for a form.

Cheers, Peter

Also, if you're making a custom template, then it's a lot easier to put the code in your "My Templates" folder than to put it in with all of the installed templates.  Do this:

Put the .zip file for the template in {My Documents}\Visual Studio 2005\Templates\ItemTemplates\Visual Basic.  This folder is much more user friendly than the other one for several reasons:

1)  Your template shows up under it's own grouping called "My Templates" at the bottom of the Add New Item dialog, not mixed in with all of the others.

2)  You don't have to close Visual Studio, call devenv.exe /setup and then reopen visual studio... just re-open the Add New Item dialog and the template will be re-read.

When we do a custom template for use with one of our commercial products, we don't generally put it in the folder with all of the installed templates for those reasons.  It's a whole lot easier to tweak your template if you don't constantly have to close VS to run devenv.exe /setup just to reinstall your template

One last thing... there's an Export Template Wizard that can be reached from the File menu... it will get you 90-100% of the way there on creating a custom template.  Just get the form the way you want it then run through the wizard and it will create the .zip file and dump it into your "My Templates" folder.  It's a lot faster than copying an existing template and modifying it... unless you've done it lots of times, even then the wizard is probably still faster

If you can't reach the wizard from the file menu, then you'll have to add the command to your menu by right-clicking somewhere on the toolbars within VS and choose Customize... at the bottom.  The "Export Template..." command is under the File category.  Just drag it out onto the toolbar or menu where you want it.