Convert WinForms design to XML

I'm building a generic survey engine where end users can generate and design their own surveys (including UI design). I'm interested in building (or perhaps even buying) a开发者_JS百科 custom WinForms designer which would be able to output design in XML format. I'd then save the XML to database and when users load a survey, XML would be parsed and the form would be dynamically generated based on the XML data. Building my own C# to XML converter is an option, but I'd like to avoid it since users would have to use Visual Studio to get ahold of WinForms code and then run a custom tool to generate XML output, which is a pretty clumsy solution (besides I can't force customers to buy VS).

I'd appreciate it if anyone could point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

The bits of the WinForms Designer are exposed by the .NET framework: Design surface, toolbox, property grids,...

This MSDN article and this CodeProject article should help you get started.

Of course, this is only the start of the story.

Your second problem is to make the designer emit XML rather than C#/VB code. Last but not least, you'll have to create the form at runtime, which is usually done by compiling the code generated by the designer. Needless to say that compiling XML is another story.

It would certainly be easier to store the C# code in your DB rather than some XML model. You can then compile it programmatically at runtime (no need to have VS installed on the client's computer. The .NET runtime is enough) and instantiate the form class dynamically. BTW, whether you complie the code in the designer or in runtime is up to you.

However, other routes may be easier, such as Hans' suggestion: InfoPath.

The Mono project has a Winforms Designer. I don't know how easy it would be to re-use as a componant. Here it is in action:

I don't know how you would go about serializing the output to XML and deserializing it again. Maybe you could even store the C# in your database?

1. Check this post on how to create xml files in C#: Working with XML

2. Then use sp_xml_preparedocument/sp_xml_removedocument in SQL to create/parse xml files (use stored procedures to do this)

3. Traverse and use the generated xml in your winform (I suggest you use LINQ to XML to do this)

Probably the hardest thing you'll encounter here is the creating xml part and traversing the xml nodes, but aside from that everything will be a breeze.

We're already implementing this structure/architecture at work but on webforms not winforms. But I think the flow/logic is the same. HTH.

Edit: This post might help you. Cheers.