How to put a UserControl into Visual Studio toolBox

Question

I made a usercontrol in my project, and after building project, I need to put it in my toolbox, and use it as a common control. but i can\'t. the UserControl is

Answer 1

There are a couple of ways.

1. In your original Project, choose File|Export template
   Then select ItemTemplate and follow the wizard.

2. Move your UserControl to a separate ClassLibrary (and fix namespaces etc).
   Add a ref to the classlibrary from Projects that need it. Don't bother with the GAC or anything, just the DLL file.

I would not advice putting a UserControl in the normal ToolBox, but it can be done. See the answer from @Arseny

Answer 2

In my case, I couldn't see any of the controls in the project. Only when right clicking on toolBox and selecting "Show All" I saw them, but yet they were disabled...

Changing Project type from Windows application to ClassLibrary made the fix.

Answer 3

The issue with my designer was 32 vs 64 bit issue. I could add the control to tool box after following the instructions in Cannot add Controls from 64-bit Assemblies to the Toolbox or Use in Designers Within the Visual Studio IDE MS KB article.

Answer 4

I had many users controls but one refused to show in the Toolbox, even though I rebuilt the solution and it was checked in the Choose Items... dialog.

Solution:

1. From Solution Explorer I Right-Clicked the offending user control file and selected Exclude From Project
2. Rebuild the solution
3. Right-Click the user control and select Include in Project (assuming you have the Show All Files enabled in the Solution Explorer)

Note this also requires you have the AutoToolboxPopulate option enabled. As @DaveF answer suggests.

Alternate Solution: I'm not sure if this works, and I couldn't try it since I already resolved my issue, but if you unchecked the user control from the Choose Items... dialog, hit OK, then opened it back up and checked the user control. That might also work.