I have created a base form with a tab control and a couple of buttons and a datatgrid on it. I want the first page to show a list of records and the second tab will have the detail for the selected record. I have a number of places this would be useful, so I created a base class of this object.

Next, I created a form that inherits from this base class form and added some controls to the tab. The designer allowed me to add these controls and displayed them until I compiled the application. After compilation, I could not see the controls in design or run time mode. However, if I look at the code, I can see that the code for the controls is present.

Is it possible to Inherit a form with a tab control and add controls to the tab? If so, what do I need to do to allow this to happen. I also tried it with a panel and came up with the same results.

I can't imagine what good these container type controls would be on a base form if you can't add controls to them on the derived form.

Below is the code for the base form:

Public Class FormBase2
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "

    Public Sub New()
        MyBase.New()

        'This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
        InitializeComponent()

        'Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call

    End Sub

    'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
    Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
        If disposing Then
            If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
                components.Dispose()
            End If
        End If
        MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
    End Sub

    'Required by the Windows Form Designer
	Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer

    'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
    'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.  
    'Do not modify it using the code editor.
	Friend WithEvents TabControl1 As System.Windows.Forms.TabControl
	Friend WithEvents TabPage1 As System.Windows.Forms.TabPage
	Friend WithEvents TabPage2 As System.Windows.Forms.TabPage
	Friend WithEvents Panel1 As System.Windows.Forms.Panel
	<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> Private Sub InitializeComponent()
		Me.TabControl1 = New System.Windows.Forms.TabControl
		Me.TabPage1 = New System.Windows.Forms.TabPage
		Me.TabPage2 = New System.Windows.Forms.TabPage
		Me.Panel1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Panel
		Me.TabControl1.SuspendLayout()
		Me.SuspendLayout()
		'
		'TabControl1
		'
		Me.TabControl1.Controls.Add(Me.TabPage1)
		Me.TabControl1.Controls.Add(Me.TabPage2)
		Me.TabControl1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(8, 8)
		Me.TabControl1.Name = "TabControl1"
		Me.TabControl1.SelectedIndex = 0
		Me.TabControl1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(272, 248)
		Me.TabControl1.TabIndex = 0
		'
		'TabPage1
		'
		Me.TabPage1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(4, 22)
		Me.TabPage1.Name = "TabPage1"
		Me.TabPage1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(264, 222)
		Me.TabPage1.TabIndex = 0
		Me.TabPage1.Text = "List"
		'
		'TabPage2
		'
		Me.TabPage2.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(4, 22)
		Me.TabPage2.Name = "TabPage2"
		Me.TabPage2.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(264, 222)
		Me.TabPage2.TabIndex = 1
		Me.TabPage2.Text = "Detail"
		'
		'Panel1
		'
		Me.Panel1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(328, 32)
		Me.Panel1.Name = "Panel1"
		Me.Panel1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(304, 208)
		Me.Panel1.TabIndex = 1
		'
		'FormBase2
		'
		Me.AutoScaleBaseSize = New System.Drawing.Size(5, 13)
		Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(648, 266)
		Me.Controls.Add(Me.Panel1)
		Me.Controls.Add(Me.TabControl1)
		Me.Name = "FormBase2"
		Me.Text = "FormBase2"
		Me.TabControl1.ResumeLayout(False)
		Me.ResumeLayout(False)

	End Sub

#End Region

End Class

And here is the code for the derived form:

Public Class InheritsFromBase2
    Inherits TestDocking.FormBase2

#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "

    Public Sub New()
        MyBase.New()

        'This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
        InitializeComponent()

        'Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call

    End Sub

    'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
    Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
        If disposing Then
            If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
                components.Dispose()
            End If
        End If
        MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
    End Sub

    'Required by the Windows Form Designer
	Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer

    'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
    'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.  
    'Do not modify it using the code editor.
	Friend WithEvents Button1 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
	Friend WithEvents Button2 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
	Friend WithEvents TextBox2 As System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
	Friend WithEvents Panel2 As System.Windows.Forms.Panel
	Friend WithEvents Label1 As System.Windows.Forms.Label
	Friend WithEvents TextBox1 As System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
	Friend WithEvents CheckBox1 As System.Windows.Forms.CheckBox
	<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> Private Sub InitializeComponent()
		Me.Button1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button
		Me.Button2 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button
		Me.TextBox2 = New System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
		Me.Panel2 = New System.Windows.Forms.Panel
		Me.TextBox1 = New System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
		Me.Label1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Label
		Me.CheckBox1 = New System.Windows.Forms.CheckBox
		Me.Panel2.SuspendLayout()
		'
		'Button1
		'
		Me.Button1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(120, 24)
		Me.Button1.Name = "Button1"
		Me.Button1.TabIndex = 0
		Me.Button1.Text = "Button1"
		'
		'Button2
		'
		Me.Button2.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(104, 32)
		Me.Button2.Name = "Button2"
		Me.Button2.TabIndex = 0
		Me.Button2.Text = "Button2"
		'
		'TextBox2
		'
		Me.TextBox2.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(72, 72)
		Me.TextBox2.Name = "TextBox2"
		Me.TextBox2.TabIndex = 2
		Me.TextBox2.Text = "TextBox2"
		'
		'Panel2
		'
		Me.Panel2.Controls.Add(Me.TextBox1)
		Me.Panel2.Controls.Add(Me.Label1)
		Me.Panel2.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(32, 80)
		Me.Panel2.Name = "Panel2"
		Me.Panel2.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(280, 144)
		Me.Panel2.TabIndex = 1
		'
		'TextBox1
		'
		Me.TextBox1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(40, 56)
		Me.TextBox1.Name = "TextBox1"
		Me.TextBox1.TabIndex = 1
		Me.TextBox1.Text = "TextBox1"
		'
		'Label1
		'
		Me.Label1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(48, 24)
		Me.Label1.Name = "Label1"
		Me.Label1.TabIndex = 0
		Me.Label1.Text = "Label1"
		'
		'CheckBox1
		'
		Me.CheckBox1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(176, 64)
		Me.CheckBox1.Name = "CheckBox1"
		Me.CheckBox1.TabIndex = 0
		Me.CheckBox1.Text = "CheckBox1"
		'
		'InheritsFromBase2
		'
		Me.AutoScaleBaseSize = New System.Drawing.Size(5, 13)
		Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(656, 278)
		Me.Name = "InheritsFromBase2"
		Me.Text = "InheritsFromBase2"
		Me.Panel2.ResumeLayout(False)

	End Sub

#End Region

End Class

Thanks,
Joe