Reputation: 161

How to open form designer in Visual Studio?

I am attempting to create a Windows Forms app in C# in Visual Studio.

Normally one can double click the Form1.cs file in the Solution Explorer in order to access the simple drag and drop designer.

Unfortunately, it only opens up the code for the file.

solution explorer

Upvotes: 15

Answers (15)

Manish M

Reputation: 33

I had the same issue with Visual Studio 2022, with a winforms project (with .NET 8) created on a different machine. None of the above solutions worked.

However, I got it working by adding a new winforms project to my solution. Suddenly VS recognised the original form and was able to open the designer. (I could then delete the new project.)

Upvotes: 0

Andrew Marais

Reputation: 965

I Solved this issue, by updating the project to use a newer version of Dot Net. From Dot Net 6 to 8.

HTH

Upvotes: 0

user22987791

Reputation: 51

There is a very simple solution in Visual Studio 2022. If the design view of say form1 is not open, go into the Form1.cs and find the "InitializeComponent();" (see the picture). You can either right click on it, a drop down list will appear, select "View Designer". You could also just place the mouse over the line and press the keys "Shift" and "F7" at the same time. Either way, the design view will open.

Upvotes: 5

Osama Farooq

Reputation: 1

Actually you are opening the design from the file . simply run the program and it will automatically open design form .just ignore if there are built in errors.

Upvotes: -1

Tom Jacob Chirayil

Reputation: 11

Right-click on Form1.cs
Select Open With option
From the Open With option, choose "CSharp Form Editor (Default) Click OK

Open With
Open With Options

Upvotes: 1

Jens

Reputation: 2617

In my case the problem was an dot in the cs file name e.g.: "Form1.Core.cs"

Upvotes: 0

Poul

Reputation: 11

Another possibility is that your form class is missing a SubType subelement in its xml element in the csproj.

For example, here is one that does have the needed subelement:

<Compile Include="MainForm.cs">
  <SubType>Form</SubType>
</Compile>

Upvotes: 1

Marcelo Mamedes

Reputation: 11

Somehow the .resx file got corrupted, i fixed that by copying this same file from my other form. Just delete the corrupt one, paste it, and change the name

Upvotes: 1

Klaas Weerstand

Reputation: 77

Found this solution somewhere else:

I've just had similar problem in Visual Studio 2017. On a "Form1.cs [Design]" there was an error shown and I closed it. Then I noticed Form1.cs had no "View Designer" option (also the icon changed to that of a regular class). Luckily, I figured out what the error was: I'd put a class other than public partial class Form1 as a first class in a Form1.cs file. Fixing that caused the icon to change and reenabled the "View Designer" option.

That's a pity those kind of errors doesn't show on the Error List. My error was easy to spot, but I see how this can be a problem, especially on bigger projects.

link: https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/t/open-form-designer-from-solution-explorer/44160#:~:text=I%27ve%20just%20had,on%20bigger%20projects.

Upvotes: 0

wlasar86

Reputation: 165

Have the same issue when placing another class before the form class (in this case my ImageContainer class).

namespace ImageProcessor
{
    internal class ImageContainer
    {
    }
    
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        private ImageContainer m_img = null;
    }
}

By just moving the internal class ImageContainer after the public partial class Form1 : Form { } the VS2019 drag&drop designer could load my Form1 class.

namespace ImageProcessor
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        private ImageContainer m_img = null;
    }

    internal class ImageContainer
    {
    }
}

Also symbol in Solution Explorer changed back to a dialog icon.

Upvotes: 10

Gaur 97

Reputation: 93

In VS2019 just delete the first project and recreate another one. It will fix the problem of viewing designer page. Now you are able to view your designer.

Upvotes: 0

林果皞

Reputation: 7793

In my case right-click on Form1.cs (with correct Form icon) and select "View Designer" still showing code.

I found this thread and realized I accidentally choose .Net Core instead of .NET Framework when creating new project:

I should able see this long xml inside .csproj file (.NET Framework) of Solution Explorer panel, which the TargetFrameworkVersion showing v<Number>:

... 
<OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
<RootNamespace>HelloWorld</RootNamespace>
<AssemblyName>HelloWorld</AssemblyName>
<TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.7.2</TargetFrameworkVersion>
...

, instead of short xml below (*.Net Core), which the TargetFramework showing netcoreapp<Number>:

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

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>netcoreapp3.1</TargetFramework>
    <UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

To check project type, can refer this answer.

Microsoft devlogs stated that Designer with .Net Core is not shipped by default yet:

If you want to work with .NET Core project, don’t forget to install the .NET Core Windows Forms Designer, since it isn’t yet shipped inside Visual Studio by default. See the previous “Enabling the designer” section.

Upvotes: 2

Sats

Reputation: 1973

Click on the highlighted icon in the below image. It is the Solutions and Folders Icon which will take you back to solution view.

Upvotes: 1

Alexan

Reputation: 8625

You are in the Folder view.

Change to the Solution (Project) view.

This icon at the top of Solution Explorer.

Upvotes: 9

Gabriel Luci

Reputation: 40858

The associations between the files must have gotten broken somehow. You can manually edit the .csproj file and correct it. Search for Form1. You should have entries for each file that look something like this:

<Compile Include="Form1.cs">
  <SubType>Form</SubType>
</Compile>
<Compile Include="Form1.Designer.cs">
  <DependentUpon>Form1.cs</DependentUpon>
</Compile>
<EmbeddedResource Include="Form1.resx">
  <DependentUpon>Form1.cs</DependentUpon>
</EmbeddedResource>

Notice the SubType and DependentUpon. Those are the important pieces.

Upvotes: 3

How to open form designer in Visual Studio?

Answers (15)

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