---
title: Apply Attributes in Controls
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "controls [Windows Forms], applying attributes"
  - "attributes [Windows Forms], applying"
  - "Windows Forms controls, applying attributes"
ms.assetid: af0a3f7f-155b-4ba1-83c4-9cf721331a06
---
# How to: Apply Attributes in Windows Forms Controls

To develop components and controls that interact correctly with the design environment and execute correctly at run time, you need to apply attributes correctly to classes and members.  
  
## Example  

 The following code example demonstrates how to use several attributes on a custom control. The control demonstrates a simple logging capability. When the control is bound to a data source, it displays the values sent by the data source in a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.DataGridView> control. If a value exceeds the value specified by the `Threshold` property, a `ThresholdExceeded` event is raised.  
  
 The `AttributesDemoControl` logs values with a `LogEntry` class. The `LogEntry` class is a template class, which means it is parameterized on the type that it logs. For example, if the `AttributesDemoControl` is logging values of type `float`, each `LogEntry` instance is declared and used as follows.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#110](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/CS/form1.cs#110)]
 [!code-vb[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#110](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/VB/form1.vb#110)]  
  
> [!NOTE]
> Because `LogEntry` is parameterized by an arbitrary type, it must use reflection to operate on the parameter type. For the threshold feature to work, the parameter type `T` must implement the <xref:System.IComparable> interface.  
  
 The form that hosts the `AttributesDemoControl` queries a performance counter periodically. Each value is packaged in a `LogEntry` of the appropriate type and added to the form's <xref:System.Windows.Forms.BindingSource>. The `AttributesDemoControl` receives the value through its data binding and displays the value in a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.DataGridView> control.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#1](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/CS/attributesdemocontrol.cs#1)]
 [!code-vb[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#1](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/VB/attributesdemocontrol.vb#1)]  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#100](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/CS/form1.cs#100)]
 [!code-vb[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#100](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/VB/form1.vb#100)]  
  
 The first code example is the `AttributesDemoControl` implementation. The second code example demonstrates a form that uses the `AttributesDemoControl`.  
  
## Class-level Attributes  

 Some attributes are applied at the class level. The following code example shows the attributes that are commonly applied to a Windows Forms control.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#20](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/CS/attributesdemocontrol.cs#20)]
 [!code-vb[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#20](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/VB/attributesdemocontrol.vb#20)]  
  
### TypeConverter Attribute  

 <xref:System.ComponentModel.TypeConverterAttribute> is another commonly used class-level attribute. The following code example shows its use for the `LogEntry` class. This example also shows an implementation of a <xref:System.ComponentModel.TypeConverter> for the `LogEntry` type, called `LogEntryTypeConverter`.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#5](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/CS/attributesdemocontrol.cs#5)]
 [!code-vb[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#5](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/VB/attributesdemocontrol.vb#5)]  
  
## Member-level Attributes  

 Some attributes are applied at the member level. The following code examples show some attributes that are commonly applied to properties of Windows Forms controls.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#21](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/CS/attributesdemocontrol.cs#21)]
 [!code-vb[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#21](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/VB/attributesdemocontrol.vb#21)]  
  
### AmbientValue Attribute  

 The following example demonstrates the <xref:System.ComponentModel.AmbientValueAttribute> and shows code that supports its interaction with the design environment. This interaction is called *ambience*.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#23](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/CS/attributesdemocontrol.cs#23)]
 [!code-vb[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#23](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/VB/attributesdemocontrol.vb#23)]  
  
### Databinding Attributes  

 The following examples demonstrate an implementation of complex data binding. The class-level <xref:System.ComponentModel.ComplexBindingPropertiesAttribute>, shown previously, specifies the `DataSource` and `DataMember` properties to use for data binding. The <xref:System.ComponentModel.AttributeProviderAttribute> specifies the type to which the `DataSource` property will bind.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#25](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/CS/attributesdemocontrol.cs#25)]
 [!code-vb[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#25](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/VB/attributesdemocontrol.vb#25)]  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#26](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/CS/attributesdemocontrol.cs#26)]
 [!code-vb[System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl#26](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.ComponentModel.AttributesDemoControl/VB/attributesdemocontrol.vb#26)]  
  
## Compiling the Code  
  
- The form that hosts the `AttributesDemoControl` requires a reference to the `AttributesDemoControl` assembly in order to build.  
  
## See also

- <xref:System.IComparable>
- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.DataGridView>
- [Developing Custom Windows Forms Controls with the .NET Framework](developing-custom-windows-forms-controls.md)
- [Attributes in Windows Forms Controls](attributes-in-windows-forms-controls.md)
- [How to: Serialize Collections of Standard Types with the DesignerSerializationVisibilityAttribute](/previous-versions/visualstudio/visual-studio-2013/ms171833(v=vs.120))
