I bloged this at http://spaces.msn.com/members/oscarcalvo/

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Hello Renaud, I feel your pain.=20

Here is some pseudo code that will read the data from the OcxState =
property and convert it to properties.

Dim bag As Hashtable

=20

Overridable Sub BeginInit() Implements =
ISupportInitialize.BeginInit

=20

End Sub

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Overridable Sub EndInit() Implements ISupportInitialize.EndInit

If bag Is Nothing Then

Return

End If

Dim properties As PropertyDescriptorCollection =3D =
TypeDescriptor.GetProperties(Me)

For Each key As Object In bag.Keys

Dim prop As PropertyDescriptor =3D properties.Item(key)

If Not prop Is Nothing Then

Try

prop.SetValue(Me, bag.Item(key))

Catch

End Try

End If

Next

End Sub

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<RefreshProperties(RefreshProperties.All), _

Browsable(False), _

EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Advanced)> _

Public Property OcxState() As System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.State

Get

Return Nothing

End Get

Set(ByVal state As System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.State)

Dim stateType As Type =3D =
GetType(System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.State)

Dim bindingFlags As BindingFlags =3D bindingFlags.GetField =
+ bindingFlags.Instance + bindingFlags.NonPublic

Dim propBag As Object =3D =
stateType.InvokeMember("propBag", bindingFlags, Nothing, state, Nothing)

If propBag Is Nothing Then

Dim buffer As Byte() =3D =
stateType.InvokeMember("buffer", bindingFlags, Nothing, state, Nothing)

Dim stream As MemoryStream =3D New =
MemoryStream(buffer)

Dim formatter As =
System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter =3D New =
System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter

Try

bag =3D CType(formatter.Deserialize(stream), =
Hashtable)

Catch

bag =3D New Hashtable

End Try

Else

bag =3D propBag.GetType().InvokeMember("bag", =
bindingFlags, Nothing, propBag, Nothing)

End If

End Set

End Property

=20

You should insert this code into your UserControl or create a new base =
class for all of your constrols.=20

For better compatibility, the UserControl should implement the =
interface ISupportInitialize.=20

Your migrated forms will be able to load the property settings stored =
in the OcxState, if you save the forms then the properties will be =
stored in the InitializeComponent using your control setter properties.

Later on I recommend that you remove this code from your production =
code, or encloded with #if / #endif.

I am very interested in your results, please keep us posted.In =
particular, I would like to know what kind of complex types are you =
storing in your UserControls.=20

I am developing a set of helper classes to help people with migration =
problems, this is one area of interest.

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Regarding your second objective, can you elaborate a little more? Are =
talking about making your .NET version of the controls binary compatible =
with your VB6 Clients?=20

=20

Enjoy,

=20

Oscar Calvo

ArtinSoft http://www.artinsoft.com

The Software Migration Specialist



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