Can't see design view mode in Visual studio 2008?

[VBLearner6]

How can I get back the design view mode in Visual Studio 2008? I closed the design view mode and I can't see any option to view my form in design mode.

Please do help.

[mickey_pt]

Double click in the form in the Solution Explorer

or Right Click in the form and Select Designer...

[VBLearner6]

Double click in the form in the Solution Explorer

or Right Click in the form and Select Designer...

Double click also shows the form in code view and there is no Design option in right click.

[NickThissen]

Are the Formname.Designer.vb file and the Formname.resx file still 'attached' to the Formname.vb file? If you don't see those files, then click the 'Show All Files' button in the solution explorer toolbar, and expand the Formname.vb entry.

In fact, can you enable the Show All Files button and show us a screenshot of your solution explorer?

[VBLearner6]

Are the Formname.Designer.vb file and the Formname.resx file still 'attached' to the Formname.vb file? If you don't see those files, then click the 'Show All Files' button in the solution explorer toolbar, and expand the Formname.vb entry.

In fact, can you enable the Show All Files button and show us a screenshot of your solution explorer?

Yes. Those files are there. I can't attach any snapshot file here right now.

[NickThissen]

But are the files in the 'treeview dropdown' of the Formname.vb file, or are they on the same level?

What you want is this:

Sometimes, it 'breaks' and you get this:

(Note, I artificially added a space to the names of these files to get it to 'break', as I don't know exactly how to reproduce it)

When that happens, it seems VS has lost the connection of the files, and it doesn't know that Form1.vb is a Form (because that information is in the Form1.Designer.vb file!).

To fix, usually it is enough to remove the files from your project (be sure to back them up somewhere first otherwise you may delete the actual files!) and then simply add the Form1.vb file again. The other two files will be found automatically and it will be fixed.


If that doesn't work then something else is going on, I've no idea what.

[VBLearner6]

But are the files in the 'treeview dropdown' of the Formname.vb file, or are they on the same level?

What you want is this:

Sometimes, it 'breaks' and you get this:

(Note, I artificially added a space to the names of these files to get it to 'break', as I don't know exactly how to reproduce it)

When that happens, it seems VS has lost the connection of the files, and it doesn't know that Form1.vb is a Form (because that information is in the Form1.Designer.vb file!).

To fix, usually it is enough to remove the files from your project (be sure to back them up somewhere first otherwise you may delete the actual files!) and then simply add the Form1.vb file again. The other two files will be found automatically and it will be fixed.


If that doesn't work then something else is going on, I've no idea what.

I tried it copying again to my project after deleting. But the same problem exist.

[NickThissen]

You still didn't answer my question. Are the files in situation 1 or 2? And what do you mean by copying the files? You don't copy them into the project, you use Add Existing Item. I'm not sure if copying works too (it might), but I advice you to try Add Existing Item instead.

[VBLearner6]

You still didn't answer my question. Are the files in situation 1 or 2? And what do you mean by copying the files? You don't copy them into the project, you use Add Existing Item. I'm not sure if copying works too (it might), but I advice you to try Add Existing Item instead.

It is in situation 1. I have added it as an existing item. Though the problem is same.

[nguyenwu7]

As you described, I think you have declared some Namespace in file .vb but forgot to declare the same Namespace in file .Designer.vb. They must be in the same Namespace to work properly.

For example:
- In Form1.vb:
Namespace NameSpace1
Public Class Form1
....
End Class
End Namespace

- In Form1.Designer.vb:
Namespace NameSpace1
<Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.DesignerGenerated()> _
Partial Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
....
End Class
End Namespace

[Radjesh Klauke]

Perhaps it makes life easier for everyone when you told us exactly what you did before this happened.

[abrarcam123]

As you described, I think you have declared some Namespace in file .vb but forgot to declare the same Namespace in file .Designer.vb. They must be in the same Namespace to work properly.

For example:
- In Form1.vb:
Namespace NameSpace1
Public Class Form1
....
End Class
End Namespace

- In Form1.Designer.vb:
Namespace NameSpace1
<Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.DesignerGenerated()> _
Partial Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
....
End Class
End Namespace

THIS ****ING WORKED GUYSSSSS!!!!!!!!! USE THIS AS YOUR EXAMPLE. YOU JUST HELPED THE CRAP OUT OF ME. THIS WORKS!!!!!!!! I HAVE VISUAL STUDIO 2018/2017

I ACCIDENTLY ERASED THE NAMESPACE INFORMATION OF MY .VB FILE, AND ONCE I CODED THE SIMPLE TWO LINES ABOVE

Public Class [insert name of your .vb file!]

End class

THATS WHAT DID IT. THE FILE WAS CONVERTED TO A FORM, AND THE VISUAL DESIGNER WAS ENABLED WITH ALL MY SETTINGS AND CLASSES AND BUTTONS, AND EVERYTHING HOW IT WAS. THANK YOU SO MUCH

[passel]

Normally you shouldn't be opening that file in the editor, so you wouldn't accidentally erase anything in it, except through the IDE itself you might delete code you added, but not code that was auto generated.