In the Infragistics.Practices.CompositeUI.WinForms.UltraTabWorkspace workspace.
one of the projects i worked on we needed to have the Tab item key property set with a unique key, unfortunately the key property is not set when the tab is created(actually it was never set and always resolved to be null).

first of all create a custom SmartPartInfo that will hold an extra property TabKey.

public class CustomTabSmartPartInfo : Infragistics.Practices.CompositeUI.WinForms.UltraTabSmartPartInfo
{
    private string _TabKey;
    public string TabKey
    {
        get { return _TabKey; }
        set { _TabKey = value; }
    }
}

next inherit from the UltraTabWorkspace control and override two methods that will help set the key “manually”.

/// <summary>
/// inherited UltraTabWorkspace object in order to get access to the override methods
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>the reason is to set the TabKey property when the a workItem is created</remarks>
public class CustomUltraTabWorkspace : Infragistics.Practices.CompositeUI.WinForms.UltraTabWorkspace
{
    private string addTabKey;

    protected override void OnShow(System.Windows.Forms.Control smartPart, Infragistics.Practices.CompositeUI.WinForms.UltraTabSmartPartInfo smartPartInfo)
    {
        if ((smartPartInfo) is CustomTabSmartPartInfo)
        {
            if (Strings.Len(((CustomTabSmartPartInfo)smartPartInfo).TabKey) > 0)
            {
                addTabKey = ((CustomTabSmartPartInfo)smartPartInfo).TabKey;
            }
        }
        base.OnShow(smartPart, smartPartInfo);
        addTabKey = string.Empty;
    }

    protected override void OnControlAdded(System.Windows.Forms.ControlEventArgs e)
    {
        base.OnControlAdded(e);
        if (Strings.Len(addTabKey) > 0)
        {
            if ((e.Control) is Infragistics.Win.UltraWinTabControl.UltraTabPageControl)
            {
                ((Infragistics.Win.UltraWinTabControl.UltraTabPageControl)e.Control).Tab.Key = addTabKey;
            }
        }
    }
}

when OnShow() is called for the first time OnControlAdded() will be called as well, this is the point to set the Tab Key which is extracted from the Custom smartPartInfo created earlier.

CustomTabSmartPartInfo spi = new CustomTabSmartPartInfo();

spi.Title = tabText;
spi.TabKey = mSessionId + mName + ":" + viewId; ;
spi.ActivateTab = activateTab;

MyWorkspace.Show(thisView, spi);

All set the Tab’s Key property is populated and we have control over the content of the key, in my case it had to reflect the active session and the view id.

We can override the OnPaint method to draw our own border for a window, this is useful for small popup windows or a form that acts as a dialog box.

first we need to get ride of the built in Border supplied by the framework by setting:

this.FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.None;

Next is to draw our forms border using the: 

System.Drawing.Drawing2D.GraphicsPath();

Code:

public partial class myform : Form
{
    public myform()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        this.FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.None;
    }

    private int h = 15;
    private int w = 15;

    protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
    {
        base.OnPaint(e);
        
        if (this.FormBorderStyle == FormBorderStyle.None)
        {
            // obtain the 2D graphics path drower
            System.Drawing.Drawing2D.GraphicsPath gp = new System.Drawing.Drawing2D.GraphicsPath();
           
            Rectangle r = e.ClipRectangle;
            
            //the thickness of the border(needs to be 1, 3, 5 etc...)
            Pen p = new Pen(Brushes.CornflowerBlue, 1);

            gp.AddArc(r.X, r.Y, w, h, 180, 90);
            gp.AddArc(r.X + r.Width - w - 1, r.Y, w, h, 270, 90);
            gp.AddArc(r.X + r.Width - w - 1, r.Y + r.Height - h - 1, w, h, 0, 90);
            gp.AddArc(r.X, r.Y + r.Height - h - 1, w, h, 90, 90);
            gp.AddLine(r.X, r.Y + r.Height - h, r.X, r.Y + (h / 2));

            System.Drawing.Drawing2D.LinearGradientBrush br = new System.Drawing.Drawing2D.LinearGradientBrush(r, Color.WhiteSmoke, 
                Color.Gainsboro, System.Drawing.Drawing2D.LinearGradientMode.Vertical);
            e.Graphics.FillPath(br, gp);

            e.Graphics.DrawPath(p, gp);
        }
    }
}

In order to catch the close button event of the form we need to override the WndProc method.

Code:

public partial class MyForm : Form
{
    public MyForm()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    protected override void WndProc(ref Message M)
    {
        const int WM_SYSCOMMAND = 0x112;
        const int SC_CLOSE = 0xf060;

        if (M.Msg == WM_SYSCOMMAND & M.WParam.ToInt32() == SC_CLOSE)
        {
            // User clicked the X - close button
            // Any code handling goes here:

            return;
        }

        base.WndProc(ref M);
    }
}

Its a nice graphical display and makes it comfortable to use having a control like a Textbox Listbox or even a Gridview grow when focused or hovered by the mouse, i made a small class that will manage that.

Passing any control to the GrowManager will allow a control to expand on certain events (OnMOuseOver, OnFocus etc…) the size of growth can be determine on the constructor or on the properties exposed by the GrowManager class.

here's the code:

public class GrowManager
{
    // Methods
    public GrowManager(Control owner)
    {
        this.Owner = owner;
        this.Owner.MouseEnter += new EventHandler(this.Owner_MouseEnter);
        this.Owner.MouseLeave += new EventHandler(this.Owner_MouseLeave);
        this.Owner.Enter += new EventHandler(this.Owner_Enter);
        this.Owner.Leave += new EventHandler(this.Owner_Leave);
    }

    public GrowManager(Control owner, int MaxHeight, int MaxWidth)
    {
        this.Owner = owner;
        this._MaxHeight = MaxHeight;
        this._MaxWidth = MaxWidth;
        this.Owner.MouseEnter += new EventHandler(this.Owner_MouseEnter);
        this.Owner.MouseLeave += new EventHandler(this.Owner_MouseLeave);
        this.Owner.Enter += new EventHandler(this.Owner_Enter);
        this.Owner.Leave += new EventHandler(this.Owner_Leave);
    }

    ~GrowManager()
    {
        this.Owner.MouseEnter -= new EventHandler(this.Owner_MouseEnter);
        this.Owner.MouseLeave -= new EventHandler(this.Owner_MouseLeave);
        this.Owner.Enter -= new EventHandler(this.Owner_Enter);
        this.Owner.Leave -= new EventHandler(this.Owner_Leave);
    }

    private void Grow()
    {
        if (!this.isInGrowthMode)
        {
            int Dif = 0;
            int n = 0;
            this.Owner.SuspendLayout();
            this._OrigSize = this.Owner.Size;
            this._origLocation = this.Owner.Location;
            int growToHeight = this._MaxHeight;
            int growToWidth = this._MaxWidth;
            int LocationX = this.Owner.Location.X;
            int LocationY = this.Owner.Location.Y;
            bool GrowVertical = false;
            bool GrowHorizontal = false;
            if ((growToHeight > this.Owner.Height))
            {
                LocationY = (int)(LocationY - ((growToHeight - this.Owner.Height) / 2));
                Dif = 0;
                if ((LocationY < 0))
                {
                    Dif = Math.Abs(LocationY);
                }
                if ((((this.Owner.Parent != null)) && (this.Owner.Parent.Height < (LocationY + growToHeight))))
                {
                    n = (Math.Abs((int)((LocationY + growToHeight) - this.Owner.Parent.Height)) + 8);
                    Dif = (int)((n > Dif) ? n : Dif);
                }
                if ((Dif > 0))
                {
                    growToHeight = (growToHeight - ((Dif * 2) + 2));
                    LocationY = (int)(this.Owner.Location.Y - ((growToHeight - this.Owner.Height) / 2));
                }
                GrowVertical = true;
            }
            if ((growToWidth > this.Owner.Width))
            {
                LocationX = (int)(LocationX - ((growToWidth - this.Owner.Width) / 2));
                Dif = 0;
                if ((LocationX < 0))
                {
                    Dif = Math.Abs(LocationX);
                }
                if ((((this.Owner.Parent != null)) && (this.Owner.Parent.Width < (LocationX + growToWidth))))
                {
                    n = (Math.Abs((int)((LocationX + growToWidth) - this.Owner.Parent.Width)) + 8);
                    Dif = (int)((n > Dif) ? n : Dif);
                }
                if ((Dif > 0))
                {
                    growToWidth = (growToWidth - ((Dif * 2) + 2));
                    LocationX = (int)(this.Owner.Location.X - ((growToWidth - this.Owner.Width) / 2));
                }
                GrowHorizontal = true;
            }
            if (GrowVertical)
            {
                this.Owner.Height = growToHeight;
            }
            if (GrowHorizontal)
            {
                this.Owner.Width = growToWidth;
            }
            this.Owner.Location = new Point(LocationX, LocationY);
            this.Owner.BringToFront();
            this.isInGrowthMode = true;
            this.Owner.ResumeLayout(false);
        }
    }

    private void GrowBack()
    {
        this.Owner.Location = this._origLocation;
        this.Owner.Size = this._OrigSize;
        this.Owner.SendToBack();
        this.isInGrowthMode = false;
    }

    private void Owner_Enter(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        this.Grow();
    }

    private void Owner_Leave(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        this.GrowBack();
    }

    private void Owner_MouseEnter(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        this.Grow();
        if (_FocusOnMouseEnter) Owner.Focus();
    }

    private void Owner_MouseLeave(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        this.GrowBack();
    }

    // Properties
    public bool FocusOnMouseEnter
    {
        get { return _FocusOnMouseEnter; }
        set { _FocusOnMouseEnter = value; }
    }

    public int MaxHeight
    {
        get { return this._MaxHeight; }
        set { this._MaxHeight = value; }
    }

    public int MaxWidth
    {
        get { return this._MaxWidth; }
        set { this._MaxWidth = value; }
    }

    // Fields
    private bool _FocusOnMouseEnter;
    private int _MaxHeight;
    private int _MaxWidth;
    private Point _origLocation;
    private Size _OrigSize;
    private bool isInGrowthMode;
    protected Control Owner;
}

In one of the projects i worked on we where implementing Microsoft CAB (Composite UI Application Blocks) one of the features of the CAB is the tab view workspace.

Problem:
Tab items (which in our application inherited from System.Windows.Forms.Control as one of its base classes) where created and added to the Infragistics.Practices.CompositeUI.WinForms.UltraTabWorkspace workspace from the work item class.
When the tab got focus by calling the Show(ByVal smartPart As Object) method on the SmartParts.IWorkspace workspace class,
the last control to have the focus did not get it back infect the focus was on the tab itself and not on one of its child controls(as we required).

for example if a tab had a Textbox as one of it's child controls, when the focus is on the Textbox then we change to another tab and change back the focus
did not return to the Textbox(but stayed on the tab header itself)

there was no way to pick an event by the view after it was showed by the workspace,
so i had to inherit from the UltraTabWorkspace and override the OnSmartPartActivated method.

Another problem was inner controls that had their child controls stored in a panel.
This was solved by having each of those controls implement an interface IPanelControl which returned the panel property of that control.

Solution:
the solution was to iterate thru all controls and child controls(and panel child controls) and listen to their GotFocus event,
when it is invoked save a reference to that control so we can refocus it later
(another problem was controls that where added dynamically i solved by overriding the OnControlAdded method)

refocusing was done by overriding the method OnSmartPartActivated on the UltraTabWorkspace

here is the code:

class TabView : System.Windows.Forms.Control
{
    /// <summary>
    /// 'monitor the views control add flow
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="e"></param>
    /// <remarks></remarks>
    protected override void OnControlAdded(System.Windows.Forms.ControlEventArgs e)
    {
        base.OnControlAdded(e);
        zSetFocusHandlers(e.Control);
        e.Control.ControlAdded += ControlAddedEvent;
        if ((e.Control) is IPanelControl && ((IPanelControl)e.Control).PanelControl != null)
        {
            ((IPanelControl)e.Control).PanelControl.ControlAdded += ControlAddedEvent;
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// 'monitor the views child controls flow
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="sender"></param>
    /// <param name="e"></param>
    /// <remarks></remarks>
    protected void ControlAddedEvent(object sender, System.Windows.Forms.ControlEventArgs e)
    {
        zSetFocusHandlers(e.Control);
        e.Control.ControlAdded += ControlAddedEvent;
        if ((e.Control) is IPanelControl && ((IPanelControl)e.Control).PanelControl != null)
        {
            ((IPanelControl)e.Control).PanelControl.ControlAdded += ControlAddedEvent;
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// this is a recursive method, that will
    /// loop throw all child controls and add a handler for the focus event
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="cnt"></param>
    /// <remarks></remarks>
    private void zSetFocusHandlers(Control cnt)
    {
        AddControlFocusHandler(cnt, false);
        foreach (Control cntm in cnt.Controls)
        {
            zSetFocusHandlers(cntm);
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// 'add the focus event, her we can filter the controls that dont need handeling
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="cnt"></param>
    /// <remarks></remarks>
    protected virtual void AddControlFocusHandler(Control cnt, bool Force)
    {
        if (Force || (cnt) is IFocusHandeling 
            || (cnt) is TextBox 
            || (cnt) is ComboBox 
            || (cnt) is Button 
            || (cnt) is ListBox 
            || (cnt) is CheckBox 
            || (cnt) is RichTextBox 
            || (cnt) is Infragistics.Win.UltraWinGrid.UltraGrid 
            || (cnt) is Infragistics.Win.UltraWinEditors.UltraTextEditor)
        {
            cnt.GotFocus += Control_GotFocusEvent;
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// 'when a control got a focus remember it for future use
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="sender"></param>
    /// <param name="e"></param>
    /// <remarks></remarks>
    protected void Control_GotFocusEvent(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
    {
        ControlToFocus = (Control)sender;
    }

    protected Control ControlToFocus;

    /// <summary>
    /// this happens when the smart part is activated, it origens in the Tab control
    /// </summary>
    /// <remarks></remarks>
    public void SmartPartActivated()
    {
        if (ControlToFocus != null)
        {
            //calling a thread that will manage the focusing of the last focusd control
            FocusThread = new Threading.Thread(zFocusLastControl);
            FocusThread.Start();
        }
    }

    private Thread FocusThread;
    private bool FocusThreadTerminate;

    /// <summary>
    /// this method will loop and try to focus the last focusd control until the thread is aboarted or loop is finished
    /// this method is running in a nother thread
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="obj"></param>
    /// <remarks></remarks>
    private void zFocusLastControl(object obj)
    {
        try
        {
            FocusThreadTerminate = false;
            for (int i = 0; i <= 10; i++)
            {
                zSetFocusFocus();
                if (FocusThreadTerminate) break;

                Threading.Thread.Sleep(200);
                //this code will normally never be reached
            }
        }
        catch (Threading.ThreadAbortException exa)
        {
        }
        //this is the thread exception that will be thrown when thread is aborted by the application
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
        }
        //any other error will apear here
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// try to set the focus to the control 
    /// if succeeded then abort the calling thread else continue wating and try again in the next cicle
    /// </summary>
    /// <remarks></remarks>
    private void zSetFocusFocus()
    {
        if (ControlToFocus == null)
        {
            //FocusThread.Abort()
            FocusThreadTerminate = true;
            return;
        }
        if (ControlToFocus.InvokeRequired)
        {
            //ControlToFocus.BeginInvoke(New Threading.ThreadStart(AddressOf setFocusFocus))
            ControlToFocus.Invoke(new Threading.ThreadStart(zSetFocusFocus));
        }
        else if (ControlToFocus.CanFocus())
        {
            ControlToFocus.Focus();
            //FocusThread.Abort()
            FocusThreadTerminate = true;
        }
    }
}

public interface IPanelControl
{
    Control PanelControl
    {
        get;
    }
}

/// <summary>
/// inherited UltraTabWorkspace object in order to get access to the override methods
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>the reason is to set the TabKey property when the a workItem is created</remarks>
public class UltraTabWorkspace : Infragistics.Practices.CompositeUI.WinForms.UltraTabWorkspace
{

    protected override void OnSmartPartActivated(Microsoft.Practices.CompositeUI.SmartParts.WorkspaceEventArgs e)
    {
        base.OnSmartPartActivated(e);
        if (e.SmartPart != null)
        {
            ((TabView)e.SmartPart).SmartPartActivated();
        }
    }
}