How to Create a Custom Button Control in VB.NET

Reusable classes and controls are a very important part of any object-oriented programming language. More so is the ability to create your own controls or customize existing ones. In this tutorial, we'll learn how to create a custom button using the pre-existing Button class.

Firstly, as for any VB.NET project, launch Microsoft Visual Basic or Microsoft Visual Studio. From the start menu, select "New Project", then "Class Library" from the dialog. Name your project and confirm.

You should be taken to an almost blank Class file. The first thing we'll want to do is add the necessary references to the project. This can be done by right-clicking the project name from the Solution Explorer and selecting "Properties" from the contextual menu. From the menu that appears, select the "References" tab and  click on the "Add" button.

From the list that appears, you'll have to add the following:

• System.Windows.Forms
• System.Drawing

Once that is done, go back to your empty Class and add these namespaces:

Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Drawing

Now lets get to the actual coding! Since we're modifying the existing Button Class, we'll want to inherit from it. This can be done by entering the following code under the last Public class statement:

 Inherits Windows.Forms.Button

Now, we want to create the actual control. This is done in the New() Sub:

Public Class New()
       Me.Size = New System.Drawing.Point(90, 25)
        Me.FlatStyle = Windows.Forms.FlatStyle.Flat
        Me.BackgroundImage = DefaultImage
        Me.BackgroundImageLayout = Windows.Forms.ImageLayout.Stretch
        Me.BackColor = Drawing.Color.Transparent
        Me.Font = New System.Drawing.Font("Tahoma", 9.01, Drawing.FontStyle.Regular, Drawing.GraphicsUnit.Point, CType(0, Byte))
        Me.ForeCo End Sublor = Drawing.Color.White
Me.FlatAppearance.BorderColor = Drawing.Color.Gray
        Me.FlatAppearance.MouseDownBackColor = Drawing.Color.Transparent
        Me.FlatAppearance.MouseOverBackColor = Drawing.Color.Transparent
        Me.FlatAppearance.BorderSize = 0

Change me.backgroundimage = default image , change the default image with your normal button image name

Now add 3 button images for Mouse Down,Mouse Hover and Normal to the resources and add this code under the end sub

*Change the image names with my.resources.imagename

Private Sub MyButton_MouseDown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles Me.MouseDown
        Me.BackgroundImage = MouseDownImage
    End Sub

    Private Sub MyButton_MouseEnter(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.MouseEnter
        Me.BackgroundImage = MouseHoverImage
    End Sub

    Private Sub MyButton_MouseLeave(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.MouseLeave
        Me.BackgroundImage = DefaultImage
    End Sub

    Private Sub MyButton_MouseUp(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles Me.MouseUp
        Me.BackgroundImage = MouseHoverImage

Now save your project and click build

Go to your project files and check inside debug

Hooray !!!! you just created a button control now i will tell you how to use it go ahead and create a new windows forms project and right click and click choose items

This window will pop UP

Click browse and select your dll and click ok

Now see your toolbox

Now just drag it in to the form

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial , dont forget to comment.