using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Collections;

namespace LeCombo        // I already had a MyCombo
{
    // show this one in the toolbox
    [ToolboxItem(true)]
    public class myComboBox : mimComboBox
    {
        public myComboBox()
        {
            Items = new object();
            items = new myItems(this);
        }

        // keep VS from trying to serialize the old one
        [Browsable(false), DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Hidden)]
        new public object Items { get; set; }  // this hides the real Items

        // ToDo: "items" doesnt look anything like a collection to VS even with
        // the attributes.  The Collection editor loads, but nothing is serialized
        // Also the original ComboBox SmartTags are still trying to load the original editor
        // which suprises me; those should be able to be modified with a new UIDesigner

        // the real UITypeEditor is internal.  Use the simple string collection
        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        Localizable(true),
        Editor("System.Windows.Forms.Design.StringCollectionEditor, System.Design", "System.Drawing.Design.UITypeEditor, System.Drawing"),
        MergableProperty(false)]
        public myItems items  {get; set; }

        // trying to get serialization to work
        private bool ShouldSerializeitems()
        {
            return items.Count > 0;
        }

        private void Resetitems()
        {
            items = new myItems(this);
        }


        public class myItems // this is the custom Items classwith all necessary methods etc..
        {
            // this doesnt need to be public - VS is serializing it.
            private mimComboBox parentCB;

            public myItems(myComboBox parent)
            {
                parentCB = parent;  // reference to the outer class
            }

            // converted to private var
            //public mimComboBox parentCB { get; set; }  // the man-in-the-middle

            // all your methods..
            public int Add(object o)  // one example of a custom method
            {
                // add your item-added event here
                return parentCB.Items_.Add(o);
            }

            // one of many many properties  to provide..
            public int Count { get { return parentCB.Items_.Count; } }

        }

    }

// hide from toolbox
[ToolboxItem(false)]
public class mimComboBox : ComboBox
{
    public ObjectCollection Items_;
    public mimComboBox()
    {
        Items_ = Items;
    }

}

}