VB.NET - I need a panel containing a large tab control....

...but..., I don't want to see ANY evidence of the tab control whatsoever! I want the user to be able to jump between the three tab pages by clicking on iconned buttons which are located above the panel.

The panel borderstyle is FIXED SINGLE.
So, to the user, he just clicks on button 1 or 2 or 3 at the top and I display controls from the corresponding tab page within the panel. All you see are different sets of controls pop up. No tabs.

The annoying thing about this is that earlier today I think I saw a guy DO this, just by fiddling with the tabcontrol properties, but I can't make it happen now. I can't get rid of the 3 tabs or the border of the Tabcontrol !! G-r-r-r-r.
This will be major cool if there's a solution to this that.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.

tab control is in your toolbox by default

I guess I wasn't too clear about the problem.
I HAVE the tab control on there. That's no problem. I HAVE the panel with the fixed single border.
The problem is:
I do not want to see **ANY** borders whatsoever on the TAB control. And NO VISIBLE TABS. The tab pages should display their controls ONLY upon request of the external buttons.
The PANEL is only to serve as a border.

Explaining it another way, you've got a black rectangular shape.
Depending on which of three button are pressed OUTSIDE the rectangle, different sets of controls appear within the rectangle shape area. FUNCTIONALLY, this is the same as if you had a tabcontrol with invisible borders and with three tab pages, and the tab page switching was totally under the control of the three external buttons.

I tried accomplishing what I want by having the panel area load a second FORM, which was borderless. That's cool....BUT now the title bar on Form1 goes dim...because Form2 has the focus. No good. Form1 must always have the focus. That's why the tabcontrol is perfect for what I need....except I don't want to SEE IT. I want its "page switching" function, but I don't want to see any part of it.

Its properties, not surprisingly, don't permit me to make it disappear. I can understand that. I mean, I'm thinking the toolbox designer would react like, "duh, why you want to make a tabcontrol switch pages WITH NO TABS!!! Under the control of externals? Hey, pal, just use something else!"

OK, then. I can dig it. But I'm a newbie and I don't know what that SOMETHING ELSE would BE. I'm thinking there may be a way to finagle a solution with the existing toolset, that's why I posed the question.

If I figure it out myself, which I doubt, I will post the answer here for any of the curious, who have at least already invested the time in reading about the problem.


Thanks.

alright i think i finally undrestand what u want


why use forms, u are on the right track with panels
attached is the solution with panels..

hope thats what u mean..