Windows Forms

string value = "Yellow";
Color c = Color.FromKnownColor((KnownColor)Enum.Parse(typeof(KnownColor), value));

//the code:
string type = "Temporary.MyType";
string value = "1,2,4";
// use the Reflection
MyType create = (MyType)Type.GetType(type).GetConstructor(new Type[] { typeof(string) })
	.Invoke(new object[] { value });
// the class:
namespace Temporary
{
	public class MyType  // sample class
	{
		int[] data;
		public MyType(string str)
		{
			string[] numbers = str.Split(',');
			data = new int[numbers.Length];
			for (int i = 0; i < data.Length; i++) {
				data[i] = int.Parse(numbers[i]);
			}
		}
		public int[] Data
		{
			get { return data; }
		}
	}
}

MrBean wrote:

I can set a designer attribute for the entire user control which causes the entire user control to be a container

<br />
Public Class MyUserControl1<br />
<br />
End Class<br />

<br />
< System.ComponentModel.Designer("System.Windows.Forms.Design.ParentControlDesigner, System.Design", GetType(IDesigner)) > _<br />
Public Class MyUserControl1<br />
<br />
End Class<br />