OK, I finally gave in and bought Developing ASP.NET Server Controls and Components. It wasn't a 'give in' because I didn't want to buy on, on the contrary I've been meaning to buy it for a while, but more a case of realising two things.
- I really don't know enough about this subject. I've written some basic server controls, and some designers, but have come to a brick wall on the designer front.
- The documentation is woefully inadequate in this area. Not just inadequate, but inadequate in a bad way. There are so many areas that just don't explain what something is used for, why it needs to be used, and how to use it. A complete lack of good examples.
This latter point has me wondering why I just don't ask the ASP.NET team to take me on so I can actually improve their documentation. A job with a salary seems an exciting prospect instead of the vagaries of the book market.