Module 1: Introducing Windows Forms
Overview
Creating a Form Adding Controls to a Form Creating an Inherited Form Organizing Controls on a Form
Creating MDI Applications
Lesson: Creating a Form
Windows Forms vs. Web Forms How to Create a Form How to Set Form Properties Form Life Cycle How to Handle Form Events
Windows Form Designer-Generated Code
Windows Forms vs. Web Forms
Feature
Deployment
Windows Forms
Can be run without altering the registry Includes GDI+ Provide the quickest response speed for interactive applications
Web Forms
No download required Interactive or dynamic graphics require round trips to the server for updates Can take advantage of the browser's dynamic HTML to create rich UI Require only a browser Applications components are invoked via HTTP Role-based security
Graphics
Responsiveness
Platform Programming model Security
Requires .NET Framework running on the client computer Based on a client-side, Win32-based messagepump mode
Code-based and rolebased security
How to Create a Form
A base form is created when you create a new project To create a new form
1. Right-click the project
in Solution Explorer
2. Click Add 3. Click Add Windows
Forms
How to Set Form Properties
Events Button Form Name Categorized Button Alphabetic Button
Description Pane
Form Life Cycle
1. Form1 Show 5. Form2 Load 7. Form2 GotFocus
2. Form1 Load
3. Form1 Activated 6. Form1 Deactivate 12. Form1 Activated 14. Form1 Deactivate 21. Form1 Activated 24. Form1 Closing
4. Form2 Show
8. Form2 Activated
10. Form2 LostFocus 11. Form2 Deactivate 15. Form2 GotFocus 16. Form2 Activated
9. Focus shifts back to Form1
13. Close Form2
25. Form1 Closed
26. Form1 LostFocus 27. Form1 Deactivate 28. Form1 Disposed
23. Exit Application
17. Form2 Closing
18. Form2 Closed
19. Form2 LostFocus 20. Form2 Deactivate 22. Form2 Disposed
How to Handle Form Events
Events
Windows Forms Designer-Generated Code
Lesson: Adding Controls to a Form
How to Add Controls to a Form How to Add Menus to a Form How to Customize the Controls Toolbox Practice: Creating a Form and Adding Controls
How to Add Controls to a Form
How to Add Menus to a Form
How to Customize the Controls Toolbox
Right-click the Toolbox Click Customize Toolbox Select the required control on the .NET Framework Components page
Practice: Creating a Form and Adding Controls
In this practice, you will
Set the properties of the form
Add controls to the form
Set the properties of the controls Implement the button Click event handler
Begin reviewing the objectives for this practice activity
10 min
Lesson: Creating an Inherited Form
Access Modifiers How to Create an Inherited Form Practice: Creating an Inherited Form
Access Modifiers
Access Modifier
Description Read-only to a child form, all of its property values in the property browser are disabled Accessible within the class and from any class that inherits from the class that declared this member Most permissive level. Public controls have full accessibility
Private
Protected
Public
How to Create an Inherited Form
Create an inherited form by using the Inheritance Picker dialog box
Create an inherited form programmatically
public class Form2 : Namespace1.Form1
Practice: Creating an Inherited Form
In this practice, you will
Set the properties of the controls on the base form to prepare them for inheritance Add a new form to the project inheriting it from the base form Set the properties on the inherited form and the controls
10 min
Begin reviewing the objectives for this practice activity
Lesson: Organizing Controls on a Form
How to Arrange Controls on a Form by Using the Format Menu How to Set the Tab Order for Controls How to Anchor a Control in Windows Forms How to Dock a Control in Windows Forms Demonstration: Organizing Controls on a Form
How to Arrange Controls on a Form by Using the Format Menu
How to Set the Tab Order for Controls
To set the tab order for controls
On the View menu, select Tab Order
Click a control to change its tab order Set the TabIndex property
-- OR -
Set the TabStop property to True
How to Anchor a Control in Windows Forms
Anchoring
Ensures that the edges of the control remain in the same position with respect to the parent container
To anchor a control to the form
Set its Anchor property Default value: Top, Left
Other Styles: Bottom, Right
How to Dock a Control in Windows Forms
Docking
Enables you to glue the edges of a control to the edges of its parent control Set the Dock property
To dock a control
Demonstration: Organizing Controls on a Form
In this demonstration, you will see how to
Align controls on a form Layer controls on a form Anchor controls to a form
Dock controls on a form
Lesson: Creating MDI Applications
SDI vs. MDI Applications How to Create MDI Applications How Parent and Child Forms Interact Practice: Creating an MDI Application
SDI vs. MDI Applications
SDI MDI
Only one document is visible You must close one document before you open another
Displays multiple documents at the same time Each document is displayed in its own window
How to Create MDI Applications
To create a parent form
Create a new project Set the IsMdiContainer property to True
Add a menu item to invoke the child form
Add a new form to the project
To create a child form
To call a child form from a parent form
protected void MenuItem2_OnClick(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { Form2 NewMdiChild = new Form2(); // Set the Parent Form of the Child window. NewMdiChild.MdiParent = this; // Display the new form. NewMdiChild.Show(); }
How Parent and Child Forms Interact
To list the available child windows that are owned by the parent
Create a menu item (Windows) and set its MdiList property to True
To determine the active MDI child
Use the ActiveMdiChild property
Form activeChild = this.ActiveMdiChild;
To arrange child windows on the parent form
Call the LayoutMdi method
Practice: Creating an MDI Application
In this practice, you will
Create the parent form
Create the child form
Display the child form from the parent form
Begin reviewing the objectives for this practice activity
15 min
Review
Creating a Form Adding Controls to a Form Creating an Inherited Form Organizing Controls on a Form
Creating MDI Applications
Lab 1.1: Creating Windows Forms
Exercise 1: Creating a New Windows Form Exercise 2: Inheriting a New Form from an Existing Windows Form
