Windows Forms Using C#

This course provides a practical, hands-on introduction to GUI development using Windows Forms and C#. This five-day version of the course introduces database programming in Windows and includes extensive coverage of powerful new Windows Forms features in.NET 2.0, such as new controls, new data binding, and ClickOnce deployment for creating smart client applications. A shorter four-day version of the course covering.NET 1.1 is also available.

The course begins with a fundamental discussion of Windows Forms architecture and programming simple Windows Forms applications from scratch. Then the use of Visual Studio 2005 and the Forms Designer is introduced, which is used throughout the remainder of the course. Simple controls are covered, such as buttons, labels, textboxes, checkboxes, radio buttons and group boxes. List controls are surveyed, including list box, combo box, list view, and DomainUpDown. Dialogs are discussed in detail, including modal and modeless dialogs and associated controls. Menus, toolbars and status bars are covered. Advanced topics are introduces, including parent/child and owner/owned relationships, MDI, programming the Clipboard, and visual inheritance. Advanced controls are introduced, including the tree view and tab control. Resources are discussed, including their use in localization. The Application class is covered. Applications settings are discussed, including use of configuration files and the Registry. The course concludes with an introduction to data access in Windows applications and with coverage of new Windows Forms features in .NET 2.0.

Numerous programming examples and exercises are provided. The student will receive a comprehensive set of notes and all the programming examples.

Experience programming the .NET Framework using C#.

On completion of this course, the student should be able to

• Understand the fundamentals of Windows Forms architecture
• Acquire proficiency in the use of Visual Studio to create professional class Windows applications
• Gain a thorough grounding in the important controls provided by Windows Forms
• Learn how to implement dialogs, menus, toolbars and status bars
• Learn how to use advanced controls, such as tree views, splitters and tabbed dialogs
• Understand the use of resources and application settings in Windows Forms applications
• Learn how to implement data access using ADO.NET and binding of controls
• Gain an understanding of new controls, data binding and ClickOnce deployment in .NET 2.0

This course is designed for experienced application developers and architects responsible for Windows applications in a Microsoft environment.

5 Days

Instructor-led course, with practical computer-based exercises.

• 1. Introduction to Windows Forms
  • What Are Windows Forms?
  • Windows Forms Class Hierarchy
  • Building a Form
  • The Application Class
  • Trapping Events
  • Buttons
  • Labels and Textbox Controls

• 2. Visual Studio and the Forms Designer
  • Using the Forms Designer
  • Code Generated by Forms Designer
  • Adding Event Handlers
  • Creating Attractive Forms
  • Creating Easy To Use Forms

• 3. Using Controls
  • Checkbox, Radio Button, and Group Box
  • Numeric Up/Down
  • Trackbar
  • Progress
  • MonthCalendar
  • DateTimePicker

• 4. List Controls
  • Listbox and Combo box
  • DomainUpDown
  • ListView
  • Storing Objects in List Controls

• 5. Working with Dialogs
  • Modal vs. Modeless Dialogs
  • Message Boxes
  • Common Dialogs
  • Creating a Modal Dialog
  • Configuring the Dialog Result
  • Access Data from the Dialog
  • Validating Data
  • Error Provider Control
  • Modal Dialogs
  • Creating a Modeless Dialog

• 6. Menus, Toolbars and Status Bars
  • Main Menus
  • Context Menus
  • Building a Status Bar
  • Building a Toolbar
  • Using the Timer Control

• 7. Advanced Windows Forms Topics
  • Parent/Child Relationships
  • Owner/Owned Relationships
  • Top-Most Forms
  • Multiple Document Interface
  • Managing Parent/Child Menus
  • Programming the Clipboard
  • Visual Inheritance

• 8. Using Advanced Controls
  • Panel
  • TreeView
  • Splitter
  • Tab Control

• 9. Resources
  • Image Resources
  • Resource Files
  • String Resources
  • Working with Resources in Visual Studio
  • Resource Managers
  • Cultures and Internationalization
  • Building Localizable Forms

• 10. Applications and Settings
  • Application Class
  • Processing and Filtering Windows Messages
  • Application Lifetime and Events
  • Configuration Files
  • Windows Registry

• 11. Data Access and Data Binding
  • ADO.NET Overview
  • .NET Data Providers
  • Using DataReaders
  • Data Sets
  • Data Tables
  • Data Views
  • Data Binding
  • Interacting with XML Data

• 12. Windows Forms in .NET 2.0
  • ToolStrip Control
  • SplitContainer Control
  • Web Browser Control
  • DataGridView Control
  • Other New .NET 2.0 Controls
  • New Data Binding
  • Application Settings
  • BackgroundWorker Component
  • ClickOnce Deployment

• Appendix A. Learning Resources

Course exercises require Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and MSDN on Windows 2000 or XP. SQL Server 2005 is required for the database chapter. IIS is required to demonstrate ClickOnce deployment. See the appropriate course Setup Guide for details.

A good minimal hardware profile for this course would have a Pentium 1 GHz or equivalent CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and at least 4 GB of free disk space for tools installation and courseware. Copyright © 2005 o Object Innovations

References