2 Day Workshop
Introduction
Elements of this syllabus are subject to change.
This two-day instructor-led workshop provides students with the knowledge
and skills to develop advanced Microsoft Windows Forms applications using
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005. The workshop focuses on user interfaces, program
structure, and implementation details.
Audience Profile
This workshop is intended for corporate or independent software vendor
(ISV) application developers who have a desire to learn more about specific
technology areas in Windows application development.
At Workshop Completion
After completing this workshop, students will be able to:
•
Build MDI applications.
•
Customize Windows Forms and controls.
•
Create customized print components.
•
Perform drag-and-drop operations and implement
Clipboard support.
•
Perform asynchronous tasks in Windows Forms by
using multithreaded techniques.
•
Enhance the presentation of Windows Forms
applications
Prerequisites
Before attending this workshop,
students must:
- Have attended or studied Workshop 2546A, Core Windows Forms
Technologies with Visual Studio 2005 or possess equivalent knowledge and
skills.
- Be able to manage a solution environment using the Visual Studio
2005 integrated development environment (IDE) and tools.
- Be able to program an application using a .NET Framework 2.0
compliant language, including the use of delegates and events.
- Understand advanced concepts including serialization, reflection,
application domains, and multithreading
Workshop Outline
Session 1: Unit 1: Building MDI Applications
This unit explains how to create
multiple-document interface (MDI) applications that enable one parent window to
host multiple documents. It demonstrates how to create MDI parent and child
forms and how to determine the active MDI child and work with information on
it. It also explains how to implement menu merging in an MDI application to
make the menu on the parent form relevant to the active child form.
Lessons
- Windows Forms Layout Options
- What Are MDI Applications?
Lab : Building MDI Applications
- Exercise 1. Creating MDI Parent and Child Forms
- Exercise 2. Displaying and Comparing Information on MDI Child Forms
- Exercise 3. Implementing Menu Merging in MDI Applications
After completing this unit,
students will be able to:
- Compare the different layout styles for Microsoft Windows Forms
applications.
- Explain the key concepts and processes involved in implementing an
MDI application.
- Create MDI parent and child forms.
- Display and compare information on MDI child forms.
- Implement menu merging in an MDI application.
Session 2: Unit 2: Customizing Windows Forms and Controls
This unit explains how to develop
custom Microsoft Windows Forms and controls. Students will learn how to develop
user controls, use GDI+ operations, and create new controls that inherit from
the Control class. In addition, it demonstrates how to create a nonrectangular
Windows Form and how to add features such as attributes and Toolbox bitmaps to
controls.
Lessons
- What Are the Methods of Authoring Controls for Windows Forms?
- Ways to Draw a User Interface by Using GDI+
- Creating a Nonrectangular Windows Form
Lab : Customizing Windows Forms and Controls
- Exercise 1. Creating a Control That Inherits from an Existing
Control
- Exercise 2. Creating a Nonrectangular Windows Form
- Exercise 3. Creating a Custom User Control
After completing this unit,
students will be able to:
- Explain the methods of authoring controls for Windows Forms.
- Draw a user interface by using GDI+.
- Create a control that inherits from an existing control.
- Create a nonrectangular Windows Form.
- Create a custom user control.
Session 3: Unit 3: Creating Customized Print Components
This unit explains how to print
content from a Microsoft Windows Forms application by using the printing
features of GDI+. Students will learn how to keep track of multiple pages when
printing and render page content correctly.
Lessons
- Printing Features That Are Supported by .NET Framework 2.0
- Drawing Print Document Content by Using GDI+
Lab : Creating Customized Print Components
- Exercise 1. Printing a Report by Using
GDI
- Exercise 2. Creating a Customized Print
Preview Dialog Box (if time permits)
After completing this unit,
students will be able to:
- Describe the printing features that are supported by .NET Framework
2.0.
- Explain how to use GDI+ to draw print document content.
- Print content by using GDI+.
- Describe best practices for creating custom print components.
Session 4: Unit 4: Performing Drag-and-Drop Operations and
Implementing Clipboard Support
This unit introduces the
properties, methods, and events that can be used to implement drag-and-drop
functionality in a Microsoft Windows Forms application. Students will learn how
to start and finish drag-and-drop operations and, specifically, how to
implement drag-and-drop operations with a TreeView control. In addition, this
unit demonstrates how to use the Clipboard to store and retrieve data.
Lessons
- Drag-and-Drop Operations in Windows Forms Applications
- Adding Clipboard Support in Windows Forms Applications
Lab : Performing Drag-and-Drop Operations and Implementing Clipboard
Support
- Exercise 1. Implementing Drag-and-Drop
Functionality in a Windows Forms Application
- Exercise 2. Adding Clipboard Support to
an Application
- Exercise 3. Performing Drag-and-Drop
Operations by Using TextBox and PictureBox Controls (if time permits)
After completing this unit,
students will be able to:
- Describe the phases of a drag-and-drop operation.
- Describe the methods that you can use to provide Clipboard support.
- Implement drag-and-drop functionality in a Windows Forms
application.
- Add Clipboard support to an application.
Session 5: Unit 5: Performing Asynchronous Tasks by Using
Multithreaded Techniques
This unit demonstrates how to
create Microsoft Windows Forms applications that can run tasks in the
background. It explains how to make use of the asynchronous methods and other
features of components that support the Asynchronous Pattern for Components.
Students will also learn how to use the classes in the System. Threading
namespace to run one or more tasks in the background by using multiple threads
in an application.
Lessons
- Asynchronous Programming in Windows
Forms Applications
- Creating Thread-Safe Applications
Lab : Performing Asynchronous Tasks by Using Multithreaded Techniques
- Exercise 1. Loading a Bitmap
Asynchronously
- Exercise 2. Performing Calculations by
Using Multithreading
After completing this unit,
students will be able to:
- Explain the concepts and processes that
are involved in performing asynchronous programming.
- Load a bitmap into a Windows Forms
application asynchronously.
- Perform multiple simultaneous
calculations on a form by using multithreading.
Session 6: Unit 6: Enhancing the Presentation of Windows Forms
Applications
This unit describes several of
the features that can be used when creating professional-looking applications.
Students will learn how to build a Windows Form that has the appearance of
Microsoft Office Outlook and how to configure a customized master/detail
DataGridView control. In addition, this unit explains how to incorporate the
PropertyGrid component and application settings features that enable users to
edit and save their preferences.
Lessons
- Enhancing Application User Interfaces
- Customizing the DataGridView Control
- Application Settings and the PropertyGrid Control
Lab : Enhancing the Presentation of Windows Forms Applications
- Exercise 1. Programming the DataGridView Control
- Exercise 2. Viewing and Persisting Application Settings by Using the
PropertyGrid Control
- Exercise 3. Implementing a User Interface in the Style of Outlook by
Using RAD Features
After completing this unit,
students will be able to:
- Describe several key features involved
in enhancing an application user interface.
- Describe how to customize the
DataGridView control.
- Explain the concepts of Windows Forms
application settings and the PropertyGrid control.
- Program the DataGridView control.
- View and persist application settings by
using the PropertyGrid control.
- Implement a user interface in the style
of Outlook by using rapid application development (RAD) features
