SET THE FORM TYPE

When you open a new Windows application, C# opens a new Windows form. This form inherits information from the Windows form template

that automatically appears when you open a new Windows application so you do not have to create a form from scratch. You can also set up an inheriting form that inherits from another form in your C# project.

A Windows form looks very much like the standard window that you see in Windows. C# builds Windows forms around the Windows framework so you can access various Windows features including the files on the user’s computer and the Windows registry. Windows forms also let you create graphics in your form with code using the Visual Studio .NET GDI classes.

You use Windows forms for developing Windows applications where the client computer and the user enters information into your program. Programs that use Windows forms rely on the computer the program runs on as well as a network for processing power and accessing data.

Inherited forms let you obtain features from another form so you do not have to add form elements repeatedly. Inheriting also promotes consistency between forms. Before you can inherit a form, the inherited form must already have been compiled into an executable file and a reference to the namespace must have been added into the class that inherits the form.

‹ Click the Windows Application icon in the Templates pane.

› Type a name for the file.

ˇ Click OK.

You can inherit a form in code rather than add a form from the Solution Explorer window.

TYPE THIS:

using System;

using System.Drawing; using System.Collections;

using System.ComponentModel; using System.Windows.Forms; using System.Data;

namespace MyFormProgram

{

public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form // Enter rest of your form here.

RESULT:

Entering a form in code means that you must add six System names, the name of your program in the namespace argument, and finally the class name and type. This is a lot of typing, and it is usually a good idea to create a Windows application and let the MDE window do the work for you.

Form2.cs

AWindows form does not automatically start when you start your program. You must tell your program what form you want it to display when your program first

launches. You can do this by setting the properties of your form in the Solution Explorer window.

The Properties pages contain information about the common and configuration properties in your program, but the General tab contains the information you need to know. Specifically, the Startup Object information lets you select the class in your project that you want to start first when the user starts your program.

Because a Windows form is a class, you determine what class you want to take precedence over any other class in your form. Each class has a main method that starts the class, but with so many different classes, C# will not start any of these form classes ahead of any others until you set the Startup Object property in the Property Pages window.

After you choose the startup Windows form for your program and compile it, the form will appear in the location that you specify in the MDE Properties window. If you do not specify a location, then the form will appear in the upper-left corner of the screen.

TYPE THIS:

csc class1.cs class2.cs /main:Class2

RESULT:

The command line above tells C# to compile the class1.cs and class2.cs filenames and open Class2 (the class that contains the form) when the program runs.

■ The FormStart Property Pages window appears.

° Click beside the (Not set) text field.

· Click to select the startup object from the drop-down list.

■ The form you selected as the startup appears beside the Startup Object field.

‚ Click OK.

■ The FormOne Property Pages window closes and the MDE window reappears with the form in the parent window.