Introduction to the Visual C# 2005 Express Edition IDE

1. 2 • Introduction to the Visual C# 2005 Express Edition IDE

2. Form ever follows function. Louis Henri Sullivan Seeing is believing. • Proverb Intelligence …is the faculty of making artificial objects, especially tools to make tools. • Henri-Louis Bergson

3. OBJECTIVES In this chapter you will learn: • The basics of the Visual Studio Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that assists you in writing, running and debugging your Visual C# programs. • Visual Studio's help features. • Key commands contained in the IDE's menus and toolbars. • The purpose of the various kinds of windows in the Visual Studio 2005 IDE. • What visual programming is and how it simplifies and speeds program development. • To create, compile and execute a simple Visual C# program that displays text and an image using the Visual Studio IDE and the technique of visual programming.

4. 2.1 Introduction • 2.2 Overview of the Visual Studio 2005 IDE • 2.3 Menu Bar and Toolbar • 2.4 Navigating the Visual Studio 2005 IDE • 2.4.1 Solution Explorer • 2.4.2 Toolbox • 2.4.3 Properties Window • 2.5 Using Help • 2.6 Using Visual Programming to Create a Simple Program Displaying Text and an Image • 2.7 Wrap-Up • 2.8 Web Resources

5. 2.1 Introduction • Visual Studio 2005 • Microsoft Integrate Development Environment (IDE) • Create, run, and debug programs • Visual Programming • Create program by dragging and dropping predefined building blocks into place

6. 2.2 Overview of the Visual Studio 2005 IDE • Microsoft Visual C# Express Edition • Only support Visual C# programming language • Start page (Fig. 2.1) • A list of links to resources in the IDE and on the internet • Visual C# Express Headlines and MSDN (Fig. 2.2) • This section provides links to information about programming in C# • Note: MSDN stands for Microsoft Developer Network

7. New Project button Start Page tab Start Page links Hidden window Empty Solution Explorer (no projects open) Fig. 2.1 |Start Page in Visual C# 2005 Express Edition.

8. Selected tab requested Web page Requested Web page (URL in location bar drop-down menu) Fig. 2.2|Displaying a Web page in Visual Studio.

9. 2.2 Overview of the Visual Studio 2005 IDE (cont.) • Creating a New Project • New Project Dialog (Fig. 2.3) • Dialog to choose type of program to build • Windows Form Designer (Fig. 2.4) • Design portion of IDE • Properties • Change a component of the program (Fig. 2.5) • Buttons • Confirm action, change and etc. (Fig. 2.6)

10. Visual C# Windows Application (selected) Default project name (provided by Visual Studio) Description of selected project template (provided by Visual Studio) Fig. 2.3|New Project dialog.

11. Solution Explorer window Menu Active tab Tabs Menu bar Properties window Form (Windows application) Fig. 2.4| Design view of the IDE.

12. Text box (displaying the text Form1), which can be modified. Fig. 2.5|Example of a text box control in the Visual Studio IDE.

13. OK button Cancel button Fig. 2.6|Examples of buttons in the Visual Studio IDE.

14. 2.3 Menu Bar and Toolbar • Menu Bar (Fig. 2.7) • The bar of where the commands for managing the IDE and for developing, maintaining and executing programs are located • Tool Bar (Fig. 2.9) • The bar of where the more common commands are located • Tool Tip (Fig. 2.12) • Description of a icon

15. Fig. 2.7|Visual Studio menu bar.

16. Fig. 2.8|Summary of Visual Studio 2005 IDE menus (Part 1 of 2).

17. Fig. 2.8|Summary of Visual Studio 2005 IDE menus (Part 2 of 2).

18. Navigate backwards New project Undo Start Copy Open File Save All a) Add Item Solution Configurations Navigate forwards Redo Save Cut Paste Other Windows b) Solution Platforms Toolbox Window Properties Window Find Solution Explorer Object browser Start Page Find in files Fig. 2.9|Standard toolbar in Visual Studio.

19. Standard toolbar Build toolbar added to the Standard toolbar Fig. 2.10|Adding the Build toolbar to the IDE.

20. Down arrow indicates additional commands Toolbar Fig. 2.11|IDE toolbar icon showing additional commands.

21. Tool tip displayed when the mouse pointer rests over the New Project icon Fig. 2.12|Tool tip demonstration.

22. Properties window Solution Explorer Toolbox Fig. 2.13|Toolbar icons for three Visual Studio windows.

23. 2.4 Navigating the Visual Studio 2005 IDE • Auto-Hide (Fig. 2.14 – 2.16) • Space saving feature • Solution Explorer (Fig. 2.17 – 2.20) • Provides access to all of the files in a solution • Toolbox (Fig. 2.21) • Contains icons representing controls used to customize form • Properties Window (Fig. 2.22) • The window to change information about a form or control

24. Tab for hidden window (auto-hide enabled) Fig. 2.14|Auto-hide feature demonstration.

25. Toolbox title bar Horizontal orientation for pin icon Fig. 2.15|Displaying a hidden window when auto-hide is enabled.

26. Vertical orientation for pin icon Toolbox “pinned down” Fig. 2.16|Disabling auto-hide (“pinning down” a window).

27. Show all files icon Toolbar Startup project Fig. 2.17|Solution Explorer with an open project.

28. Plus box Minus box Fig. 2.18|Solution Explorer showing plus boxes and minus boxes for expanding and collapsing the tree to show or hide project files.

29. Minus box indicates that the file of folder is expanded (changed from plus box) Fig. 2.19|Solution Explorer expanding the Properties file after clicking its plus box.

30. Plus boxes indicate that the file or folder is collapsed (changed from minus box) Fig. 2.20|Solution Explorer collapsing all files after clicking any minus boxes.

31. Group names Controls Fig. 2.21|Toolbox window displaying controls for the Common Controls group.

32. Component selection drop-down list Toolbar Categorized icon Alphabetical icon Description of the Text property Properties Properties values Fig. 2.22|Properties window displaying the Text property of the Form.

33. 2.5 Using Help • Dynamic Help (Fig. 2.24) • Excellent way to get information quickly about the IDE and its features • Context-Sensitive Help (Fig. 2.25) • Immediately displays a relevant help article

34. Fig. 2.23|Help menu commands.

35. How Do I Selected Item Contents Index Search Dynamic Help window Relevant help articles on the selected item (e.g., the Form) Fig. 2.24|Dynamic Help window.

36. Fig. 2.25|Using context-sensitive help.

37. Help options selected Show Help using: box Show all settings check box Fig. 2.26|Options dialog displaying Help settings.

38. 2.6 Using Visual Programming to Create a Simple Program Displaying Text and an Image • Creating a Simple Program • Create the new project (Fig. 2.28-2.30) • Set the text in in the form’s title bar (Fig. 2.31) • Resize the form (Fig. 2.32-2.33) • Change the form’s background color (Fig. 2.34-2.35) • Add a Label control to the form (Fig. 2.36) • Customize the label’s appearance (Fig. 2.37-2.38) • Set the label’s font size (Fig. 2.39-2.40)

39. 2.6 Using Visual Programming to Create a Simple Program Displaying Text and an Image (Cont.) • Creating a Simple Program (Cont.) • Align the label’s text (Fig. 2.41) • Add a PictureBox to the form (Fig. 2.42) • Insert an image (Fig. 2.43-2.47) • Save the project • Run the project (Fig. 2.47-2.49) • Terminate execution

40. Label control PictureBox control Fig. 2.27|Simple program executing.

41. Template types Type in the project name Fig. 2.28|New Project dialog.

42. Fig. 2.29|Save Project dialog.

43. Selected Project location Click to set project location Fig. 2.30|Setting the project location in the Project Location dialog.

44. Name and type of object Selected property Property value Property description Fig. 2.31|Setting the form’s Text property in the Properties window.

45. Title bar Enabled sizing handles Fig. 2.32|Form with enabled sizing handles.

46. Fig. 2.33|Resized form.

47. Current color Down-arrow button Custom palette Light blue Fig. 2.34|Changing the form’s BackColor property.

48. New background color Fig. 2.35|Form with new BackColor property applied.

49. Label control Fig. 2.36| Adding a label to the form.

50. AutoSize property Fig. 2.37|Changing the Label’s AutoSize property to False.