.NET Framework Service Pack 2
Balloon Windows for .NET
I have found a class that allows for balloon shaped forms in .NET.
Have a look at CodeProject.
GotDotNet: Xml WebService Award?
What happened with the XML WebServices Award on the GotDotNet website? I have submitted my Html2Xml webserivce. I don't expect to win the 25.000 dollar price, an X-box would be nice :-)
The winners would be announced at the Teched in Barcelona (1-5 July 2002). Then this was moved to July 12. It is now August. Nothing has happened. Is there no winner?
Strange!
WinForm SplashScreen
Download SplashScreen.zip
Introduction
Most commercial WinForm applications have a SplashScreen. This article explains how you can implement one using the Microsoft .NET Framework.
Example: Visual Studio.NET SplashScreen
SplashApplicationContext
The SplashApplicationContext is used to show a splash Form before the main Form is shown. It's base class is ApplicationContext.
The constructor accepts 3 arguments
- mainForm: The main Form of the application to use for context
- splashForm: The splash Form of the application to use for context
- interval: The time (in milliseconds) the splash Form is visible. Specify 0 to disable the timeout.
Usage
The Application.Run(context) method creates a standard application message loop on the current thread, with an ApplicationContext.
The following code creates a SplashApplicationContext using a new Form1 as the MainForm and a new SplashForm as the SplashForm. The interval is set to 2000 which will show the SplashForm for 2 seconds. This is done in the static Main() method.
/// The main entry point for the application.
/// </summary>
[STAThread]
staticvoid Main()
{
SplashApplicationContext myContext=
new SplashApplicationContext(new Form1(),new SplashForm(), 2000);
Application.Run(myContext);
}
You can use the time that the SplashForm is shown usefully. You can use it to connect to databases or do some other intializations. The following code simulates some activity. The status is displayed using a Label control.
{
// Show Form
this.Show();
Application.DoEvents();// Finish Paint
Cursor.Current = Cursors.WaitCursor;
// Simulate some activity (e.g. connect to database, caching data, retrieving defaults)
this.labelStatus.Text ="Step 1";
this.labelStatus.Refresh();
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000);
// Simulate some activity
this.labelStatus.Text ="Step 2";
this.labelStatus.Refresh();
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000);
// Simulate some activity
this.labelStatus.Text ="Step 3";
this.labelStatus.Refresh();
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000);
// Close Form
this.Close();
}
Code: SplashForm.cs
You must set the interval to 0 to disable the timer.
staticvoid Main()
{
SplashApplicationContext myContext=
new SplashApplicationContext(new Form1(),new SplashForm(), 0);
Application.Run(myContext);
}
Code: Form1.cs
Conclusion
The SplashApplicationContext class is easy solution to show a SplashScreen. It demonstrates the power of the .NET Framework.
Any suggestions and feedback for improving this article is most welcome. Send your suggestions and feedback to Fons.Sonnemans@reflectionit.nl
C# XML Documentation and NDoc
I have found the opensource project/tool NDoc which compiles the C# Xml Documentation to MSDN like help file.
It works great!
VB.NET Bug?
I think I have found a Bug in VB.NET (Final)! I can't compile the following program (Build Error: 'Private Function Foo() As Integer' and 'Public Function Foo() As String' cannot overload each other because they differ only by return types. ). It worked in Beta2 of VB.NET.
Public Interface ITestInterface
Function Foo() As Integer
End Interface
Public Class TestClass
Implements ITestInterface
Private Function Foo() As Integer Implements VBBug.ITestInterface.Foo
Return 1
End Function
Public Function Foo() As String
Return "2"
End Function
End Class
Free OutlookBar WinForm control
I have found a great OutlookBar control on C# Corner.
Distributed Transactions without COM+ (EnterpriceServices)
I don't like COM+. I have never liked it but I had to use it when I needed Distributed Transactions. At the Teched 2002 in Barcelona I learned how you can use Distributed Transactions without COM+.
My problem with COM+ is the fact that you only can choose one transactiontype for a class. You can not differentiate it per method.
Download the following Zip file and have a look at Ron Jacobs example project and slides.
Be carefull, this only works on Windows XP. It uses some lowlevel COM+ 1.5 features.
This is the start of my .NET WebLog
I have recently updated my WebSite from 'Classic' ASP to ASP.NET. This allowed me to create this WebLog easily using an Xml file and a DataGrid.
I will use this WebLog as a podium to communicate my personal opinion about Microsoft .NET. The 'product' which allows me to create great software.
Simple .NET ReportLibrary
Download ReportLibrary.zip
Introduction
Printing in .NET is greatly improved when compared with Visual Basic 6.0. In my projects I almost never use external reporting tools like Crystal Reports. They are too large and complex for my needs. In this article I demonstrate the use of the ReportLibrary which I developed. It can be used to create simple reports which can be printed and previewed.
ReportLibrary
The ReportingLibrary assembly contains a Report class. A report has a collection of items of the type IReportItem. You buildup your report by adding Items to the report. An item can be a ReportGroup, ReportText, ReportHorizontalLine or ReportPageBreak.
A report has a Title and SubTitle which are printed in the default pageheader.
ReportGroup class
A ReportGroup is used to group items together. All items within the group are normally printed on the same line (Y coordinate), you can change this behavior by setting the FixedTop property to 'false'.
ReportText class
A ReportText is used to print a string on a specific X (Left) coordinate. You can use the 'Center' or 'Right' alignment when the Width property is set to a non-zero value.
A ReportGroup and ReportText can have a BackColor and a BorderPen which only have meaning when the Height property is set to a non-zero value.
Usage
The following code creates the report which preview is shown in the top of this article.
/// Preview Clicked
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender"></param>
/// <param name="e"></param>
private void buttonPreview_Click ( object sender , System.EventArgs e)
{
using (Report r = CreateReport())
{
r.Preview();
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Print Clicked
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender"></param>
/// <param name="e"></param>
privatevoidbuttonPrint_Click(objectsender, System.EventArgs e)
{
using (Report r = CreateReport())
{
r.Print(new PrintDialog());
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Create Report
/// </summary>
/// <returns>Initialized Report object</returns>
private Report CreateReport()
{
// Initialize Report
Report r =new Report();
r.DefaultPageSettings.Landscape = (checkBoxLandscape.Checked);
r.Title =textBoxTitle.Text;
r.SubTitle =textBoxSubTitle.Text;
r.NewPage +=new NewPageHandler(ReportNewPage);
// Add Rows (Groups)
int rows= Convert.ToInt32(numericUpDownRows.Value);
for(int t = 1; t <=rows; t++)
{
// Create Group and add it to the Report
ReportGroup g =new ReportGroup();
r.Items.Add(g);
// Column1
ReportText s =new ReportText(t.ToString(),10,70);
s.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Right;
g.Items.Add(s);
// Column2
s =new ReportText("Some Text", 100);
g.Items.Add(s);
}
// Close report with a HorizontalLine
r.Items.Add(new ReportHorizontalLine(0, r.Width,2));
return r;
}
Custom Page Headers
You can use the default page header or create your own. The NewPage event is triggered each time a page is printed.
/// Report NewPage event handler
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender">Report object</param>
/// <param name="items">items collection</param>
/// <param name="page">pagenumber</param>
private void ReportNewPage(object sender, ReportItemCollection items,intpage)
{
// Use Default PageHeader?
if (!checkBoxPageHeader.Checked)
items.Clear();
// Create Group and add it to the Report
ReportGroup g =new ReportGroup(0, ((Report)sender).Width,20);
g.BorderPen =new Pen(Brushes.Gray, 2);
g.BackColor = Brushes.LightGray;
g.Margin.Top =2;
items.Add(g);
// Column1
ReportText s =new ReportText("Column1",10,70);
s.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Right;
g.Items.Add(s);
// Column1
s = new ReportText("Column2",100);
g.Items.Add(s);
// Add some empty space
items.Add(new ReportGroup(5));
}
All ReportItems added to the items collection are used in the pageheader.
Conclusion
The ReportLibrary is an easy solution when you want to reports buildup from code in .NET. You can off course extend it by creating your own classes which implement the IReportItem interface. This makes it a very powerful solution.
Any suggestions and feedback for improving this article is most welcome. Send your suggestions and feedback to Fons.Sonnemans@reflectionit.nl
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