Windows Programming C# Software Development

Overview  DLLs / PInvoke  DirectX .NET Component Library  Custom Controls  Event Model (in C++)  GUI Events  Custom Filters  Drawing, Painting, Printing

Using DLLs  To gain access to a DLL, use the DllImport attribute to tag the method  Use the extern keyword on the method  Return/parameter types don't necessarily need to match only the datatype size needs to match DllImport("gdi32.dll")] public static extern int SetPixel(int hDC, int x, int y, int crColor);

PInvoke  Calling a dll method is called P-Invoke (platform invoke)  Simply call the method Some types (hdc, handles, etc) are exposed in the.NET interface (See WindowsManipulation and SetPixel Demos)

DirectX  See Mike Go  Go Mike Go

.NET Component Library  System.Windows.Forms.Control Base class for controls  Visual Components Handles Keyboard and Mouse Input Provides bounds for painting  Does not actually paint anything by default Provides a Windows Handle Has ambient properties  if not set, an ambient property uses its parent's value Provides accessibility support (See MSDN)

Windows Forms  Properties Text  Text on top of the form BackColor  Background color ForeColor  Text Color Font  Font used by child controls FormBorderStyle  Border Style ControlBox  Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons ShowInTaskbar  Indicates whether to show in the taskbar or not

Splash screen  On a Form, set: Text = ""; ControlBox = false; Create a Panel with the BackgroundImage property set to your picture

Menus  Create a Context Menu or a MainMenu  Associate it with the Form (or Control)

Adding Controls Programmatically  Form (or any other container control) has a Controls property Button newBtn = new Button … this.Controls.Add(newBtn);

Custom Controls  Create a new UserControl file in your project Default UserControl class inherits from UserControl You can inherit from a pre-built control (like button) or from Control itself

UserControl Attributes  ToolboxBitmap Sets the icon for the UserControl  Browsable Pass it false to prevent the member from being displayed  Category Places the control in the specified category  DefaultValue Sets a default value for the member  Description Sets the description associated with the member  DesignOnly Specifies that the member can only be set at design time

Adding UserControls to Toolbox  Build the UserControl  Right-click the toolbox  Choose Add/Remove, browse to the built assembly (.dll or.exe file).

Painting  Subscribe to the Paint event Gives access to the appropriate Graphics object  Call Refresh() Invalidates the entire client area including child controls  Call Invalidate() Invalidates the given region (client area by default)  Some controls have BeginUpdate and EndUpdate methods BeginUpdate disables drawing  Call when you are changing/updating the control EndUpdate enables drawing  Call when you are finished changing/updating the control

Paint Event  private void Form1_Paint(object sender, PaintEventArgs e)  PaintEventArgs contains: ClipRectangle being painted Graphics for the current object

Graphics object  Methods: Clear() DrawArc() DrawBezier() etc. (See DrawDemo)

Brushes  System.Drawing.Brush abstract class Subclasses:  HatchBrush  LinearGradientBrush  PathGradientBrush  SolidBrush  TextureBrush Can get texture from an image Represents a color, gradient, image etc. Fills the interior region of an area Must be disposed when you're finished using it  Limited resource on Win9x/Me (as are pens)

Brush example:  Brush brush = new SolidBrush(Color.Red);  Brush brush = new TextureBrush(new Bitmap("MyImage.gif"));  Brush brush = Brushes.Brown;

System.Drawing.Brushes  System-stored default brushes All kinds of crazy colors Do not dispose System-stored resources SolidBrush type

Pens  System.Drawing.Pen  Represent a color and width  Used to draw lines and curves  Has an associated brush  Can set: DashPattern DashCap StartCap (arrow, etc) EndCap etc.  Need to be disposed when finished using

System.Drawing.Pens  System-stored default pens All kinds of crazy colors Do not dispose System-stored resources  Also System.Drawing.SystemPens

Fonts  Immutable To change a font, you must create a new one, then reassign the property

Color  Represents an ARGB color  Contains hundreds of Pre-defined colors