Visual Basic 2005: Developing Applications

• Learn about the new Windows Forms
• See the new Application Events
• Write code easier and faster using the My namespace
• Understand how to trap Windows Forms events
• Investigate the latest Windows Forms controls
• Become familiar with intrinsic .NET data types
• Learn how to access data using ADO.NET
• Bind controls to data effortlessly using new data binding features
• Work with the new debugging features
• Learn how to work with the Windows file system
• Learn the role of DataSets and DataTables in ADO.NET
• Understand error handling using Exception objects
• Learn how to create data-bound applications
• Create flexible user interfaces using new container controls
• See how Visual Basic can access COM components
• Access remote functionality through Web Services
• Learn to create MDI applications
• See how to effectively deploy your Visual Basic applications

• .NET Does Windows
• Adding Controls to a Form
• A Peek behind the Scenes
• Adding Event Handling Code
• Adding a Menu to the Form
• Adding Non-Graphical Components

Taking Advantage of the Form Event Model

• How Visual Basic Handles Events
• Exploring Form and Control Events

Common Windows Forms Controls

• Label, TextBox, and Button
• CheckBox and RadioButton
• ComboBox, ListBox, and CheckedListBox
• LinkLabel, NumericUpdown, PictureBox and ProgressBar

Exception Handling

• Perspectives on Exception Handling
• Getting Started with Exception Handling
• Catching Specific Exceptions
• Raising Errors
• Running Code Unconditionally
• Handling Unhandled Exceptions
• Creating Exception Classes

Working with Strings and Dates

• Basic .NET Data Types
• Working with Text: The String Class
• Working with Dates and Times

Accessing Data

• Overview of ADO.NET
• Connecting to Data
• Executing Commands
• Working with Data
• Choosing an ADO.NET Provider

Data Binding Techniques

• Data Binding Basics
• Creating a Data Source
• Creating Data-Bound Forms
• Data Binding Components and Controls
• Displaying Data from Related Tables
• Displaying Data from Lookup Tables
• Adding Search Capabilities to a Form
• Filtering by Values from a Lookup Table
• Data Validation
• Working with Local Data

Using the Data Controls

• Data Controls
• The BindingNavigator Control
• The BindingSource Component
• The DataGridView Control
• The ReportViewer Control

Handling Input/Output Tasks

• Introducing the System.IO Namespace
• Selecting Files
• Browsing for Folders
• Handling Path Information
• Working with Directories and Files
• Using Stream-Based Objects to Read and Write File Contents

 Project Settings in Visual Studio 2005

• The Project Designer
• Application Properties
• Compilation Properties
• Debugging Properties
• Project References
• Project Resources
• Project Settings

Working with My Namespace

• The My Namespace
• My.Application
• My.Computer
• My.User
• My.Forms
• My.Resources
• My.Settings
• My.WebServices

Debugging Your Applications

• Debugging Applications
• Setting Breakpoints and Stepping through Code
• Debugging Code in Assemblies
• Evaluating Variables and Objects
• Edit and Continue
• Tracing Applications

Container Controls

• Introducing Container Controls
• Grouping Controls with the GroupBox Control
• Introducing the Panel Control
• Displaying Multiple Panels with the SplitContainer Control
• Laying out Panels with the TabControl Control
• Simple Layout Using the FlowLayoutPanel Control
• Advanced Layout Using the TableLayoutPanel Control

Menus and Toolbars

• Introducing the ToolStrips
• Working with the ToolStrips

Creating MDI Applications

• MDI Applications
• MDI Parent and Child Forms
• Managing Open Windows
• Managing Menus
• Working with Open Forms

Complex Windows Forms Controls

• Introducing Complex Controls
• NotifyIcon Control
• WebBrowser Control
• MaskedTextBox Control
• RichTextBox Control
• TreeView and ListView Controls
• MonthCalendar and DateTimePicker Controls

Creating Custom Controls

• Control Creation in Windows Forms
• Inheriting from an Existing Control
• Drawing Your Own Custom Controls
• Creating Composite Controls

Working with Toolbox Components

• Introducing Components
• Timer Component
• BackgroundWorker Component
• FileSystemWatcher Component
• PerformanceCounter Component
• Process Component
• ServiceController Component
• EventLog Component

Interoperability

• COM and .NET
• Calling COM Objects from .NET
• Calling .NET Assemblies from COM
• Using Platform Invoke
• Web Services

Deploying Applications Using Click-Once

• ClickOnce Deployment
• Publishing an Application
• Setting Publish Options
• Updating a Deployed Application
• What Happens When You Publish an Application?
• What Happens When You Publish an Update to an Application?
• ClickOnce and Security
• Using the Deployment API to Manage Updates