Pro .NET 2.0 Windows Forms and Custom Controls in VB 2005

Apress, August 2006, 1080 pp.
ISBN: 1-59059-694-3

When the .NET Framework first appeared, many assumed it would usher in a new world of web-only programming. Today, four years after the initial release of .NET 1.0, Windows applications refuse to die—in fact, they’re thriving. With .NET 2.0, Microsoft has rediscovered Windows applications. You'll find long-requested features, like a flexible web-like layout model, the ability to display HTML pages, and support for Windows XP visual styles. Entirely new controls fill major gaps, like the modern ToolStrip and the high-powered DataGridView. There's even a whole new deployment system, called ClickOnce, that offers streamlined installations from a web page and automatic updates.

In short, .NET 2.0 has everything you need to build modern Windows applications. In this book, you’ll explore the Windows Forms toolkit in detail, and learn how to create everything from a vector-drawing program to a document-view framework. Best of all, you’ll learn how to take your applications to the next step by extending the .NET Framework. For example, you’ll learn how to design over a dozen custom controls that handle everything from Wizard systems to skinned buttons. And when you discover some of the real limitations that still exist in .NET—like its meager sound support—you’ll find out how you can solve the problem with other components.

"While many other resources read more like technical reference docs, Pro .NET 2.0 Windows Forms does an excellent job of filtering the information down to what developers really (need) to harness the power and innovations we've added to Windows Forms 2.0."

Shawn Burke, Development Manager
Windows Forms Team, Microsoft Corporation

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