VB.

Net
Forms, Controls & Events

By,
Prof.Sumalatha A
◾ Forms
◾ Form properties
◾ Controls
◾ Control properties
◾ Event Driven Programming
◾ Form Events
◾ Control Events
◾ Event Handlers
◾ VB Example Program
◾ A form is a container for controls
◾ A form is used to design a GUI-based window
in a Windows application
◾ A form displays information and receives
input from the user.
◾ Always orient a form at a task as defined by
the user
◾ Text – defines the text to display in the caption bar
◾ StartPosition – determines position of form when it
first appears (eg. CenterScreen)
◾ Size.Width, Size.Height – the 2D area occupied by
the form, in units of pixels
◾ Location.X, Location.Y – the relative position of the
form on the screen
◾ Visible – can be seen by the user
◾ Enabled – the user can interact with the form
◾ FormBorderStyle – determines the appearance
and behavior of the borders of the form
 Sizable: (Default) Has min, max, and close buttons; can
be
resized by dragging edges
 Fixed3D: Has a 3D look; min, max, and close buttons;
cannot be resized
 FixedSingle: Has single line border; min, max, and close
buttons; cannot be resized
◾ AcceptButton - designates which button on
the form is activated by the Enter Key
◾ Cancel Button - designates which button on
◾ Visual objects that are placed on a form to
enable customized activities
◾ Familiar Visual Basic controls:
 Label - displays text the user cannot change
 TextBox - allows the user to enter text
 Button – performs an action when clicked
 RadioButton - A round button that is selected or deselected with
a mouse
 CheckBox – A box that is checked or unchecked with a mouse
click
 Form - A window that contains these controls
◾ Built-in controls defined in Windows Form class
library, and are defined
 with ToolBox and Form Designer
◾ Text edit (TextBox—txt )
◾ Text display (Label—default name or lbl )
◾ Selection from a list (ListBox—lst , ComboBox—cbo ,
ListView, TreeView, NumericUpDown…)
◾ Graphic display (PictureBox—pic )
◾ Graphic storage (ImageList)
◾ Value setting (CheckBox—chk , CheckListBox, RadioButton,
…)
◾ Date setting (DateTimePicker, MonthCalendar)
◾ Dialog boxes (OpenFileDialog, PrintDialog…)
◾ Menu controls (MainMenu, …)
◾ Commands (Button—btn , LinkLabel…)
◾ Grouping other controls (GroupBox, TabControl, Panel)
◾ Common properties shared by many controls
 Name, Text
 Size.Height & Width, Location.X &Y, Dock
 BackColor: Sets the background (fill) color
 ForeColor: Sets the foreground (text) color
 CanFocus, ContainsFocus, Focused
 Visible & Enabled determine availability to user
 Font properties affect text display in the control
▪ Font, size, bold, etc.
 Tab Index & Tab Stop
◾ Design Time  Set
in Properties
Window

◾ Run Time  Set / Change

in Code
◾ Specify the control name (btnExit)
◾ Then a dot
◾ Then the PropertyName (Visible)

◾ controlName.propertyName
 btnExit.Visible
▪ refers to the Visible property of the btnExit control
▪ The visible property values may only be true or
false
◾ Item to receive the value (Left Side)
◾ Assignment Indicator =
◾ Value to be assigned(Right Side)

◾ VariableName = Value
 NumberVariable = 5
◾ ControlName.PropertyName = Setting
 btnExit.Visible = False
▪ Assigns the value False to the Visible property of the btnExit
control
▪ Causes the text of the btnExit control to become hidden to the
user
 txtFirstName.text = “Paul”
◾ Properties
 Text
▪ &Cancel ->
Cancel
▪ && -> &

◾ Events
 Click
◾ Use labels and link labels for text
display
 Text property (no more Caption) defines
text to display
 User cannot change a label

◾ LinkLabel enables hyperlinks

 Links.Add inserts a hyperlink into text
 Must write event-handler to invoke
browser
 See example
◾ Text box allows user to
enter or edit data

◾ Properties
 MaxLength, MultiLine
 AcceptsTab
 AcceptsReturn
 WordWrap
 ScrollBars
◾ Events
 TextChanged
◾ CheckState property
 Checked
 Unchecked
 Indeterminate (checked
but grayed)

◾ Text property
displays built-in
caption
If
chkMarried.CheckState =
CheckState.Checked Then
◾ ComboBox Properties
 Text
 DropDownStyle
▪ Simple
▪ Dropdown cboChoice.Items.Clear()
▪ DropdownList cboChoice.Items.Add("First")
cboChoice.Items.Add("Second")
 Sorted cboChoice.Items.Add("Third")
◾ Methods cboChoice.Items.Add(TextBox1.Text)

 Items.
Clear
 Items.
Add
 Items.
Remov cboChoice.Items.Remove("Third")
e
◾ Executes code after a
specified interval
◾ Timer Event
 Unique event that executes
after the interval specified
in the interval property
expires
◾ Interval Property
 0 - 65,535 milliseconds
▪ 0 - means disabled
▪ 60,000 milliseconds is one
minute
◾ Enabled property must also
be true for timer to work.
◾ Timer control is never
visible at run time
◾ Stored in Component Tray
at design time
◾ Applications recognize and respond to events
by executing code known as event procedures
◾ Event: An action that is recognized by an
object.
 User Actions
▪ Mouse Click
▪ Entering
Text
▪ Pressing a
Key
 Program
Calculations
 Triggered
by the
◾ Common Form Events
 Form1_Load() - Occurs before a form is displayed
for the first time.
 Form1_Activated() - Occurs when form becomes
the active window - through code or by user
 Form1_Deactivate() - Occurs when the form loses
focus and is not the active form
 Form1_Closing() - Occurs when the form closes,
either through an event or the windows close
button being clicked
◾ Many controls share a Common set of events
to which they can react
 Click, DoubleClick
 MouseMove, MouseDown, MouseUp,
MouseWheel, MouseHover, MouseLeave
 KeyPress, KeyDown, KeyUp
 Resize
 DragDrop
 GotFocus
 LostFocus
◾ Focus is when an object becomes the “Active
Control”
◾ Focus Event Sequence:
 Enter
 GotFocus
 Leave
 Validating
 Validated
 LostFocus
◾ Create Event Procedure
 Double Click on Control
 Displays Code Window and Event Procedure Stub for
default event
Or
 Open the Code Editor (F7 or View Menu:Code
Command)
 Select Control & Event from drop down windows in
Code
Editor
Event Code Goes In Here
 Exit Button – Clicked Method (btnExit_Click)
Marks the beginning of this event procedure
Name of the control that owns the event procedure
Name of the event the procedure responds
to
Line Continuation Mark

Private Sub btnExit_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _

ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnExit.Click
' End the application
End
End Sub
E
v
e
◾ Input
 Controls
◾ Process
 Events
◾ Output
 Contr
ols
UDIE – Implement the solution in
VB:
◾ Create the Interface
 Input Controls
 Output Controls
◾ Set the Properties
 Configure the appearance and behavior of
the controls
◾ Write the Code to execute when events
occur
 Process the inputs to create the outputs
◾ Using Visual Basic.Net
create the following form
Object Property Setting

Form1 Text Demonstration

txtFirst Text (blank)
txtSecond Text (blank)

btnRed Text Change Color

to Red
When btnRed is clicked - Change txtFirst text color to red
◾ Double Click on btnRed
◾ Code window should appear
(with Event Procedure
Stub)

◾ Add code to the event procedure stub:

txtFirst.ForeColor = Color.Red
When the text is edited in txtFirst - Change txtFirst text color to blue
◾ In Code Window
◾ Select the Control for the Event Procedure
 txtFirst from the ClassName box
◾ Select the Event from the Method Name Box
 TextChanged
◾ Add code to the event procedure stub:
 txtFirst.ForeColor = Color.Blue
When txtFirst is deselected - Change txtFirst text color to black
◾ In Code Window
◾ Select the Control for the Event Procedure
 txtFirst from the ClassName box
◾ Select the Event from the Method Name Box
 Leave
◾ Add code to the event procedure stub:
 txtFirst.ForeColor = Color.Black
◾ Click F5 or the Run Button
◾ Type “Hello” into the 1st textbox
 What Happens
◾ Click on the 2nd Textbox
 What happened in txtFirst and Why
◾ Click on the Button
 What happened in txtFirst
◾ Type “Friends” into the 1st textbox
◾ Stop Program by clicking Red X in corner
◾ Add a Button to your Form
 Name: btnExit
 Text Property: &Quit
◾ Add a Button Click Event for this Button
 Code: END
◾ Finds Syntax Errors (Errors in Programming
Language)
◾ Return to btnRed Click Event Procedure
◾ Add this line of Code:
 txtSecond.text = Hello

Notice Wavy Blue Line – This indicates a Syntax Error that must be
fixed.
◾ Test All Events

◾ Click Quit Button