Reusable Windows Application

version 2.2 , last updated 07/15/2006 - fixed resizing after maximize

This application doesn't do much of anything except display the time and date, but its code gives you a way to keep persistent settings, change the background style, and keep an application log file:

The goal of this project is to provide you with code samples that you can use when writing Windows applications in the future, and allow you to practice customizing an application.  It also illustrates use of a timer (for the clock).  You must turn in a slightly modified version of this program in which you have changed the namespace, executable file name, icon, colors, background image and programmer name (instructions follow).  Please read and study this code thoroughly; it is the foundation for future projects.

Please compare this program with what you get just by running the C# Windows Application wizard for a new project in VS.NET.  Here are some of the features which have been added:

COMPILE THE STARTER CODE:

  1. Create a folder with your email ID as its name, and unzip StdWinApp_v22.zip into that folder.   Double click file StdWinApp.sln to launch the solution.
  2. In VS.NET, select View Solution Explorer; you should see the following files in the project:
  3. In VS.NET, right click over References.  If they are not already present, you may need to add references to the System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap.
  4. Build and run the project in Debug mode.

CUSTOMIZE THE PROJECT:

  1. Select and then right-click the project name; in the popup menu, select Properties to get the project Property Pages popup window.  In the Common Properties folder and the General tab, make these changes:
     
    • Change the Default Namespace here and in all your .cs files.
    • Change the Assembly Name.  Please use one word without spaces or special characters.
    • Save any open files.
    • Change the Startup Object to reflect the new namespace.
    • Rebuild the application.
    		 

  2. Edit the AssemblyInfo.cs file as follows:
  3. Build and run the project in Debug mode.  Exit the program.
  4. In Windows Explorer, drill down into the folder where the project file is, then navigate to the \bin\Debug folder.  There you should see the executable file Newname.exe
  5. The log file Newname_log.txt and the settings file Newname_settings.xml. should be located in a special folder (accessed in code by the object "Application.Local"); the path for me is C:\Documents and Settings\pgpalmer\Local Settings\Application Data\Upenn\Standard\1.6.0.0; yours will be similar, but pgpalmer will have your login name instead.  In that folder, double click on the log and settings file to examine their contents.  The log and settings files should reflect the actions you took when you ran the program.  Please now delete the old files (those which begin with standard) from the folder.  The new ones created when you run the application should have a different name if you have successfully renamed the program.
  6. Change the icon and background color of the application as follows:
     
    Choose a new image file from background images and a new icon from icons files (or find your own elsewhere).  Rename the chosen image to background.jpg and the icon to application.ico, and put them in the project folder in place of the original files.  Rebuild the project.  This should change the icon displayed by MainForm.cs and AboutForm.cs, and when using an image as background, it should use the new image you selected.

    7.  
  7. Open the Project Properties pane (see Step 1 of "Customizing", above) and change the Application Icon by browsing to the new icon (wherever it currently is on your file system).  Rebuild the project.  This should change the icon on the executable file in the \bin\Debug folder.  This file's icon should always be made to match the icon shown on the forms when the program runs.
  8. Change the default solid color which will be used by the application  (HINT: The change must take place in Model.cs).
  9. Change the default gradient colors which will be used by the application (HINT: The change must take place in Model.cs).
    You may wish to run the gradient picker to choose two colors which look nice together.
  10. Compile and test thoroughly before zipping up the folder and turning it in.

READ THESE CLASSES:
 
AboutForm.cs

and

AboutForm.Designer.cs
Display this form by selecting About...Help in the main form menu.
AssemblyInfo.cs Metadata about this application and assembly.  This is also a good place to keep a history of version changes in a list of comments.
LogFile.cs This class manages the log file.  It is largely static; it must be initialized once by calling LogFile.InitLogFile(), and thereafter, one can call LogFile.WriteLine("string") from anywhere within the project.  When the program closes, it is important to call LogFile.Close() to make sure the file closes.
MainForm.cs

and

MainForm.Designer.cs
This form is launched by the static Model.Main() method after it has initialized the data for the application.
Model.cs Model is a Singleton object.   Model.cs also contains the Main() method which is the application entry point.  Model.cs contains (mostly) static properties (getters and setters) for data and shared methods which may be needed by any forms and other classes.  Some of the properties persist when the program stops and restarts; others revert to their default values.  Data is obtained identically from the Model, whether it is persistent or not; the Model hides the details of how persistence is accomplished .
Persistent.cs Persistent is a Singleton object, and it should be accessed only from within the Model class.  The Model stores all remembered settings in the Persistent object and serializes or deserializes the Persistent object to/from an XML settings file on disk as needed.

SOME QUESTIONS TO ANSWER ABOUT THE CODE:  (these might be on a quiz)

  1. Where does the program start executing?  What objects are created first?  Are they Singletons?  What other startup actions take place?
  2. What initializations take place during loading of the form?
  3. What is the timer on the form doing?  What is its firing interval, and why?
  4. If I run this application for more than 24 hours, will the date in the lower right of the status bar change on the following day?  Why or why not?
  5. What things about the program are remembered when you close the program and restart it?  Is form location and size remembered?  Is the background type retained?  Where is this information being kept on the disk when the program is not running?  How is this information being saved?  What is serialization?
  6. Where is the log file (written by LogFile.cs)?  What is in it?  Why might you want to have a file like this for your application?
  7. Will the log file grow to be really large someday and fill up the entire disk?
  8. What actions are taken as the form is about to close?
  9. What does the code in the Form1.OnPaintBackground() method accomplish?
  10. Why is Model.cs a separate class, and not just part of Form1.cs?
  11. In what folder are the log file and XML settings file (serialized from Persistent.cs) stored?
  12. What actions are taken when the user changes the background color or graphic?

Visitors: Hit Counter