4715. Developing Applications using Visual Basic 2008 : Advanced Topics
(VB2008)
In this course you'll learn about important development topics that aren't normally covered in a beginning Windows application programming course. Starting with an introduction to .NET interoperability, then covering topics such as Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), and System.Drawing namespace. You'll dig deeper into working with the most complex of Visual Studio's built-in controls, the DataGridView. You’ll also investigate several new Visual Studio 2008 features, including Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), and new support for Office 2007 products using Visual Studio Tools for Office. Then learn how to create custom controls, secure applications and create applications for Windows Mobile devices. You're certain to find many more topics here that will extend your knowledge, your capabilities, and your value as a developer.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
· Interoperate between managed code and COM components.
· Communicate using XML Web services, and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF).
· Install applications using ClickOnce technology.
· Save and restore nearly any object to a stream, using serialization
· Create and execute workflows, using Windows Workflow Foundation (WF).
· Take advantage of Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to add features to the .NET Framework.
· Create MDI applications.
· Learn to manage printers, and create free-form documents.
· Display and edit data using the DataGridView control.
· Create owner-drawn controls and non-rectangular forms using the GDI+ and the System.Drawing namespace.
· Create managed applications for Office 2007 products using Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO).
· Extend the functionality of Visual Studio 2008.
· Handle versioning issues with multiple assemblies or applications.
· Create and debug Windows services.
· Build and test mobile applications.
· Read and write XML data using the Document Object Model, and XML readers and writers.
· Perform cascading updates in joined data.
· Easily convert data projects to n-tier distributed applications.
· Create custom and user controls.
· Correctly secure Windows applications.
· Build setup applications.
· Examine existing code using reflection.
· Use distributed client settings in a Windows application.
Course Duration: 5
days
Prerequisites: The course assumes that students have some programming background. No specific experience with Visual Studio 2008 or the .NET Framework is required, although this course does not focus on programming languages, but rather, on building Windows applications. You may find that it's easier for you to follow the examples in this course if you have some prior experience working with the .NET Framework using Visual Basic, or have taken a beginning programming course using Visual Basic such as our “Learning to Program using Visual Basic 2008” course.
1. Interoperability
COM Interoperability
COM DLLs and .NET Applications
.NET Assemblies in COM Applications
Wrap .NET Framework in COM Applications
Windows API using Platform Invoke
Web Services
2. Windows Communication Foundation
WCF
Creative Service
Host Services in Applications
Communication between Clients and Services
Configure Client and Service Communication
3. Working with Toolbox Components
Timer Component
BackgroundWorker Component
FileSystemWatcher Component
Process Component
ServiceController Component
EventLog Component
4. Deploying Applications Using ClickOnce
ClickOnce Deployment
Publish an Application
Deploy Updates to Applications
Maintain Applications
5. Serialization
Concept of Serialization
Serialization of Built-In Objects
BinaryFormatter and SoapFormatter Classes.
Serialize User-Defined Objects
Serialization Formatters
6. Creating and Displaying Reports
ReportViewer Control
Grouping, Sorting, and Filtering to Reports
Subreports and Drillhtrough Reports
7. Windows Workflow Foundation
Workflows and Activites
Declarative and Code Conditions
RuleSets and Policy Activities
Application Communication
Business Process States
8. Filling the .NET Gaps with WMI
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
.NET Framework's Management Namespace
WMI Classes
WMI Object Methods and Property Values
Visual Studio WMI Server Explorer
9. WMI Events and Asynchronous Handling
System Events using WMI
Work with WMI Objects Asynchronously
Create Handlers for WMI Events
10. Creating MDI Applications
MDI Applications
MDI Parent and MDI Child Forms
Menu Lists Open Child Forms
Manage Menus
Open Forms and their Controls
11. Printers and Printing
System.Drawing.Printing Namespace
PrintDocument, PrinterSettings, and
PageSettings
PrintPreviewControl, PageSetupDialog,
PrintPreviewDialog, and PrintDialog Controls
12. Examining the DataGridView
Architecture of DataGridView Control
Appearance of Data in Grids
Work with Data in Grids
13. Creating Rich User Interfaces with GDI+
System.Drawing Namespace
Owner-Drawn Controls
Non-Rectangular Forms
TransparencyKey Property
DataGridView Control Columns
14. Creating Office Applications Using Visual
Studio 2008
Office Templates
Ribbon Designer
Custom Task Pane
Word 2007's Content Controls
Outlook Custom Form Region
Odification Form
15. Extending Visual Studio 2008
Create Item Templates
Create Project Templates
Code Snippets
Macros
16. Handling Versioning Issues
CLR Locates Assemblies
CLR Enforces Versioning
Strong Name an Assembly
Private and Shared Assemblies
Techniques of Sharing Assemblies
17. Creating Windows Services
Windows Service
FileSystemWatcher Class
Debug Windows Service Applications
18. Building Mobile Applications
Applications for Pocket PCs and Smartphones
Device Emulators
SQL Server Compact 3.5 Databases
19. Reading and Writing XML Using the XML DOM
Reading and Writing XML, Programmatically
Important Classes in the System.XML
Namespace
Read and Write XML Nodes and Attributes
20. Expert XML
Contents of an XML Document
Write an XML Document
Query using XPath Expressions
21. Data Improvements
Enforce Referential Integrity in
Applications
Maintain Data
Separate DataSet from TableAdapter Code
LINQ to SQL
22. Creating Custom Controls
Create New Controls for Forms
Create a Control from an Existing Control
and Add Functionality
Control Base Class and Drawing GDI+
Composite Control from the UserControl
Base Class
23. Securing Windows Applications
.NET Framework Security
Code Access Security
Role-Based Security
24. Building Setup Applications
Installation Package
Customize a Setup Project
Control Installation of an Application
Specify Conditions of an Install
Custom Actions for after an Installation
25. Attributes and Reflection
Built-In Attributes
Custom Attributes
Use Reflection to take Advantage of
Attributes
Reflection's Capabilities
26. Client Application Services
Membership and Roles in ASP.NET
Client Application Services to Add Remote
Login, Roles, and Profiles
Call the ASP.NET Application Services