Windows Forms, C# and/or VB - using .NET

Question

Hi!

I would like to use the .NET framework either with C# or VB creating a Windows Forms application.

The underlying database is a Microsoft SQL server.

New to Microsoft, but I would like to use the capabilites of the .NET framework - like OO etc.

The application(s) is an internal one and will mostly be used as a CRUD application with various search-arguments

for the staff, so that they will not have to use the SQL Server Management Studio.

I have started to use Visual Studio 2019, I would like to use the good features here

So I am looking for mainly good books/courses (found 1 course at udemy which is ok) on Winforms; on how to populate dropdown lists, datagridviews, datetimepicker etc .
Are there any books on the subject of 'Winforms' using .NET ( from 2015-2020 ?)

But also if there is a conventient way to change the look-and-fell

But also on how to get started with best-practices on the .NET framework and VB/C#.

best, i

Answer 1

There are many tutorials in MSDN
Like :
Tutorial 1: Create a picture viewer
Introduction to C#
C# programming guide
Introduction to the C# language and the .NET Framework
Getting Started with Windows Forms
...

Answer 2

Hi Inkimar,
Castorix31 has provided some documents about c# and getting Started with Windows Forms.
>>how to populate dropdown lists, datagridviews, datetimepicker etc . But also if there is a conventient way to change the look-and-fell
What I want to add are that you could bind the DropDownList to a data source (DataTable, List, DataSet, SqlDataSource, etc)
and you can customize the look of your Windows Forms applications in many different ways, such as changing the border, opacity, shape, style, or setting a background image for your Windows Forms application.
Here are some documents you can refer to.
Windows Forms Data Binding
Changing the Appearance of Windows Forms
What is the right way to populate a DropDownList from a database?
Hope these are helpful to you.
Best Regards,
Daniel Zhang

Answer 3

Hello,

• The first step is to properly design your database using SSMS and write SQL in SSMS to ensure you can write up code in Visual Studio.
• Next, create a class project which where all interaction with database should happen. This is were you do CRUD by passing in a class instance, all information to perform CRUD.
• Design the user interfaces and to access data go with bullet two to write methods for working with data. The user interface project many contain one or more forums. You need to look at DataBinding controls to display, edit, new, delete.
• User interface other than stock out of the box you need to look at different ideas by searching the web as there more than one way to customize a user interface

For an idea on reading data as per above, no CRUD see the following repository for starters and from there you can add in missing methods. Another avenue is to consider Entity Framework Core for working with data, if so this belongs in the class in bullet two. EF Core setup is easy, takes a few minutes but afterwards is easier to work with than convention data access.