Using Windows Forms Controls in Visual Basic .NET

Posted August 10, 2003

Chat Date: July 15, 2003

Please note: Portions of this transcript have been edited for clarity

Chat Participants:

  • Jason Cooke, programmer/writer for Visual Basic User Education
  • Jim Galasyn, Programmer/Writer in the .NET Client User Education groups
  • Subhag Oak, Developer on Dot Net Client Team
  • Matt Stoecker, Programmer/writer on the Visual Basic team
  • Mark Rideout, Program Manager in the Windows Forms team
  • Mark Boulter, Technical Lead/li>
  • Ed Hickey, VB Communities PM

Moderator: Ed (Microsoft)
Welcome to today’s chat on Using Windows Forms Controls in Visual Basic .NET. We have members of the Visual Basic team here to answer your questions today. I will ask the hosts to introduce themselves.

Host: Jason (Microsoft)
Hi! My name is Jason Cooke, and I'm a programmer/writer for Visual Basic User Education.

Host: JimG (Microsoft)
Hi, my name is Jim Galasyn, and I'm a Programmer/Writer in the .NEt Client User Education groups.

Host: MarkR (Microsoft)
Hello, my name is Mark Rideout and I'm a Program Manager in the Windows Forms team.

Host: Matt (Microsoft)
Hi there! I'm Matt Stoecker and I'm a programmer/writer on the Visual Basic team.

Host: Subhag (Microsoft)
Hello, I am Subhag Oak and I am developer on Dot Net Client Team

Moderator: Ed (Microsoft)
And I am Ed Hickey, VS Communities PM. Glad you all could make it today!

Moderator: Ed (Microsoft)
Well folks, we have a special guest - the one, the only Mark Boutler!

Host: MarkB (Microsoft)
Ho! Ho! Thanks Ed!

Moderator: Ed (Microsoft)
Let's get started! Fire away with your questions for our hosts.

Host: Subhag (Microsoft)
Q: What is Dot Net Client Team?

A: Its the new name for Windows Forms Team.

Host: Matt (Microsoft)
Q: I use the control printpreview as I can know the total number of the pages, I would like to visualize a message of the type "pag. #of #"

A: If you know the number of pages, you can use the graphics member of the painteventargs to draw your string, and just insert the appropriate data. If you don't know the total number of pages, you have to figure that out first.

Host: Subhag (Microsoft)
Q: Would I like to disable the use of the mouse wheel for a combobox, as to do?

A: There is no direct property to disable the use of mousewheel. But you can override the WndProc() and eat up the WM_MOUSEWHEEL messages.

Host: MarkR (Microsoft)
Q: Is there a "auto-complete" control for e.g. textboxes? If they don't exist by now (I would have missed them), are there plans?

A: There isn't any auto-complete functionality for text boxes in 1.0 RTM or 1.1, but it is something that we are looking to do for 2.0.

Host: Matt (Microsoft)
Q: I pass the document to the printpreview and I would like to know how many pages will be printed, I don't know how many pages will be printed

A: Well, unfortunately you're going to have to calculate the number of pages-the print preview control doesn't do this for you. You can do this by measuring the size of hat you wnat to print and dividing by the size of the printable area in your pages.

Host: MarkB (Microsoft)
Q: Is there a way to change the background color property of a command button?

A: Button1.BackColor = Color.Red

Host: Subhag (Microsoft)
Q: Any examples for :"But you can override the WndProc() and eat up the WM_MOUSEWHEEL messages

A: https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cpref/html/frlrfsystemwindowsformscontrolclasswndproctopic.asp

Host: MarkR (Microsoft)
PG - You will need to define the value of WM_MOUSEWHEEL. Use: Dim WM_MOUSEWHEEL as Integer = &h20A

Host: MarkB (Microsoft)
Q: Any databinding advantages of using DataSource vs ListBox.ObjectCollection ?

A: Yes if the collection is updated or you want the selection in the combobox to track other databound fields on the form

Host: Subhag (Microsoft)
Q: Is it possible to get the mousehover & scroll without is activated by tab or mouse click?

A: If you implement your own MessageFilter then you might get these events wihtout activating the control. But by default (in Windows Forms) the messages are captured by the active control

Host: Matt (Microsoft)
Q: What have you eaten today?

A: 1 slice of leftover pizza, some white grapes, a few handfuls of blueberries, and several glasses of orange-tangerine juice (no pulp)

Moderator: Ed (Microsoft)
This has been a GREAT chat. Thank you to everyone. Unfortunately, it is time to go. Thanks for participating, and we'll see you next time!

For further information on this topic please visit the following:

Newsgroups: microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb

VB .NET Transcripts: Read the archive of past VB .NET chats.

Website: Visit the Microsoft Visual Basic .NET site.

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