Conclusion

The Windows Forms namespace provides a great deal of support for interaction with the user. In addition to the classes provided in the .NET Framework, Visual C# .NET includes designers that simplify the task of building menus and status bars.

In applications developed for Windows Forms, the mouse and keyboard are the primary conduits for user input. The .NET Framework includes classes that simplify interaction with these devices and provides a comprehensive set of events that are raised as input is provided.

Most nontrivial applications have at least one menu that enables the user to invoke commands. The .NET Framework includes classes that represent the main menu for an application, shortcut menus for forms or controls, and menu items that represent individual items in menus. Visual C# .NET includes a Menu Designer that can be used to create both main menus and shortcut menus.

The StatusBar class is used to provide feedback in a status bar docked to the bottom edge of a Windows Forms application. A status bar is often divided into multiple sections known as panels, with each panel used for a different type of feedback message.

In Chapter 14, we’ll look at the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI+) and explore how you can use the .NET Framework to easily work with fonts, bitmaps, pens, and brushes.