Introduction

What Does VBTrain.Net™ mean?

Sample Applications

Why .NET for CBT and WBT?

A Bit of Background

The Authoring Tool Landscape

The Promise of .NET for Training

History of .NET

How it Works

Common Language Runtime

“Safe” Code

Object-Oriented

Structured Error Handling

“Garbage” Collection

Easy Deployment

Why Visual Basic .NET?

The Myth of Training without Programming

"But I'm Not a Programmer"

Easier than C# or C++

Similarity to OpenScript, Lingo, and JavaScript

Rich Client: Windows Forms

Training in the Browser: ASP.NET

The Integrated Development Environment

Start Page

The Overall Environment

Controlling IDE Windows

Docking

Auto-Hide

Tabs

Toolbox

Data

Components

Windows Forms

Web Forms

HTML

Clipboard Ring

General

Adding or Removing Items from the Toolbox

Solution Explorer

Class View

Properties Window

Help

Code Window

IntelliSense^®

Method Tooltips

Base Class Events

Overrides

Object Events

Collapsible Regions

Task List

Output and Command Windows

Server Explorer

ASP.NET Designer/HTML View

Menus And Toolbars

Layout Toolbar

Debugging

Configuring a Local Web Server

Installing IIS

The Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

Creating a Virtual Directory

Setting a Virtual Directory Before Creating a Web Project

Enabling Debugging

Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming

Overview

Classes and Instances

Methods

Events

Properties

Dynamic Properties

Inheritance

Interfaces

Encapsulation

Polymorphism

Me

MyBase

MyClass

Overriding

Overloading

Constructors

Variables, Access Modifiers, and Scope

The Visual Basic .NET Programming Language

The “Dot” Syntax

Handling Events

“Overriding” Events

Writing Subroutines

Creating Functions

Creating, Reading, and Setting Properties

Classes

Modules

Variables

Parameters

Control Structures

For

For Each

Do Until

Do While

While

If

Select Case

Reflection

Attributes

Imports Statement

References

Custom Components

Security

Code Access Permissions

Code Identity Permissions

Role-based Security Permissions

Inheriting Windows Forms

Visual Inheritance: Tailor-made for Training Applications

The Mechanics

Inheritance Example 1

MasterNewForm

MasterBindForm

Inheritance Example 2

CommonCode Module

Master Form

Start Form

Navigation Form

Table of Contents

Training Form

Individual Training Forms

Question Form

Individual Question Forms

Text

How .NET Handles Text

Using the Properties Window for Text

Setting the Text of a TextBox

Making the Control Transparent

Windows Forms Controls

Checked ListBox

ComboBox

Label

LinkLabel

ListBox

ListView

RichTextBox

StatusBar

TextBox

ToolTip

TreeView

Web Forms Controls

CheckBoxList

DropDownList

Hyperlink

Label

ListBox

Literal

TextBox

Validation Controls

HTML Controls

Dropdown

File Field

Label

Listbox

Password Field

Text Area

Text Field

Web Form

Graphical Text and DrawString

Custom Text Controls

Third-party Controls

TX Text Control

Infragistics

ComponentOne

FarPoint

Softel vdm

RichTextBox.com

Graphics

Graphic Properties and Controls

BackgroundImage Property

PictureBox Control (Windows Forms)

ImageList Control (Windows Forms)

Panel Control (Windows Forms)

Image Control (Web Forms)

Image Control (HTML)

Working with Graphics in Code

The Relevant Namespaces and Classes

Transparency and Alpha Channels

Reading Graphics from External Files

Storing Graphics Inside the Application

Creating Thumbnails

Custom Textured Backgrounds

Regions

Creating Graphical Buttons

Anatomy of a Graphical Button

Example: A Graphical Button Component

Graphical Buttons in ASP.NET

Flash Movies As Buttons

Shapes

Where Are the Lines and Circles?

Using Labels as Pseudo Rectangles and Lines

Ellipse Custom Component Example

Third-Party Controls

Lead Technologies

Pegasus Software

Skyline Tools Imaging

Northwoods Software

Media

Media and the .NET Framework

“Media Example” Application

Using the Windows API

An Introduction to Interop

Windows Media Player

WMP Extensions

SoundWMP Example

VideoWMP Example

Events and Markers

Playing Media Via ASP.NET

Flash Player

FlashForm Example

Playing Via ASP.NET

Microsoft Agent

Adding Agent to Your Application

What Can Agent Do?

Windows Forms Example

Playing Via ASP.NET

Hyperlinks and Navigation

LinkLabel Control (Windows Forms)

Linking to Web Sites and External Applications

Adding Multiple Links

Hyperlink Control (Web Forms)

LinkButton Control (Web Forms)

HTML Links

RichTextBox Control

MultiLinkLabel Custom Control Example

Configuring Your Application to Show Multiple Forms

Reflection and Navigation Paths

MDI to the Rescue

Parent Form

Child Forms

Parent Form Code

Navigation Framesets in ASP.NET

DataBinding as Navigation

Using Flash Movies for Navigation

Interactions and Questions

Events Overview

Handles Clause

Server-Side versus Client-Side (ASP.NET)

Dynamically Referencing Objects

JavaScript (ASP.NET)

Iterating Controls

Climber Example

Windows Forms

ASP.NET

Working with the Mouse

MouseEnter/MouseLeave

Determining Location

Detecting the Mouse Wheel and Which Mouse Button

Working with the Keyboard

Differences between KeyDown, KeyUp, and KeyPress

Rejecting Keystrokes

Drag & Drop

Moving a Control (Windows Forms)

“Classic” Drag & Drop (Windows Forms)

ASP.NET

Cursors

Animation

Questions

Windows Forms

ASP.NET

Custom Question Objects

Linking to a Learning Management System

Storing Your Own Data

AICC/SCORM

Database Connectivity

Introduction to ADO.NET

Connection Object

Command Object

DataReader Object

Reading Data Row By Row

Binding to Web Controls

ExecuteNonQuery and ExecuteScalar

DataAdapter Object

DataSet Object

Binding Objects to Data

Saving Data

Changing the DataSet

Executing a Query

Database Sample 1 (Windows)

DataBound Training (Windows)

DataBound Training (Web)

Sample Web Training

Table of Contents

Master Training Form

Training Pages

Other Training Requirements

Sending Email

Windows Forms

ASP.NET

Web Requests (Post)

Windows Forms

ASP.NET

Web Services

Windows Forms

ASP.NET

Printing

Shaped Forms

Reading and Writing to the Registry

Displaying Windows Help Files

Retrieving System Information

Deployment

Minimum Requirements

Deploying ASP.NET Applications

FTP

Copy Project

Deployment Project

Deploying Windows Forms Applications

Xcopy

Deployment Project

Third-Party Installation Tools

Which Installation Package to Use?

InstallShield Developer

Deploying Via the Web

References

Index

VBTrain.Net Products