Introducing Windows Applications: Lesson 1

Introducing Windows Applications
Lesson 1
Objectives
Windows GUI Applications
• To create Windows GUI applications Visual Studio provides 3
technologies:
• The Windows Forms .NET Framework.
• The Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).
• Windows Store apps (Metro UI)
• With the introduction of the .NET Framework, Visual Studio has
enabled developers to create GUI-based Windows application
by using the .NET Framework’s System.Windows and
System.Windows.Forms namespaces.
• These two namespaces combined provide all of the graphical
elements required to give a rich graphical user interface and
interactions.
Windows Forms (WinForms)
• Windows Forms (WinForms) applications
support all of the standard Windows
application User Interface (UI) elements.
Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
• With the introduction of .NET
Framework 3.0, Visual Studio
enabled developers to create GUI-
based Windows applications by
using the Windows Presentation
Foundation (WPF).
• WPF is a unified programming
model for combining UI, media,
and document elements into one
Windows application.
Update: Metro UI
• Metro is the new UI concept of windows 8
• Metro UI applications are classified as ‘Store apps’ in
Visual Studio.
• Can be developed using C#, VB, C++ & HTML/JavaScript
Windows Non-GUI Applications
• To create Windows non-GUI applications, Visual Studio provides two

technologies:
• The Windows Services
• The Console application.
Windows Services Applications
• A Windows Services application is designed to execute and interact

with the Computer Management Console.
• The Windows Services application is intended to be executed for monitoring,
maintaining, or evaluating functionality.
• A Windows Services application is by definition a “service” and should
function as one.
Console Applications
• A Console application is a command-line application that has no UI

and is executed from the command-line prompt.
Windows Win32 Applications
• A Windows Win32 application is created using the Windows

Application Programming Interface (API).
• Although you can create an application strictly using the Win32 APIs,
it is more common to use Win32 APIs within another application.
• The Win32 APIs provide functionality into most of the Operating
Systems’ features.
Windows Application User Interface
• A Windows Forms or WPF application provides several options for

presenting graphic information.
• Deciding if the application needs to have a single document, multiple
document, or navigation interface will affect your end user’s
satisfaction with the application’s ability to meet his or her objective.
Single Document Interface (SDI)
• The Single Document Interface (SDI) is one of the

first UI designs introduced when the Windows
operating system was created.
• SDI is a design pattern in which the graphical
elements of the window apply only to the current
Window where they reside.
• The toolbars, menus, and other common Window
elements control only the functionality for the
window in which they are embedded.
• Each window that appears will have its own set of
toolbars and menus to control its functionality.
Multiple Document Interface (MDI)
• The Multiple Document Interface (MDI) is a design

pattern where the graphical elements of a parent
window apply to all of the children windows that
have a common document type.
• The toolbars, menus, and other common Window
elements apply to all of the children windows
• The parent window must be aware of which child
has focus when performing functionality.
Multiple Document Interface (MDI)
Navigation User Interface
• The WPF Navigation User Interface is used like a wizard or process

flow.
• The Navigation UI design pattern has built-in buttons and capabilities
to allow for moving forward and backward through application pages
of functionality.
Microsoft Design Principles Guidelines
• Microsoft has compiled a complete list of design principles to

consider when creating a Windows application in the Microsoft
Design Principles Guidelines document.
• As each new Windows operating system is released, Microsoft
updates this list of design principles to help developers
understand the reasoning behind the various UI elements.
• The windows 8 site is at:
https://dev.windows.com/en-us/design
• and the complete guidelines for metro apps can be found at:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh4654
24.aspx
• You can view the list of design principles for Windows 7 and
Windows Vista at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa511258(v=MSDN.10).aspx
Microsoft Design Principles Guidelines
• Small things matter, good and bad.

• Be great at “look” and “do.”
• Solve distractions, not discoverability.
• Value the life cycle of the experience.
• Time matters, so build for people on the go.
Microsoft Specific Design Principles
Example
Desktop Menu bar Check Box
List Box
Group
Tool Bar
Box
Radio
Tree View Button
List View
Label
Start Notification
Menu Progress Command Area
TextBox Status Bar
Bar Button
Summary
• Understand Windows Application types and how to recognize a GUI

versus a non-GUI Windows Application.
• Understand Windows Application User Interface types and their
various capabilities.
• Understand Microsoft Design Principles and how to apply the
Microsoft Design Principles to various Windows controls.

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Introducing Windows Applications

• To create Windows non-GUI applications, Visual Studio provides two

• A Windows Services application is designed to execute and interact

• A Console application is a command-line application that has no UI

• A Windows Win32 application is created using the Windows

• A Windows Forms or WPF application provides several options for

• The Single Document Interface (SDI) is one of the

• The Multiple Document Interface (MDI) is a design

• The WPF Navigation User Interface is used like a wizard or process

• Microsoft has compiled a complete list of design principles to

• Small things matter, good and bad.

• Understand Windows Application types and how to recognize a GUI

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