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Lecture 5: Creating Menus (1)

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Introduction

So far, we have discussed several Features expected of Applications: ToolBars with ToolBar Buttons Using multiple Forms and Dialog Boxes

In Lectures 5 - 6, we will discuss the expected Menu capability: Adding Menus to our VB .NET projects Adding Submenus to our Projects Menus

Creating Context Menus

Along the way, we will discuss theMenuStrip Control, which: Allows you to add Menus, Menu Items, and SubMenu Items Contains a built in Menu Editorwhich allows you to:

Add, Change, and Delete Menu Items.

The Menus you create will also support related features: Access Keys and Shortcut Keys Check Marks

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Access Keys and Shortcut Keys

Once created, your menus can support keyboard operation: In addition to normal mouse-based opening, closing, and activation.

Access Keys: Allow users to open a menu using the key + a letter.

Example: (2 keys pressed simultaneously) Once activated, the opened Menu will appear on the screen; Opened Menus can be navigated easily, as usual:

Using the Arrow keys or the Mouse.

Shortcut Keys: Which allow users to directly invoke a menu item

Often using a Function Key (e.g., F3), or the key + a letter.

Example: (2 keys pressed simultaneously). Once invoked by the user, Menu-driven effects take place normally.

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Check Marks

Shown below is an example Project with a MenuStrip Control:

This instance consists of severalcomponents: Three Menus, various Menu Items (not all shown), and a SubMenu

A CheckMark:

Provides True/False selection of the Item Selection is not exclusive (independent of other Checkmarked items)

A Separator: provides logical separation for groups of items.

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The MenuStrip Control To demonstrate, lets make a simple Menu-based Editing project

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Adding Menu Items and SubMenus

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Adding Toolbars (1):

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Toolbars (2): Setting tspMain

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Toolbars (3): Setting tspFormatting

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Adding TextBoxes

Now, finish the GUI by adding two TextBoxes:

Next, we will add code to make the Menus work

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Coding the Menus (1)

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Coding the Menus (2)

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Coding the Menus (3)

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Conclusion (Cont. in Lecture 6)

In this Lecture, we discussed theMenuStrip Control,which: Allows you to add Menus, Menu Items, and SubMenu Items

Including the addition ofAccess Keys and Shortcut Keys As well as Check Marks

We also used the Menu Editor: Which allowed us to Add, Change, and Delete Menu Items.

In Lecture 6, we continue our discussion ofMenus, by : Finishing ourQuickMenu Project

Coding our ToolStrips Testing Menu Functions

Discussing Context Menus: A second type ofdrop-down menu also supported by VB .NET

The ContextMenuStrip Control