By now you should have a basic understanding of how to manipulate different parts of
the C# Express IDE.
When you develop applications with C# Express, you are using an Integrated
Development Environment (IDE). The IDE contains all of the tools you need to develop
.NET programs using C#.
The Start Page is displayed by default when you start Visual C# Express Edition.
It contains four areas that let you work with projects, access areas of help, see what
is making the headlines and hook into an RSS feed from MSDN.
A solution can hold one or more projects, but often contains just a single
project. To work with the files in a project, you use the Solution Explorer.
A solution may contain projects that are written in more than one .NET supported
language, although C# Express does not give you the ability to do this.
The Code Editor window is where source code is written that does all of the
hard work in the application.
IntelliSense can dramatically increase your productivity when developing an
application.
Code folding can reduce the amount of information that you are reading into
more manageable chunks of information.
Collapsing windows allows more space for the Form Designer or the Code Editor.
The solution explorer lists all of the files that make up the solution.
To add a class to a project, select Add Class... from the Project
menu or use the keyboard shortcut Shift+Alt+C.
To change which project in a solution is the startup project, simply right-click
on the project that you wish to be the startup one, then select Set as StartUp Project.
The Class View displays the fields and methods for all classes in a project.
The Properties Window is used for configuring properties and events on controls
in your user interface. Properties specify an object’s attributes, such as the name,
text and color of a control object, without writing any code.
The Options dialog box enables you to configure the integrated development environment
(IDE) to more suit your own coding requirements.
| Term |
Description |
| Class View |
Displays the fields and methods for all classes in a project |
| Code Editor |
The window where source code is written that does all of the hard work in the application. |
| Code Folding |
Allows you to minimise chunks of code into a single line. |
| Forms Designer |
Used to develop the user Graphical User Interface of the application. |
| GUI |
Graphical User Interface - The graphical part of the application that is seen by the user. |
| IDE |
Integrated Development Environment - Suite of Tolls used to develop applications. |
| Intellisense |
Helps you automatically generate code in the Code Editor by suggesting code fragments
based upon the letters that are being typed. |
| Project |
Holds all of the source files and any other files, such as images, that are needed to
create an assembly that is to be run by the .NET Common Language Runtime. |
| Properties Window |
Used to configure properties and events for controls in your user interface. |
| Solution |
Holds one or more projects that make up a single application. |
| Solution Explorer |
Lists all of the files that make up the solution. |
| User Interface |
See GUI. |
Describe what each part of the start up page does.
Understand the difference between a project and a solution.
Be able to switch between the Form Designer and the Code Editor window.
Be able to select a member of a class from the Code Editor window.
When using Intellisense, know what the symbols mean next to each entry.
Use the tab or other keys to finish a word in Intellisense.
Be able to fold code in order to minimise it and maximise in the Code Editor.
Use #region and #endregion to minimise related code into single sections.
Be able to collapse and expand all of the available windows.
Be able to pin and unpin windows.
Be able to manipulate the Solution Explorer.
Be able to add projects to a solution.
Be able to add a class to a project.
Be able to manipulate the Class View.
Be able to edit properties in the Properties Window.
Be able to change some of the environment options.
Be able to open the Help System.