Chapter 5 covers the creation and management of menus and dialog boxes in Visual Basic .NET, detailing the steps to define menus, create submenus, and implement dialog controls for file, font, color, and print options. It emphasizes coding for menu items, modifying menu properties, establishing context menus, and writing procedures to improve code reusability. The chapter also explains the usage of function procedures and passing arguments, facilitating structured programming practices.

1. Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Menus, Common Dialog
Menus, Common Dialog
Boxes, Sub Procedures
Boxes, Sub Procedures
and
and
Function Procedures
Function Procedures
Programming In
Programming In
Visual Basic .NET
Visual Basic .NET

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<ALT><F>
<ALT><F>
Menu
Menu
Menu Items
Menu Items

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Menus
Menus
• Menu Bar
Menu Bar
– Contains menus which drop down to display list of
Contains menus which drop down to display list of
menu items
menu items
• Each item has a name and text property
Each item has a name and text property
• Each item has a click event
Each item has a click event
• Add MainMenu control to form
Add MainMenu control to form
– Appears in the Component Tray, below form, where
Appears in the Component Tray, below form, where
nondisplay controls are shown
nondisplay controls are shown
– Words "
Words "Type Here
Type Here" appear at the top of the form
" appear at the top of the form

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Menus (continued)
Menus (continued)
Type first Menu here
Type first Menu here
MainMenu Control
MainMenu Control
appears in
appears in
Component Tray
Component Tray

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Defining Menus
Defining Menus
• To create the menus simply type where the words "
To create the menus simply type where the words "Type
Type
Here
Here" appear at the top of the form
" appear at the top of the form
• Include & symbol as you type to indicate keyboard access
Include & symbol as you type to indicate keyboard access
keys
keys
• You are actually entering the Text property for a
You are actually entering the Text property for a
MenuItem object
MenuItem object
• Change MenuItem object names in the Properties window
Change MenuItem object names in the Properties window
and follow consistent naming conventions
and follow consistent naming conventions

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Submenus
Submenus
• Pop up to the right of a menu item
Pop up to the right of a menu item
• Filled triangle to the right of the menu item indicates to the
Filled triangle to the right of the menu item indicates to the
user the existence of a submenu
user the existence of a submenu
• Create submenus by moving to the right of a menu item
Create submenus by moving to the right of a menu item
and typing the next item's text
and typing the next item's text

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Submenus
Submenus (continued)
(continued)

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Separator Bars
Separator Bars
• Used for grouping menu items according to their purpose
Used for grouping menu items according to their purpose
• Visually represented as a bar across the menu
Visually represented as a bar across the menu
• Create using one of two methods
Create using one of two methods
– Typing a single hyphen for the text
Typing a single hyphen for the text
– Right-click on Menu Designer where you want a
Right-click on Menu Designer where you want a
separator bar and choose Insert Separator
separator bar and choose Insert Separator

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Coding for Menu Items
Coding for Menu Items
• Double-click any menu item to open the item’s click event
Double-click any menu item to open the item’s click event
procedure
procedure
• Write code for the click event procedure
Write code for the click event procedure

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Modifying Menu Items
Modifying Menu Items
• Right-click the Menu Bar to:
Right-click the Menu Bar to:
– Delete
Delete
– Insert New
Insert New
– Insert Separator
Insert Separator
– Edit Names
Edit Names
• Displays menu item Name property rather than Text
Displays menu item Name property rather than Text
property on form
property on form
• Drag and Drop menu items to new locations
Drag and Drop menu items to new locations

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Menu Properties
Menu Properties
• Enabled property, True/False
Enabled property, True/False
• Checked property, True/False
Checked property, True/False
– Used to indicate current state of menu item that can be
Used to indicate current state of menu item that can be
turned on and off
turned on and off
• Create keyboard shortcuts
Create keyboard shortcuts
– In Properties window for menu item, select the Shortcut
In Properties window for menu item, select the Shortcut
property
property
– Make choice from drop-down list
Make choice from drop-down list

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Standards for Windows Menus
Standards for Windows Menus
• Follow Windows standards for applications
Follow Windows standards for applications
• Include keyboard access keys
Include keyboard access keys
• Use standards for shortcut keys, if used
Use standards for shortcut keys, if used
• Place File menu at left end of menu bar and end File menu
Place File menu at left end of menu bar and end File menu
with Exit
with Exit
• Help, if included, is placed at right end of menu bar
Help, if included, is placed at right end of menu bar
F
File
ile E
Edit
dit V
View Forma
iew Format
t H
Help
elp

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Common Dialog Boxes
Common Dialog Boxes
• Predefined standard dialog boxes for:
Predefined standard dialog boxes for:
– File Opening and Saving
File Opening and Saving
– Font and Color selection
Font and Color selection
– Printing and Previewing
Printing and Previewing
• Add appropriate Common Dialog control to form
Add appropriate Common Dialog control to form
– Appears in the Component Tray
Appears in the Component Tray

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Common Dialog Controls
Common Dialog Controls
• OpenFileDialog
OpenFileDialog
• SaveFileDialog
SaveFileDialog
• FontDialog
FontDialog
• ColorDialog
ColorDialog
• PrintDialog
PrintDialog
• PrintPreviewDialog
PrintPreviewDialog

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Component tray
Component tray
Common dialog controls
Common dialog controls

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Displaying a Windows Common Dialog
Displaying a Windows Common Dialog
Box
Box
• Use ShowDialog method to display the common dialog
Use ShowDialog method to display the common dialog
box at run time
box at run time
• ShowDialog only displays the dialog, it does not do
ShowDialog only displays the dialog, it does not do
anything else
anything else
ColorDialog1.ShowDialog( )
ColorDialog1.ShowDialog( )
FontDialog1.ShowDialog( )
FontDialog1.ShowDialog( )

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Code
Code
With OpenFileDialog1
With OpenFileDialog1
.ShowDialog()
.ShowDialog()
End With
End With

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Using the Information from the Dialog
Using the Information from the Dialog
Box
Box
• Code must be written to retrieve and use the choice made
Code must be written to retrieve and use the choice made
by the user in the common dialog box
by the user in the common dialog box
• Example
Example
– Color Dialog displayed
Color Dialog displayed
– User selects color and clicks OK
User selects color and clicks OK
– Code must be written to apply the selected color to the
Code must be written to apply the selected color to the
object(s)
object(s)
titleLabel.BackColor = ColorDialog1.Color

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Color and Font Dialogs
Color and Font Dialogs

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Setting Initial Values
Setting Initial Values
• Before executing the ShowDialog method, assign the
Before executing the ShowDialog method, assign the
existing values of the object's properties that will be
existing values of the object's properties that will be
altered
altered
• When the dialog box appears, the current values will be
When the dialog box appears, the current values will be
selected
selected
• If the user presses Cancel, property settings for the objects
If the user presses Cancel, property settings for the objects
will remain unchanged
will remain unchanged
FontDialog1.Font = subTotalLabel.Font
FontDialog1.Font = subTotalLabel.Font or
or
ColorDialog1.Color = Me.BackColor
ColorDialog1.Color = Me.BackColor

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Creating Context Menus
Creating Context Menus
• Shortcut menus that pop up when you right-click
Shortcut menus that pop up when you right-click
• Are specific to the component to which user is pointing,
Are specific to the component to which user is pointing,
reflecting options available for that component or situation
reflecting options available for that component or situation
• A context menu does not have a top level menu
A context menu does not have a top level menu
• Application can have multiple context menus
Application can have multiple context menus

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Creating Context Menus (continued)
Creating Context Menus (continued)
• Add ContextMenu component to the form
Add ContextMenu component to the form
– Appears in the Component Tray
Appears in the Component Tray
• Click on the words "
Click on the words "Context Menu
Context Menu", at the top of the form,
", at the top of the form,
the words "
the words "Type Here
Type Here" appear
" appear
• Click on the words "
Click on the words "Type Here
Type Here" and proceed as you did for
" and proceed as you did for
the main menu
the main menu

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Connecting the Context Menu to a Form
Connecting the Context Menu to a Form
or Object
or Object
• Set the form or object’s ContextMenu property to the
Set the form or object’s ContextMenu property to the
name of the ContextMenu
name of the ContextMenu
• If there is more than one context menu defined,
If there is more than one context menu defined,
choose from the list
choose from the list
• Add to the Handles clause of a MainMenu item to use
Add to the Handles clause of a MainMenu item to use
the same procedure for a related ContextMenu item
the same procedure for a related ContextMenu item

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Writing General Procedures
Writing General Procedures
• A general procedure is reusable code which can be called
A general procedure is reusable code which can be called
from multiple procedures
from multiple procedures
• Useful for breaking down large sections of code into
Useful for breaking down large sections of code into
smaller units
smaller units
• Two types
Two types
– Sub Procedure performs actions
Sub Procedure performs actions
– Function performs actions AND returns a value (the
Function performs actions AND returns a value (the
return value
return value)
)

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Creating a New Sub Procedure
Creating a New Sub Procedure
• In the Editor window enclose the lines of code with a set of
In the Editor window enclose the lines of code with a set of
Private Sub and End Sub statements
Private Sub and End Sub statements
• To use the Sub Procedure, call it from another procedure
To use the Sub Procedure, call it from another procedure
• Code in a Sub Procedure cannot be executed unless called
Code in a Sub Procedure cannot be executed unless called
from another procedure
from another procedure
Private Sub ProcedureName( )
' Statements in the procedure.
End Sub

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Passing Arguments to Procedures
Passing Arguments to Procedures
(page 205)
(page 205)
• Declare variable as local and pass to any called procedures
Declare variable as local and pass to any called procedures
• If a sub procedure names an argument, any call to the procedure
If a sub procedure names an argument, any call to the procedure
must supply the argument
must supply the argument
• Name of local variable does not need to match name in sub
Name of local variable does not need to match name in sub
procedure argument list
procedure argument list
• Number of arguments, sequence and data type must match
Number of arguments, sequence and data type must match

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Passing Arguments ByVal or ByRef
Passing Arguments ByVal or ByRef
• ByVal (default)
ByVal (default)
– Sends a copy, original cannot be altered
Sends a copy, original cannot be altered
• ByRef
ByRef
– Sends a reference to the memory location where the
Sends a reference to the memory location where the
original is stored and therefore the original can be
original is stored and therefore the original can be
altered
altered
• Examples page 206
Examples page 206

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Sub Procedure Example
Sub Procedure Example
Private Sub SelectColor(incomingColor As Color)
With ColorDialog1
.Color = incomingColor
.ShowDialog( )
End With
End Sub
Private Sub changeTitleButtonColor_Click( )
Dim originalColor As Color
originalColor = titleLabel.ForeColor
SelectColor(originalColor)
titleLabel.ForeColor = ColorDialog1.Color
End Sub
Sub Procedure
Calling
Procedure

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Writing Function Procedures
Writing Function Procedures
• In the Editor window enclose the lines
In the Editor window enclose the lines
of code with Private Function( ) and End Function
of code with Private Function( ) and End Function
statements
statements
• To use the Function, Call it by using it in an expression
To use the Function, Call it by using it in an expression
• Pass arguments ByVal or ByRef
Pass arguments ByVal or ByRef
Private Function FunctionName( ) As Datatype
' Statements to execute.
End Function

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Returning the Result of a Function
Returning the Result of a Function
• To return a value to the calling procedure set up a return
To return a value to the calling procedure set up a return
value
value
• The return value will be placed by VB in a variable with
The return value will be placed by VB in a variable with
the SAME name as the Function's name
the SAME name as the Function's name
OR
OR
• Use the Return statement to return the value
Use the Return statement to return the value

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Function Example
Function Example
Private Sub calculateButton_Click( )
Dim salesDecimal As Decimal
salesDecimal = Decimal.Parse(salesTextBox.Text)
commissionLabel.Text = Commission(salesDecimal.ToString("C"))
End Sub
Calling
Procedure
Private Function Commission(ByVal salesAmountDecimal As Decimal) _
As Decimal
If salesAmountDecimal < 100D Then
Commission = 0D
Else
Commission = 0.15 * salesAmountDecimal
End If
End Function
Function

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Functions with Multiple Arguments
Functions with Multiple Arguments
• Functions can receive one or more arguments (values)
Functions can receive one or more arguments (values)
• Sequence and data type of arguments in Call must exactly match
Sequence and data type of arguments in Call must exactly match
arguments in function header
arguments in function header
Private Function Payment(ByVal rateDecimal As Decimal, _
ByVal timeDecimal As Decimal, ByVal amountDecimal _
As Decimal) As Decimal
paymentLabel.Text = Payment(Decimal.Parse(rateTextBox.Text), _
Decimal.Parse(yearsTextBox.Text), _
Decimal.Parse(principalTextBox.Text)).ToString( )
End Function

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Breaking Calculations into Smaller
Breaking Calculations into Smaller
Units
Units
• Projects with many calculations are easier to understand
Projects with many calculations are easier to understand
and write if calculations are broken into small units
and write if calculations are broken into small units
• Each unit should perform one program function or logic
Each unit should perform one program function or logic
block
block

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