Visual Basic.Net provides both console applications and Windows applications. The Windows Form applications are created using the Windows forms. Here we are learning the visual basic.net forms and form properties, methods, and events.
VB.Net Forms
Create Visual Basic.Net Forms in Visual Studio
To create a form in VB.Net, open your Visual Studio and follow this step: File -> New Project -> Windows Forms Applications.
Before clicking the OK button choose the project location and provide a custom project name instead of WindowsApplication1.
By clicking OK button, Visual Studio creates a project and displays a Form namely form1 as shown below.
Every Form in the .Net framework contains a title bar, which displays the caption of the form, and three buttons to maximize, minimize and to close the window.
VB.Net Forms Properties
Following table lists down the important properties of a form in VB.net.
|
Properties |
Uses |
| BackColor | Set’s the background color for the form |
| BackgroundImage | Set’s the background image for the form |
| Cursor | Set the cursor image when it hovers over the form. |
| AllowDrop | Specifies whether to accept the data dragged and dropped onto the form. |
| Font | Get or sets the font used in the form |
| Locked | Specifies whether the form is locked. |
| FormBorderStyle | Get or set border style of a form |
| Text | Provide the title for a Form Window |
| Control Box | Determines whether the ControlBox is available by clicking the icon in the upper left corner of the window. |
| Icon | Specifies icon for the window in the upper left corner. |
| MousePointer | Sets the type of mouse pointer to be displayed when hovered over a specific area. |
| AcceptButton | Get or sets the form button if the enter key is pressed. |
| Language | Specifies the localized language. |
| Autoscroll | Specifies whether to enable auto scrolling. |
| MaximizaBox | Specifies whether to display the maximize option in the caption bar of the form. |
| IsMDIChild | Defines whether the form is a container of Multiple Document Interface(MDI) child form. |
| MinimizeBox | Specifies whether to display the minimize option in the caption bar of the form. |
VB.Net Forms Methods
The commonly used form methods in Visual Basic.Net are given in the following table.
| Method Name |
Description |
| Activate | Activates the form and gives it focus. |
| ActivateMdiChild | Activates the MDI child of a form. |
| BringToFront | Brings the control to the front of the z-order. |
| CenterToParent | Centers the position of the form within the bounds of the parent form. |
| CenterToScreen | Centers the form on the current screen. |
| Close | Closes the form. |
| Contains | Retrieves a value indicating whether the specified control is a child of the control. |
| Focus | Sets input focus to the control. |
| Hide | Conceals the control from the user. |
| Refresh | Forces the control to invalidate its client area and immediately redraw itself and any child controls. |
| ScaleControl | Scales the location, size, padding, and margin of a control. |
| Select | Activates the control. |
| SendToBack | Sends the control to the back of the z-order. |
| SetAutoScrollMargin | Sets the size of the auto-scroll margins. |
| SetDesktopBounds | Sets the bounds of the form in desktop coordinates. |
| Show | Displays the control to the user. |
| ShowDialog | Shows the form as a modal dialog box. |
VB.Net Forms Events
The following table shows the mostly used Form events in Visual Basic.Net.
|
Event |
Description |
| Activated | Occurs when the form is activated in code or by the user. |
| Click | Occurs when the form is clicked. |
| Closed | Occurs before the form is closed. |
| Closing | Occurs when the form is closing. |
| DoubleClick | Occurs when the form control is double-clicked. |
| DragDrop | Occurs when a drag-and-drop operation is completed. |
| Enter | Occurs when the form is entered. |
| GotFocus | Occurs when the form control receives focus. |
| KeyDown | Occurs when a key is pressed while the form has focus. |
| KeyPress | Occurs when a key is pressed while the form has focus. |
| KeyUp | Occurs when a key is released while the form has focus. |
| Load | Occurs before a form is displayed for the first time. |
| MouseDown | Occurs when the mouse pointer is over the form and a mouse button is pressed. |
| MouseEnter | Occurs when the mouse pointer enters the form. |
| MouseHover | Occurs when the mouse pointer rests on the form. |
| MouseLeave | Occurs when the mouse pointer leaves the form. |
| MouseMove | Occurs when the mouse pointer is moved over the form. |
| Move | Occurs when the form is moved. |
| Resize | Occurs when the control is resized. |
| Scroll | Occurs when the user or code scrolls through the client area. |
| Shown | Occurs whenever the form is first displayed. |
| VisibleChanged | Occurs when the Visible property value changes. |
| MouseUp | Occurs when the mouse pointer is over the form and a mouse button is released. |
| MouseWheel | Occurs when the mouse wheel moves while the control has focus. |
| LostFocus | Occurs when the form loses focus. |
| HelpButtonClicked | Occurs when the Help button is clicked. |