Application Wizard

Generates a new, fully functional application from which you build a more complex application.

The Application Wizard lets you generate an application using one of the predefined visual interfaces — Multiple Document Interface (MDI), Single Document Interface (SDI), or Explorer Style.

The application you generate contains a toolbar and a status bar. The toolbar for SDI and MDI forms is similar to a Microsoft Office toolbar. It includes the New, Open, Save, Print, Cut, Copy, Paste, Bold, Italic, Underline, Left Justify, Center, and Right Justify buttons. Explorer-style applications have a toolbar with the Navigation Buttons, Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, Properties, Large Icon View, Small Icon View, List View, and Details View buttons. The status bar includes information about the status of the application and the date and time.

Once the application is created, you can view and edit the code behind the functionality built into your new application to customize it to your needs. In addition, the code has comments that can help you as you build other applications. Look for “To Do” in the comments for more information on customizing the code.

Note   You cannot use the Application Wizard to modify existing projects.

Use the Application wizard:

•	As a starting point for developing your application.

•	To remove the redundancy in creating applications and still maintain your ability to customize your application.

•	To provide a common look and feel to your applications.

The Application Wizard has these steps for creating an application that does not have forms based on a local data source:

Introduction

Interface Type

Menus

Resources

Internet Connectivity

Standard Forms

Data Access Forms

Finished!

Summary Report

To create an application that does have forms to access a local data source, the Application Wizard has the these steps:

Introduction

Interface Type

Menus

Resources

Internet Connectivity

Standard Forms

Data Access Forms

Select Tables

Finished!

Summary Report


Application Wizard-Finished!
Application Wizard—Finished!

Indicates that all of the necessary information needed to build your application has been collected, lets you specify a name for your project, asks if you want to see additional actions you can take to create your application, and lets you save your current settings as defaults.

Wizard Options

Name box   Lets you give a meaningful name to your project. The default name is Project1.

Note   Your application will be saved in memory but not on your disk unless you use the Save Project command on the File menu after the application is created.

See a Summary report with instructions on what to do after the wizard is done

•	Yes — Generates a summary report. This is the default.

•	No — No summary report generated.

Save current settings as default   If selected, the current settings are saved and used each time you use the Application Wizard until you save new settings.

Help   Displays the help topic for this step. You can also press F1 for help.

Cancel   Cancels your previous actions and closes the Application Wizard.

Back   Moves you to the previous step.

Next   Disabled in this step.

Finish   Creates an application based on the settings you selected and displays a confirmation dialog. In the confirmation dialog box, you can choose to not have the dialog box appear when you run the Application Wizard again.


Application Wizard-Introduction
Application Wizard—Introduction

The Application wizard helps you to create a new, fully functioning application.

You can edit the forms and view and modify the code in the Code window. All of the code created by the Application Wizard has comments to help you understand what has been created and what to do to add you own functionality.

Wizard Options

Skip this screen in the future   When selected, the Application Wizard will not show the Introduction screen the next time you start it.

If you want to see this screen in the future, click the Back button on the first step of the wizard.

Help   Displays the help topic for this step. You can also press F1 for help.

Cancel   Cancels your previous actions and closes the Application Wizard.

Back   Disabled in this step.

Next   Moves you to the next step.

Finish   Accepts the defaults and builds the appropriate application.


Application Wizard-Interface Type
Application Wizard—Interface Type

Allows you to determine the type of interface you want to generate for your application.

Wizard Options

Multiple Document Interface (MDI)   Creates an application with an MDI form and child forms with the MDIChild property set to True. This is the default.

Single Document Interface (SDI)   Creates an application with a single form with a toolbar, menus, and other features you choose.

Explorer Style   Creates an application with forms similar to the SDI form and with a combination of the TreeView and ListView controls.

Help   Displays the help topic for this step. You can also press F1 for help.

Cancel   Cancels your previous actions and closes the Application Wizard.

Back   Moves you to the previous step.

Next   Moves you to the next step.

Finish   Accepts any selections you have entered and the defaults for the remaining steps, then creates the application.


Application Wizard-Menus
Application Wizard—Menus

Allows you to choose the menus that you want to appear in your application. The menus contain functioning code. You can edit the menus, after the application is created, using the Menu Editor.

Wizard Options

File   For SDI and MDI applications the File menu includes the following commands — New, Open, Close, Save, Save As, Save All, Properties, Page Setup, Print Preview, Print, Send, and Exit. It also includes a Most Recently Used (MRU) List.

The File menu for Explorer Style applications includes the following commands — Open, Find, Send To, New, Delete, Rename, Properties, and Close. It also includes an MRU List.

Edit   For all application styles, the Edit menu includes the Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Paste Special commands. For Explorer applications, the Edit menu also includes Select All, and Invert Selection commands.

View   For all application styles, the View menu includes the Toolbar, Status Bar, Refresh and Options commands. It also includes a list of any data and internet features you add to the application.

The View menu for Explorer style applications also includes the Large Icons, Small Icons, Lists, Details, Arrange Icons, and Line Up Icons commands. The Arrange Icons command has a cascading menu that contains the by Date, by Name, by Type, and by Size commands.

Window   For MDI applications only, Window menu includes the New Window, Cascade, Tile Horizontal, Tile Vertical, and Arrange Icons commands, and a list of open windows.

Help   For all application styles, the Help menu includes the Contents, Search For Help On, and About commands.

Select All   Selects all of the available menu options.

Clear All   Clears all selected menu options.

Help   Displays the help topic for this step. You can also press F1 for help.

Cancel   Cancels your previous actions and closes the Application Wizard.

Back   Moves you to the previous step.

Next   Moves you to the next step.

Finish   Accepts any selections you have entered and the defaults for the remaining steps, then creates the application.


Application Wizard-Resources
Application Wizard—Resources

Creates a resource file containing strings, but not bitmaps, for your application.

A resource file is useful:

•	To list strings and control captions that you want to translate into another language.

Note   For menus, the Resource ID appears as the Caption in the Menu Editor. For all other controls the Tag property in the Properties window is used to store the Resource ID.

•	To organize your code so that strings that are frequently used are loaded in memory and called from one location.

•	When you have information that may change and you don’t want to re-edit your code.

Note   You can have only one resource file per project.

Wizard Options

Yes   Creates a resource file and puts it in the location you specify.

Note   If you choose to create a resource file you must enter a name and path for the file or you will not be able to continue to the next step.

No   No resource file is created. All strings are coded into the application. This is the default.

Path   Allows you to enter the a name and location where you want your resource file saved.

Browse   Displays the Save File common dialog box where you can select a location for your resource file.

Help   Displays the help topic for this step. You can also press F1 for help.

Cancel   Cancels your previous actions and closes the Application Wizard.

Back   Moves you to the previous step.

Next   Moves you to the next step.

Finish   Accepts the any selection you have entered and the defaults for the remaining steps, then creates an application.


Application Wizard-Internet Connectivity
Application Wizard—Internet Connectivity

Adds an Internet feature that allows your users to access the Internet from your application. The Application Wizard provides a custom web browser so you can add a jump to your home page.

You must have Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 3.0, installed on your machine for you to access this step. Microsoft Internet Explorer installs the HTML control That you need to provide Internet connectivity.

Note    Your users must have an Internet provider to use the Internet functionality that you provide.

Wizard Options

Yes  Adds the custom web browser and allows you to enter a default startup URL for your web browser.

No   Does not add the custom web browser and does not provide Internet access in your application..

Default URL path   Allows you to type the path for the default startup URL. A URL starts with http://.

Help   Displays the help topic for this step. You can also press F1 for help.

Cancel   Cancels your previous actions and closes the Application Wizard.

Back   Moves you to the previous step.

Next   Moves you to the next step.

Finish   Accepts the any selection you have entered and the defaults for the remaining steps, then creates an application.


Application Wizard-Data Access Forms
Application Wizard—Data Access Forms

Creates child forms for your application based upon a local data source.

Note   Use the Data Form Wizard if you want to create:

•	Forms that use the RemoteData Control

•	Forms that use a grid

•	A Main/Sub form.

Wizard Options

No, do not create forms from my database   No action is taken and after clicking Next, you move on to the next step.

Yes, create forms from my database   Allows you to specify a database for your form. This is the default option.

Database Format   Lists the available local data sources supported by this wizard. Only available when you choose to create forms from your database. Microsoft Access is the default format.

Database Name   Allows you to select or type the name of the database you want to use. Only available when you choose to create forms from your database.

Browse   Displays the Open common dialog box where you can select the database you want to use.

Help   Displays the help topic for this step. You can also press F1 for help.

Cancel   Cancels your previous actions and closes the Application Wizard.

Back   Moves you to the previous step.

Next   Moves you to the next step. You cannot move to the next step if you choose to create forms from your database and do not select a database format and enter a database name.

Finish   Accepts the any selection you have entered and the defaults for the remaining steps, then creates the application.


Application Wizard-Select Tables
Application Wizard—Select Tables

Allows you to select the tables or queries from the local data source you selected in the Data Access Forms step and for which you want to create forms.

Wizard Options

View   Allows you to determine what you see in the Available Tables and Queries list.

•	Tables — Shows only the available tables in the Available Tables and Queries list. This is the default option.

•	Queries — Shows only the available queries in the Available Tables and Queries list.

•	Both — Shows both the available tables and queries in the Available Tables and Queries list.

Available Tables and Queries list   Lists the tables and queries available in the local data source you specified in the previous step. If you want to change the data source, use the Back button to return to the previous step.

Create Forms For list   Lists the tables and/or queries for which you want to create forms. The forms you select appear on the View menu of the application.

If you do not select any tables or queries, no child forms based on the tables or queries will be created.

Moves the selected item or items in the Available Tables and Queries list to the Create Forms For list, indicating you want a form for that table or query.

Moves all of the items in the Available Tables and Queries list to the Create Forms For list.

Moves the selected item or items in the Create Forms For list to the Available Tables and Queries list.

Moves all of the items in the Create Forms For list to the Available Tables and Queries.

Help   Displays the help topic for this step. You can also press F1 for help.

Cancel   Cancels your previous actions and closes the Application Wizard.

Back   Moves you to the previous step.

Next   Moves you to the next step. If you do not have any tables or queries listed in the Create Forms For list, you can move to the next step but no child forms will be created.

Finish   Accepts the any selection you have entered and the defaults for the remaining steps, then creates an application.


Application Wizard-Summary Report
Application Wizard—Summary Report

Creates a report for the application you created that tells you how to use a resource file and lists the wizards you can use to add additional functionality to your application.

Wizard Options

Cancel   Closes the Summary Report dialog box and discards the information.

Save   Displays the Save As dialog box where you can give a name to your report and indicate where you want it saved.


Application Wizard-Standard Forms
Application Wizard—Standard Forms

Allows you to add standard or custom forms to your application.

Wizard Options

Splash screen at application start up   Adds a screen that lists the product, platform, version, and copyright information for you application.

Login dialog to accept an ID and Password   Adds a login dialog box where you can request a User Name and Password.

Options dialog for custom settings   Adds a tabbed dialog box. You can modify the tab names, add or remove tabs as necessary.

About Box   Adds an About dialog box that contains information about the project.

Form Templates   Lists the form templates found in the Visual Basic Templates\Forms folder.

Help   Displays the help topic for this step. You can also press F1 for help.

Cancel   Cancels your previous actions and closes the Application Wizard.

Back   Moves you to the previous step.

Next   Moves you to the next step.

Finish   Accepts the any selection you have entered and the defaults for the remaining steps, then creates the application.


Form Templates Dialog Box

Lets you select custom templates for you application.

Dialog Box Options

Templates List   Lists available templates in your Visual Basic Template\Forms folder. Click on as many templates as you want to use.

Select All   Selects all of the templates in the Templates list.

Clear All   Clears all selections in the Templates list.

OK   Accepts your choices and closes the dialog box.

Cancel   Cancels your choices and closes the dialog box.