Making a smart client work like a browser?

[Guest]

This may seem like an odd question and I'm not talking about using a browser
in my smart client. Rather the following:

I find it easy to create a nice UI when building a web application but since
the project I am about to embark on is local to the machine, making a smart
client makes more sense?but I find it hard to build good looking UI's using
Forms at least without spending a few $k on 3rd party controls. So I was
thinking if I can make my forms layout stuff like IE then maybe I can make a
web site in a smart client?

If this is a bad idea maybe someone has some UI suggestions. My program
essecially collects and displays data - nothing very complicated, just big.
The advantage browsers have is their automatic resizing of controls in flow
mode.

Thanks

-c

 

[Ken Tucker [MVP]]

Hi,

The idea of a smart client is to create a rich ui in an
connected environment. I find it much easier to create a rich ui in an
windows forms app than in web application.

Resizing controls
Take a look at the controls anchor and dock properties

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...ry/en-us/vbcon/html/vbtskanchoringcontrol.asp

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...systemwindowsformscontrolclassanchortopic.asp

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...rfsystemwindowsformscontrolclassdocktopic.asp

XP Look

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...sxpvisualstyleswithcontrolsonwindowsforms.asp

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...WindowsXPThemesToWindowsFormsApplications.asp

Free cool looking controls
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dv_vstechart/html/vbpowerpack.asp

http://dotnet.leadit.be/extendeddatagrid/CategoryView.aspx?category=Home

http://www.windowsforms.com/Default.aspx?tabindex=6&tabid=47

http://www.codeproject.com/vb/net/#Controls

http://www.gotdotnet.com/community/usersamples/Default.aspx?query=controls

Finally cool smart client example by Billy Hollis
http://www.dotnetmasters.com/SampleCode/DataCentricSmartClientTechEd.zip

Ken
-------------------
This may seem like an odd question and I'm not talking about using a browser
in my smart client. Rather the following:

I find it easy to create a nice UI when building a web application but since
the project I am about to embark on is local to the machine, making a smart
client makes more sense?but I find it hard to build good looking UI's using
Forms at least without spending a few $k on 3rd party controls. So I was
thinking if I can make my forms layout stuff like IE then maybe I can make a
web site in a smart client?

If this is a bad idea maybe someone has some UI suggestions. My program
essecially collects and displays data - nothing very complicated, just big.
The advantage browsers have is their automatic resizing of controls in flow
mode.

Thanks

-c