Simple Notepad

Microsoft .NET Framework, ASP.NET, Visual C# (CSharp, C Sharp, C-Sharp) Developer Training, Visual Studio

To best see the ToolStrip in action, let us create a simple notepad application.

1. Create a new project




2. Add a ToolStrip to a Form
   
   




3. Insert Standard Items by clicking on the Smart Tag icon
   
   




4. Change the RenderMode to System
   
   




5. Create event handlers for all of the buttons on the ToolStrip by double-clicking on them.
   
   

   private void newToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
    
   }
    
   private void openToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
    
   }
    
   private void saveToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
    
   }
    
   private void printToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
    
   }
    
   private void cutToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
    
   }
    
   private void copyToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
    
   }
    
   private void pasteToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
    
   }




6. Change the Form to an MDI Form
   
   




7. Modify the code of the form to the following
   
   

   int count;
   Form mdiChild;
   TextBox editTextBox;
    
   public Form1()
   {
     InitializeComponent();
     count = 1;
   }




8. Edit the newToolStripButton_Click method with the following code:
   
   

   private void newToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
     mdiChild = new Form();
     mdiChild.Text = "Document" + count.ToString();
     mdiChild.MdiParent = this;
     editTextBox = new TextBox();
     editTextBox.Multiline = true;
     editTextBox.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
     mdiChild.Controls.Add(editTextBox);
     mdiChild.Show();
     count++;
   }




9. Test the new method
   
   




10. Edit the cutToolStripButton_Click method with the following code:
    
    

    private void cutToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
      Form activeChildForm = this.ActiveMdiChild;
     
      if (activeChildForm != null)
      {
        TextBox activeTextBox = (TextBox)activeChildForm.ActiveControl;
        if (activeTextBox != null)
          activeTextBox.Cut();
      }
    }




11. Edit the copyToolStripButton_Click method with the following code:
    
    

    private void copyToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
      Form activeChildForm = this.ActiveMdiChild;
     
      if (activeChildForm != null)
      {
        TextBox activeTextBox = (TextBox)activeChildForm.ActiveControl;
        if (activeTextBox != null)
          activeTextBox.Copy();
      }
    }




12. Edit the pasteToolStripButton_Click method with the following code:
    
    

    private void pasteToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
      Form activeChildForm = this.ActiveMdiChild;
     
      if (activeChildForm != null)
      {
        TextBox activeTextBox = (TextBox)activeChildForm.ActiveControl;
        if (activeTextBox != null)
          activeTextBox.Paste();
      }
    }




13. Test the Cut, Copy and Paste methods
    
    




14. Edit the saveToolStripButton_Click method with the following code:
    
    

    private void saveToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
      SaveFileDialog sfd = new SaveFileDialog();
     
      sfd.Title = "Save a Text File";
      sfd.Filter = "Text File (*.txt)|*.txt|All Files (*.*)|*.*";
     
      DialogResult dr = sfd.ShowDialog();
      if (dr == DialogResult.OK)
      {
        System.IO.StreamWriter sw = new System.IO.StreamWriter(sfd.FileName);
     
        Form activeChildForm = this.ActiveMdiChild;
     
        if (activeChildForm != null)
        {
          TextBox activeTextBox = (TextBox)activeChildForm.ActiveControl;
     
          if (activeTextBox != null)
            sw.Write(activeTextBox.Text);
     
          sw.Close();
        }
      }
    }




15. Edit the openToolStripButton_Click method with the following code:
    
    

    private void openToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
      OpenFileDialog ofd = new OpenFileDialog();
     
      ofd.Title = "Open a Text File";
      ofd.Filter = "Text File (*.txt)|*.txt|All Files (*.*)|*.*";
     
      DialogResult dr = ofd.ShowDialog();
      if (dr == DialogResult.OK)
      {
        System.IO.StreamReader sr = new System.IO.StreamReader(ofd.FileName);
     
        Form activeChildForm = this.ActiveMdiChild;
     
        if (activeChildForm != null)
        {
          TextBox activeTextBox = (TextBox)activeChildForm.ActiveControl;
     
          if (activeTextBox != null)
            activeTextBox.Text = sr.ReadToEnd();
     
          sr.Close();
        }
      }
    }




16. Edit the printToolStripButton_Click method with the following code:
    
    

    /// <summary>
    /// This displays the Print dialog only, it does not print the document
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="sender"></param>
    /// <param name="e"></param>
    private void printToolStripButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
      PrintDialog pd = new PrintDialog();
      pd.ShowDialog();
    }

17. We can add more controls to the ToolStrip such as:
    • Button
    • Label
    • SplitButton
    • DropDownButton
    • Separator
    • ComboBox
    • TextBox
    • ProgressBar
      
      
    

Download the complete sample application (written in C# Express).

In Simple Notepad - Part 2 we will add the printing capabilites.