By introducing the .NET Framework to the programming world, Microsoft has changed the perspective and vision of programming and programmers. Unlike previous programming environments, the .NET Framework is designed with the future of software development in mind. Besides introducing the new C# language and significant additions to Visual Basic .NET and other languages, the .NET Framework provides many new tools and utilities that make a programmer's life easier.
Languages, tools, and utilities aside, the .NET Framework library is the real power of the .NET Framework. It's an object-oriented class library that defines an interface to interact with various programming technologies. Any programming language that is designed to work with the .NET Framework can access the library, which makes a programmer's life easier because the methods and properties defined in the library are the same, regardless of the language.
Each class defined in the .NET Framework library belongs to a particular namespace--a logical unit that is used to separate a particular programming interface from others. For example, the System.Windows.Forms namespace defines classes that are used for WindowsForms development. System.Data and its subnamespaces define classes that are used for database development (ADO.NET).
GDI+ is the next-generation graphics device interface, defined in System.Drawing and its subnamespaces. This book focuses on how to write graphical Windows and Web applications using GDI+ and C# for the Microsoft .NET Framework.
Who Is This Book For?
This book is designed for intermediate developers who want to write graphics applications for the .NET Framework using GDI+ and C#. Here are the topics we will cover:
- What GDI+ is all about, and how it differs from GDI
- How GDI+ works, and where it is defined in the .NET Framework library
- How to draw text, lines, curves, rectangles, ellipses, and other graphics shapes in GDI+
- How to fill rectangles, ellipses, and other closed curves with different colors, styles, and textures
- Painting and drawing in .NET
- Viewing and manipulating images
- How Windows Forms and Web Forms are related to drawing
- How to write Web-based graphics applications
- Printing in .NET
- Transforming graphics objects, colors, and images
- Interactive color blending and transparent colors
- Using GDI in .NET applications
- Precautions to take when writing GDI+ applications
- Optimizing the performance of GDI+ applications
Prerequisites
There are some things you should know before beginning this book:
- Language: This book is written in C#, but developers who want to use GDI+ with other .NET Framework languages--including Visual Basic .NET--can also use this book. Because C# and VB.NET share the same .NET Framework library, there isn't much difference aside from the language syntaxes. Knowledge of C# or VB.NET is not a requirement, however. If you are a C++ developer, you should have no difficulty using this book.
- Framework: I used Visual Studio .NET to develop and test the samples in this book. Knowledge of Visual Studio .NET and basics of the .NET Framework is a requirement.
- Basics of graphics programming: A basic understanding of graphics programming is a plus but is not mandatory.
- GDI programming experience: Experience with GDI programming is a plus but is not mandatory.
What's in This Book That I Won't See in Other Books?
- This book is written by an experienced author who has been watching every .NET move closely since the birth of .NET.
- The author works very closely with the .NET community and has extensive experience developing real-world .NET applications.
- Besides covering GDI+-related namespaces and classes, this book takes a practical approach, discussing all concepts.
- Almost every chapter of the book ends with a real-world application, including FirstWebApp, GDI+Painter, ImageViewer, and many more.
- One chapter (Chapter 13) is dedicated to GDI+ performance techniques, discussing what to do and what not to do, when we're writing graphics applications in .NET using GDI+.
Chapter Organization
Before we start, let's take a quick tour of this book. It has 15 chapters and one appendix. Here's a brief introduction:
Chapter 1: GDI+: The Next-Generation Graphics Interface
GDI+ is a new and improved version of GDI. This chapter introduces the GDI+ library, its advantages over previous versions, new features and additions to the library, and how it is related to the .NET Framework.
Chapter 2: Your First GDI+ Application
In the .NET Framework Library, GDI+ functionality is defined in the System.Drawing namespace and its subnamespaces. This chapter discusses the contents of these namespaces. After finishing this chapter, you will understand which functionality is defined where and when to which namespace.
Chapter 3: The Graphics Class
The Graphics class plays a major role in GDI+. Whenever you need to draw a graphics object, you must use the Graphics class. This chapter discusses Graphics class methods and properties, and how to use them. After completing this chapter, you'll have a pretty good idea how to draw and fill various graphics objects.
Chapter 4: Working with Brushes and Pens
Brushes and pens are used to fill and draw graphics objects. GDI+ provides many classes for working with brushes and pens. This chapter describes how to work with them.
Chapter 5: Colors, Fonts, and Text
This chapter discusses the color-, font-, and text-related classes provided by the .NET Framework class library in more detail.
Chapter 6: Rectangles and Regions
Rectangles and regions can be very useful--and very tricky. This chapter covers them in detail.
Chapter 7: Working with Images
The .NET Framework divides GDI+ functionality between two namespaces: System.Drawing and System.Drawing.Imaging. This chapter covers the basic imaging-related functionality defined in the System.Drawing namespace
Chapter 8: Advanced Imaging
This chapter discusses more imaging functionality, including the System.Drawing.Imaging namespace and how to work with metafiles in the .NET Framework. We will also see how to maintain the quality and rendering speed of images in GDI+.
Chapter 9: Advanced 2D Graphics
This chapter discusses advanced two-dimensional graphics programming using GDI+. Advanced 2D techniques and tools include blending, matrices, graphics paths, and gradient brushes.
Chapter 10: Transformation
This chapter examines GDI+ transformation. Transformation can be applied not only to graphics shapes, curves, and images, but also to image colors.
Chapter 11: Printing
Printing functionality in the .NET Framework library is defined in the System.Drawing.Printing namespace. This chapter explores this namespace and how to write printing applications.
Chapter 12: Developing GDI+ Web Applications
GDI+ can also be used in Web applications. This chapter discusses how to use GDI+ in Web applications with ASP.NET.
Chapter 13: GDI+ Best Practices and Performance Techniques
This chapter concentrates on GDI+ best practices and GDI+-related tips and tricks to improve the quality and performance of drawing.
Chapter 14: GDI Interoperability
This chapter demonstrates how GDI can be used with GDI+ in managed applications.
Chapter 15: Miscellaneous GDI+ Examples
In this chapter we have some fun with GDI+. Among the topics in this chapter are designing interactive GUI applications, creating shaped forms, and adding custom text in images.
Appendix A: Exception Handling in .NET
This appendix introduces exception and error handling in .NET.
Example Source Code
Complete source code for the examples in this book (in both C# and Visual Basic .NET) is available for download at www.awprofessional.com/titles/0321160770.
Exception and Error Handling in the Samples
The .NET Framework supports structured exception handling that's similar to C++ exception handling. The examples in this book do not include exception handling code. Adding exception handling code to every code snippet would have been confusing and redundant. Instead, we discuss exception and error handling concepts in Appendix A. It is highly recommended that you read Appendix A and apply exception and error handling techniques in your applications.
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