 | Creating a Windows Service
Windows services are background processes that usually have no direct interaction with the user interface. This article explains how to create a windows service with an example that monitors the file system for changes using a FileSystemWatcher object. |
| Detect the Status of a Windows Service
When developing software that relies upon the availability of Windows services, it is important to be able to determine a service's status. This article explains how to check if a service is running, either on a local computer or on a remote server. |
| Windows Forms Application Version Numbers
Using the information in the AssemblyInfo class file, various information relating to a Windows Forms application can be defined, including a four-part version number. This information can be particularly helpful when multiple versions are in live usage. |
| Detecting the Tab Key in Windows Forms
Most keypresses in Windows Forms applications can be detected using a mixture of the KeyDown, KeyUp and KeyPress events. However, as the tab key is used to move between controls, it is not captured by these events and must be handled differently. |
| Standby or Hibernate Windows Programmatically
One of the features of Microsoft Windows is the ability to enter standby or hibernation power-saving states that can be resumed at a later time. Usually the system is paused using the Start menu. However, using .NET 2.0, this can be achieved in code. |
| Exiting Windows and Logging Off Programmatically
If you develop software that updates key Windows configuration settings, you may require that the system be restarted or that the users logs out and performs a new login process. Using Windows API functions, this can be controlled programmatically in C#. |
| Allowing Only One Instance of an Application
Standard Windows Forms applications can be launched multiple times and each instance used completely independently of the others. However, sometimes it is important to restrict the user in launching a single instance of a program. |
| Creating a Draggable Borderless Form
For programs that require a non-standard interface, you can remove the borders of your forms. Once removed however, the user has no title bar to use to allow the form to be repositioned. This article describes how to allow dragging of a borderless form. |
| Adding Files to My Recent Documents
If an application provides the facility to use files, Windows users expect to see recently loaded items in the My Recent Documents section of their Start menu. This functionality is missing from the .NET framework so the Windows API is used. |
| Windows Forms Application Start-Up Parameters
Often it is useful to pass parameters to a Windows Forms application on start-up from a command line or shortcut. These parameters can be used to indicate a document to load or the initial configuration of the application. |