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Documentation supports .NET Framework versions:
3.5
3.0
2.0
1.1
1.0
The PocketNerd WizardEngine (Pwiz Engine) provides a powerful, simple, and consistent
way to create Windows Forms based Wizards that can be launched:
As a modal (WizardContainer.ShowDialog) or non-modal (WizardContainer.Show)
dialog from within your own Application. This is useful when a Wizard is used to
perform a specific task within an Application such as connecting to a database
As a standalone executable that runs in its own process, just like
any other Application. This is useful when the Wizard is executed to complete a
specific, succinct task from the Start menu or within Windows Explorer
As a Custom Wizard from within the Visual Studio.NET IDE. This is
useful when a rich Graphical User Interface (GUI) or more powerful Application Programming
Interface (API) is required rather than the standard VS.NET WizardEngine
More importantly, each of the three types of Wizard above is implemented in exactly
the same way and requires minimal ‘boilerplate’ Wizard coding to be used. All of
the coding required to create a Class Library, Windows Application or Visual Studio.NET
based Wizard is the business specific code that pertains to the Wizard and, once
you know how to create a Pwiz Engine Wizard, you can create all three kinds of Wizard
with ease. In fact, it is possible to use exactly the same Wizard in each of the
three Wizard types just by changing how the Wizard is launched!
The Wizard engine also supports two different visual styles of Wizard and the two
can be interchanged by simply changing a property of the Wizard. The following shows
the typical back-next style Wizard (Style = WizardStyle.BackNext) where the Back
and Next buttons are used to navigate through all of the pages and the Finish button
becomes available only when the last page is reached.
Alternatively, a Tabs based Wizard can be used (Style = WizardStyle.Tabs) where
default settings are provided for all of the options in the Wizard and the user
can select to Finish the Wizard at any point. This kind of Wizard is useful when
the default values will be used in the majority of cases and the user need only
visit a different page if they want to make a specific change.
Of course the Wizard User Interface (UI) is highly customizable with everything
from the text, images and Tab Buttons being provided by the Wizard itself, to being
able to hide the sidebar, buttons and change the FormBorderStyle of the WizardContainer.
Additionally, it couldn’t be easier to work with the PocketNerd WizardEngine with
Visual Studio.NET integrated Help and Wizards for quickly creating a new Pwiz Engine
Wizard.
The following shows the New Wizard Project that is launched from within Visual Studio.NET
to create a new Wizard Project. You can select the three different kinds of Wizard
and the two different Styles and the corresponding project will be generated with
the specified number of WizardPages. NOTE: This screenshot does not support XP Visual
Styles as it is being run from within Visual Studio.NET 2003.
The following sections go into more detail to explain:
Architecture There are three different ways that the PocketNerd
WizardEngine can be launched. This section looks at the specific implementation
details to see how it is possible to launch the same Wizard within the three Wizard
types (Class Library, Wizard Application, Visual Studio.NET), and also goes into
detail to explain the components and class structure of the Pwiz Engine.
Wizards We have looked at the various components that comprise
the PocketNerd WizardEngine, now we are going to investigate how we go about creating
a Wizard that will be displayed by the WizardEngine.
Class Lib In this section, we are going build upon our knowledge
of creating a Wizard to look at how we can plug the Pwiz Engine into one of our
own Applications.
Windows App Sometimes a Wizard is suitable for execution within
its own right, it does not need to exist within Visual Studio.NET or form part of
an Application; it is an Application. This section looks at how the PocketNerd WizardEngine
and .pwiz files can be used to turn a Wizard into such an Application.
VS.NET Wiz The final Wizard looks at how we can make use of
the Pwiz Engine within the Visual Studio.NET IDE. Creating VS.NET Wizards is greatly
simplified by using the Pwiz Engine, especially as most of the WizardEngine concepts
are the same as those of the Class Library and Windows Application based Wizards.
VS.NET Templates The Pwiz Engine makes creating VS.NET Wizards
far easier with the introduction of a standards based XSLT Stylesheet Template and
transformation approach.
Download Provides downloadable versions of the PocketNerd
WizardEngine for installation and distribution
Feedback Shows any feedback submitted and allows you to add
your own