.NET (Core and Framework)

9-Feb-02 6:32

Why Microsoft introduced this new "attributes" in its .NET programming? Can someone throw some useful information (links to definitions) on this attributed programming?

Wondering what would be the advantage of having them as attributes and not properties inside a class (which needs these attributes to be setup)....?

omkamal

Michael Dunn9-Feb-02 7:51

Michael Dunn

9-Feb-02 7:51

omkamal wrote:
Why Microsoft introduced this new "attributes" in its .NET programming?

It's another proprietary extension to tie people into MS's compiler, and hides the details of writing COM classes from people who think it's too hard to do.

--Mike--
"Everyone has figured out what 'service pack' really means, so they had to go and change the language. Perhaps this is what Bill was talking about in the 'security is top priority' letter."
-- Daniel Ferguson, 1/31/2002
My really out-of-date homepage
Sonork - 100.10414 AcidHelm
Big fan of Alyson Hannigan.

James T. Johnson9-Feb-02 20:31

James T. Johnson

9-Feb-02 20:31

Attributes allow you to decorate code with various properties at compile time.

Then at runtime those properties can be examined and the data extracted. I'm thinking about writing an article for CP about this topic, I just need to come up with a different use for attributes so it doesn't clash with my commercial product Smile | :)

An attribute can be nothing more than a flag, SerializableAttribute, or it can perform something useful, ToolboxBitmapAttribute.

I suppose, you could think of an attribute as a readonly property on a type.

VS.NET uses attributes internally, if you design a usercontrol numerous attributes can be applied to the class and its properties to effect the visual and usage outcome. You can specify the toolbox bitmap, which properties show up in the properties box, whether those properties are readonly, and if it has an UI Editor.

From what I've read COM doesn't let you specify many attributes, where .NET allows you to place an attribute on anything (even attributes have an attribute, AttributeUsage which specifies where it is valid to use an attribute) Smile | :)

James

Sonork ID: 100.11138 - Hasaki
"My words but a whisper -- your deafness a SHOUT.
I may make you feel but I can't make you think." - Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull 1972

omkamal10-Feb-02 4:36

10-Feb-02 4:36

James T. Johnson wrote:
I'm thinking about writing an article for CP about this topic,

And I would be your first reader. Smile | :)

I also read some of the msdn articles about this attributed programming. The key definition they give is...

Attributes, a new feature in Visual C++, are designed to simplify COM programming and .NET Framework common language runtime development. When you include attributes in your source files, the compiler works with provider dynamic-link libraries (DLL) to insert code or modify the code in the generated object files.

Unfortunately, I just got only a few information about attributes. But I am now wondering how I can apply attributes in my programming? What are the advantages of using attributes over properties... And finally how to create and use a owner-defined attributee???

Will your article cover these..........(Oh! please tell me yes) Smile | :)

omkamal

What to do when events, messages & overrides don't work...

James T. Johnson10-Feb-02 8:44

James T. Johnson

10-Feb-02 8:44

omkamal wrote:
What are the advantages of using attributes over properties

I don't like saying one technique is better than another; its really just personal preference, but I hope when I'm done you'll find where using attributes makes sense and where a static property makes sense Smile | :)

omkamal wrote:
Will your article cover these..........(Oh! please tell me yes)

Right now I'm thinking of covering "Using existing attributes" and "Creating and using your own attributes", plus any glue that seems neccessary to blend the two topics. Plus I plan on including an example of writing and using your own attributes.

Smile | :)

James

Sonork ID: 100.11138 - Hasaki
"My words but a whisper -- your deafness a SHOUT.
I may make you feel but I can't make you think." - Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull 1972

Darren Schroeder8-Feb-02 15:58

Darren Schroeder

8-Feb-02 15:58

In .NET VC when viewing "Class View" one can click on a class in the tree and then click the lightning bolt (events), the dialog (messages) or the rhombus thingy (overrides) to create message maps and such. My question is, mine doesn't work anymore in my project. How do I get it to work again? This is just like the crap in VC.6 when the class view would get screwed up their. I hate this crap. Someone tell me what file to delete or modify to get it working again.

Thank you!

What happened to System.Windows?

omkamal8-Feb-02 9:48

Re: What happened to System.Windows?

8-Feb-02 9:48

Since I didnt have enough space in my disk, I did not install the documentation for VS.NET release version. But when I tried to convert one of my older c# application which uses the System.Windows namespace, to VS.NET final version, it is throwing a compilation error for "Windows is not found in the system namespace".

Did they move it? Or did they remove it?

Confused | :confused:

omkamal

Konstantin Vasserman8-Feb-02 18:15

Re: What happened to System.Windows?

8-Feb-02 18:15

I am not sure what was in System.Windows but the only ones I have that sound alike are System.Win32, System.Windows.Forms and System.Windows.Forms.Design.

omkamal9-Feb-02 6:26

9-Feb-02 6:26

Never mind. I got it. My project was not referencing to the required dlls. So dont worry they are all there.

omkamal

MFC with .NET?

Stan Shannon8-Feb-02 2:41

Stan Shannon

8-Feb-02 2:41

I realize this question has probably been asked and anwered already, but I'm am now ready to move from 6.0 to .NET. I want to continue with MFC and to ease myself into the .NET framework gradually. However, I am just curioes as to how much MFC has changed under .NET. Have they added a lot to it? Does moving into that environment buy that much for you? Or is it just as well to develope MFC apps with 6.0? In other words, is it just the same old MFC with a new wrapper?

"Thank you, thank you very much" Elvis.

NormDroid8-Feb-02 2:44

NormDroid

8-Feb-02 2:44

MFC has new classes, CString is templatized.
New stuff in ATL.
Faster Compiler.
Better IDE - excepted for touching up resource images.
Real easy to import VC6.0 projects.

Around thumbs up.

Rose | [Rose]

Normski. - Professional Windows Programmer

Stan Shannon8-Feb-02 2:57

Stan Shannon

8-Feb-02 2:57

Thanks. How about XML support in the new MFC? Is that there? I've been hacking around with some DOM and SAX2 stuff and basically thinking it sucks. Has that improved?

I'm trying to find some documentation but can't seem find so much as a class heirarchy chart.

"Thank you, thank you very much" Elvis.

NormDroid8-Feb-02 2:59

NormDroid

8-Feb-02 2:59

Stan Shannon wrote:
Thanks. How about XML support in the new MFC? Is that there? I've been hacking around with some DOM and SAX2 stuff and basically thinking it sucks. Has that improved?

Yeah I know what you mean. AFAIK the only XML support is thru the .NET framework, which mean you have to branch into some managed code.

Normski. - Professional Windows Programmer

Stan Shannon8-Feb-02 3:14

Stan Shannon

8-Feb-02 3:14

Norm Almond wrote:
which mean you have to branch into some managed code

Oh, well, I suppose I have to make the leap sometime. Thanks, again.

"Thank you, thank you very much" Elvis.

GDI+

Konstantin Vasserman6-Feb-02 16:49

6-Feb-02 16:49

I have a couple of questions/concerns about GDI+.

I've seen a few people say that GDI+ was much slower than GDI. Messages were from October of last year, so I wonder if this have been improved in the final release of .NET (if it was updated at all)?

Also I am trying to figure out what is the deal with NULL pens (PS_NULL) in GDI+. I cannot seem to find anything about it. Do I just set my Pen* to NULL and do things like this:

if( pMyPen ) 
    myGraphics.DoSomethingWithPen(pMyPen,...);

But it seems that executing if's in the loop will be much slower than passing a PS_NULL pen every once in the while. What am I missing here?

Thank you.

Christian Graus6-Feb-02 17:07

Christian Graus

6-Feb-02 17:07

1/ I rewrote a GDI paint program in GDI+ prior to OCtober and had no speed issues.

2/ Make the pen a color with an alpha of 0 and it will be transparent.

Christian

I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001

Picture the daffodil. And while you do that, I'll be over here going through your stuff.

Konstantin Vasserman6-Feb-02 17:16

6-Feb-02 17:16

Thank you Christian. (I was hoping you were hanging around here about this time Wink | ;)

)

1. I need to render a ton (A TON = maybe hundreds of thousands of iterations) of 2D shapes as fast as I can. Do you think it will be comparable to GDI speedwise.

2. Cool. How come I did not think of that? *scratching head* Smile | :)

Christian Graus6-Feb-02 21:40

Christian Graus

6-Feb-02 21:40

Konstantin Vasserman wrote:
I need to render a ton (A TON = maybe hundreds of thousands of iterations) of 2D shapes as fast as I can. Do you think it will be comparable to GDI speedwise.

Even GDI is not good for real time stuff, that is why we have Direct Draw. The difference is if you use DD, you can build a GDI+ surface from DD directly, and vice versa, far more easily than using GDI.

As for the difference, I suspect there will be one, but not a huge one.

Christian

I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001

Picture the daffodil. And while you do that, I'll be over here going through your stuff.

Konstantin Vasserman7-Feb-02 0:42

.NET vs COM extensibility

7-Feb-02 0:42

Thank you.

Daniel Turini6-Feb-02 7:06

Daniel Turini

6-Feb-02 7:06

I have an app that can be extended by developing COM-Addins.

I can do this by creating an IDL and deploying a TLB. So, every customer can implement an interface and I create components at runtime by ProgID using CreateObject.

Ok, I assume there's something simillar (or even, better) in .NET. How do I do this in .NET ? I've seen something like Reflection or Remoting, but it seems too much trouble when compared to COM. Is there an easier way ?

Crivo
Automated Credit Assessment

VS.NET final version installation

omkamal6-Feb-02 5:01