Introduction

There are various small but effective techniques you can use to provide help in your application: never neglect help.

1. Start Microsoft Visual C#
2. Create a Windows Application named ClarksvilleIceCream1
3. In the Properties window, change the form's Text to Clarksville Ice Cream
4. Design the form as follows:
    

   Control Name Text Additional Properties GroupBox grpIceCream     Label   Order Date:   DateTimePicker dtpOrderDate   Format: Short Label   Order Time:   DateTimePicker dtpOrderTime   Format: Time ShowUpDown: True Label   Flavor:   ComboBox cboFlavors     Label   Container:   ComboBox cboContainers     Label   Ingredient:   ComboBox cboIngredients     Label   Scoops:   TextBox txtScoops 1 TextAlign: Right Label   Order Total:   TextBox txtOrderTotal 0.00 TextAlign: Right Button btnNewOrder New Order   Button btnCalcTotal Calculate Total   Button btnClose Close

5. Click the combo box to the right of the Flavor label. Then, in the Properties, click the ellipsis button of Items property and create the list with:
    

   Vanilla Cream of Cocoa Chocolate Chip Cherry Coke Butter Pecan Chocolate Cookie Chunky Butter Organic Strawberry Chocolate Brownies Caramel Au Lait

6. Click OK
7. Click the combo box to the right of the Container label. Then, in the Properties, click the ellipsis button of Items property and create the list with:
    

   Cone Cup Bowl

8. Click OK
9. Click the combo box to the right of the Ingredient label. Then, in the Properties, click the ellipsis button of Items property and create the list with:
    

   None Peanuts Mixed Nuts M & M Cookies

10. Click OK
11. Double-click the New Order button to access its Click event and implement it as follows:
     

    private void btnNewOrder_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { // If the user clicks New Order, we reset the form with the default values this.dtpOrderDate.Value = DateTime.Today; this.dtpOrderTime.Value = DateTime.Now; this.cboFlavors.Text = "Vanilla"; this.cboContainers.Text = "Cone"; this.cboIngredients.Text = "None"; this.txtScoops.Text = "1"; this.txtOrderTotal.Text = "0.00"; }

12. Return to the form
13. Double-click the Calculate Total button to access its Click event
14. Implement it as follows:
     

    private void btnCalcTotal_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { double PriceContainer = 0.00, PriceIngredient = 0.00, PriceScoops = 0.00, OrderTotal = 0.00; int NumberOfScoops = 1; // Find out what container the customer requested // The price of a container depends on which one the customer selected if( cboContainers.Text == "Cone" ) PriceContainer = 0.55; else if( cboContainers.Text == "Cup" ) PriceContainer = 0.75; else PriceContainer = 1.15; // If the customer selected an ingredient, which is not "None", add $.95 if( cboIngredients.Text != "None" ) PriceIngredient = 0.95; try { // Get the number of scoops NumberOfScoops = int.Parse(this.txtScoops.Text); if( NumberOfScoops == 2 ) PriceScoops = 2.55; else if( NumberOfScoops == 3 ) PriceScoops = 3.25; else PriceScoops = 1.85; } catch(FormatException) { MessageBox.Show("The value you entered for the scoops is not valid" + "\nOnly natural numbers such as 1, 2, or 3 are allowed" + "\nPlease try again"); } // Make sure the user selected a flavor, // otherwise, there is no reason to process an order if( cboFlavors.Text != "" ) OrderTotal = PriceScoops + PriceContainer + PriceIngredient; this.txtOrderTotal.Text = OrderTotal.ToString(); }

15. Return to the form
16. Double-click the Close button and implement its Click event as follows:
     

    private void btnClose_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { Close(); }

17. Test the application. Here is an example:
     
    
18. Close the form and return to Visual Studio

One way you can provide simple help consists of displaying short indicative messages on a status bar. To do this, you can first create sections, called panels, on a status bar and then display the necessary messages in the section of your choice. The message can be anything but it should consist of just a few words to fit in its section without going over board.

1. Display the from and expand its bottom border a little bit
2. On the Toolbox, click StatusStrip and click the bottom section of the form
3. In the Properties window, click Items and click its ellipsis button
4. In the Select Item and Add to List Below combo box, select StatusLabel if necessary and click Add
   On the right side, set the Text to Ready
    
   
5. Click OK
    
   
6. On the form, click the dtpOrderDate control; that is, the combo box on the right side of the Order Date label
7. In the Properties window, click the Events button and double-click MouseMove
8. Return to the form
9. In the same way, initiate the MouseMove event of the dtpOrderTime date time picker, the cboFlavors combo box, the cboContainers combo box, the cboIngredients combo box, the txtScoops text box, the txtOrderTotal text box, and the form
10. Implement the events as follows:
     

    private void dtpOrderDate_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) { statusStrip1.Items[0].Text = "Specify the date this order was processed"; } private void dtpOrderTime_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) { statusStrip1.Items[0].Text = "Specify the time this order was processed"; } private void cboFlavors_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) { statusStrip1.Items[0].Text = "Select the customer's desired flavor"; } private void cboContainers_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) { statusStrip1.Items[0].Text = "Select the type of object that will contain the ice cream"; } private void cboIngredients_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) { statusStrip1.Items[0].Text = "Select an ingredient to spice the ice cream"; } private void txtScoops_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) { statusStrip1.Items[0].Text = "Select the number of scoops to fill the container"; } private void txtOrderTotal_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) { statusStrip1.Items[0].Text = "This displays the total of the order"; }

11. Return to the form and click a border of the group box
12. In the Events section of the Properties, generate the event of the MouseHover field, and implement it as follows:
     

    private void grpIceCream_MouseHover(object sender, EventArgs e) { this.statusStrip1.Items[0].Text = "Ready"; }

13. Return to the form and click an area of its body away from any control on it
14. In the Events section of the Properties, generate the event of the Move field, and implement it as follows:
     

    private void grpIceCream_MouseHover(object sender, EventArgs e) { this.statusStrip1.Items[0].Text = "Ready"; }

15. Test the application
     
    
16. After using it, close the form and return to Visual Studio

A tool tip is a small yellow box that displays a word or a group of words when the user positions the mouse on top of a control:

To create a tool tip system in a Visual Studio 2005 application, first add a ToolTip control to a form. After adding a ToolTip control, the form and all controls on it receive a new field in the Properties window. If the new ToolTip control is called ToolTip1, the new field in the Properties window for each control is ToolTip on ToolTip1. To display a tool tip for a control, first click it on the form. Then, in the Properties window, click ToolTip on ToolTip1, and type the desired tool tip.

1. To prepare for tool tips, on the Toolbox, click ToolTip and click the form
2. On the form, click each control and, in the Properties window, set its ToolTip On ToolTip property as follows:
    

   Control	ToolTip On ToolTip1
   dtpOrderDate	Click the arrow to select a date
   dtpOrderTime	Click each section, then click one of the arrows to change its value
   cboFlavors	Click the arrow to display a list, then select a flavor from the list
   cboContainers	Click to display the list of containers and select one
   cboIngedients	Display the list of ingredients and make the customer's choice
   txtScoops	Enter the number of scoops (1, 2, or 3) to fill the container
   txtOrderTotal	This displays the total amount of this order
   btnNewOrder	Click here to reset the form
   btnCalcTotal	Click here to calculate the total of the order
   btnClose	Click here to Close the form

3. Test the application
    
   
4. Close it and return to Visual Studio