Just like there are various types of applications, there are also different techniques or means of creating them. For this example, we will use Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 to create a file-based applications (you could also use Microsoft Visual C# 2010 Express, which is freely downloadable from the Microsoft web site).

We will create a fictitious application used by a car rental company. It will have a list of customers who rent cars, a list of employees who can perform the transactions, and a list of cars to be rented. The records will be kept in different files. Some time to time, a customer will want to rent a car or a customer will bring back a car. This will be done as order processing.

As mentioned already, the records will be kept in files. All the files used in this application will be in a specific folder. As the network administrator, you should create thi folder before it can eb used. Because this is a networked folder, you should also share it.

For this application, we will use a folder named Bethesda Car Rental in the C: drive of a server named EXPRESSION. If you want to use a different folder, in our code, change that name.

To share the folder used in this application, after creating it, right-click it and click Share... In the combo box, select Everyone and click Add. Click the arrow button of Reader and click Contributor:

 Click Share:

Click Done to close the dialog box.

1. Copy the following pictures to any folder somewhere on your computer (this is simply an example of preparing the pictures of cars you would include in your application):
    

   BMW: 335i	Chevrolet Avalanche
   Honda Accord	Mazda Miata
   Chevrolet Aveo	Ford E150XL
   Buick Lacrosse	Honda Civic
   Ford F-150	Mazda Mazda5
   Volvo S40	Land Rover LR3

2. Start Microsoft Visual Studio
3. To create a new application, on the main menu, click File -> New Project...
4. If you are using Microsoft Visual Studio, in the left list, click Visual C#. In the middle list, click Windows Forms Application
5. Change the name to BethesdaCarRental1
   

6. Click OK
7. In the Solution Explorer, right-click Form1.cs and click Rename
8. Type Central.cs and press Enter twice
9. Design the form as follows:
    

   Control Text Name Button Customers &Rental Orders btnRentalOrders Button C&ars btnCars Button &Employees btnEmployees Button &Customers btnCustomers Button C&lose btnClose

10. To save the project, on the Standard toolbar, click the Save All button