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C#.Net comes with a variety of useful controls: buttons, textboxes, checkboxes, treeviews, forms, etc. But perhaps the most important fact is that C# allows programmers to expand upon its control base with custom controls.

Custom controls are created in the simplest way by selecting “Add New Item…” under the Project menu and selecting a new User Control.

A brand-new user control will be very similar to a Windows Form. A closer look at the class shows however that instead of inheriting from the Forms class it inherits Forms.UserControl, which is in essence just a specialized type of Windows Form.

When writing the C# custom control there are several aspects to consider, two of the most important being drawing and events.

Drawing

The user control, like a normal Windows Form, can draw itself with either a Paint event, or an override of the OnPaint function. Either way, both have the object “e” which can reference the user control’s Graphics object.

“e.Graphics” allows the programmer access to all the GDI+ drawing functions that the custom control will display.

A tip when using the Graphics object is to set the SmoothingMode property to AntiAlias. AntiAlias makes edges look smoother and thus makes the control look a lot more professional. However if for any reason you need to draw out sharp-edged shapes, change the SmoothingMode back to HighSpeed.

To keep the custom control from flickering every time it refreshes, add the following line on the constructor:

this.DoubleBuffered = true;

That way the .Net Framework will take care of the double buffering to ensure smooth flicker-free drawing.

Events

The second major aspect to consider is events. As far as user interaction with the user control goes, the UserControl class inherits all the Windows Forms events one is used to, including Load, MouseClick, KeyDown, etc.

Using those built-in events makes handling user interaction with the custom control a breeze. A tip to remember is that the Load event comes after the user control’s size will have been set on the parent Form. That is an important fact to remember when you are adjusting drawing surfaces. (In other words, set the sizes of drawing surfaces during the Load event).

For more advanced functionality one needs to create custom events. Custom events will allow future programmers who use your custom control to be able work with it effortlessly. For example, if the custom control is in essence a slider. An event that triggers when the value of the slider changes would make the control more professional and easier to use.

To use custom events first declare the delegate:

public delegate void MyValueChangedDelegate();

From there you can use the delegate to declare the custom event:

public event MyValueChangedDelegate MyValueChanged;

Now, to finish the custom event integration, the user control needs to call MyValueChanged() when it changes the example value internally.

Example- Photoshop-Style Controls

There are countless examples of good and bad C# user controls on the internet. I recommend you look around and find different examples to get a feel of how the controls are structured and their usability handled.

As of the mid April the Asus eee Pc is available with Windows XP and the new Asus eee 900 PC will aso be available with Windows or linux. This raises a new question for the average Asus eee PC shopper. Should I buy the Asus eee PC with Windows XP or with Xandros?

I prefer Xandros especially in the new Asus eee 900 PC for several reasons. The Asus eee PC is my second computer and is only used for light word processing, surfing the web and iming friends. While XP has some advantages such ease of installing software and installation of peripherals. For the average Asus eee PC user the gains are minimal.

In the case of the new Asus eee pc 900 the Windows XP version only gets 12gb of hard drive space while the Linux version gets 20gb. That ease of installing software becomes a moot point because the linux eee has more room for the software. This is to keep the added cost of Windows XP down. However, if you plan on installing new software on the Asus eee PC and do not want to be bothered with learning Linux installation methods then your best bet is Windows XP.

Laptop Magazine reviewed the Asus eee PC 4g-x (x stands for the pre-installed Windows XP version) they favored Windows XP only because how supported Windows Xp is. They also said:

“But like many people, I spend so much time in a Web browser that in the end I didn’t even realize I was working in a Windows operating system.”

To many households in which the computer is shared, it is very annoying to see computer wallpapers change almost every day. Or sometimes, the wallpapers do not change but the wallpapers are not ideal. Many times several people put their pictures as desktop backgrounds and it is just frustratingly not good-looking. To remove computer wallpapers, one needs to have administrator rights to it. There are some users who cannot change the settings because their access is limited.

1. On the desktop, point your mouse cursor on an empty space. Right click on it to show the selection menu and then click on Properties.
2. Once Properties is shown, look at the tabs available on top. The choices you should see are as follows: themes, Desktop, Screen Saver, Appearance, and Settings.
3. Click on the Desktop tab. Once done, you will see a drawing of your computer screen. This shows the currently active desktop background that you have. Below that is a list of all possible default wallpapers for you to choose from. What you need to select from these things is the top one that says none. Click the Apply button found between OKAY and CANCEL at the bottom of the Display Properties Window and then you will see the changes.
4. One recommendation is that you change the color of the background to your preference. It will look more serene and professional if you change the wallpaper to dark colors. Black is the most popular choice. This may be done through clicking on the color tab found on the right. The colors may seem so few and basic but there is a solution to that.
5. You may click on the drop down, there will be a tab that says Other. Click this and you will be taken to another window that shows you color patterns. It is up to you to mix or find the color or hue of your choice. This may be done through moving the cursor to any direction to choose an area of color, then pull the arrow up or down found on the right side. This will mix the colors for you automatically. This may be confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, everything will be very easy.
6. Once you are done with the selection, click Add to Customer Colors. The color will show in the rows of squares that show the available colors. Select one and then click OK.
7. It will then be shown in the color selection and all you have to do is to click Apply or click OK.

And that is it. You are done. No more bad-looking computer wallpapers for you. The main challenge here is that there needs to be a deeper understanding of a computer in terms of technicalities to completely disable wallpapers. In some companies, the Information Technology Department sets up the hundreds of computers in the companies in a way that only the company wallpaper will show. Slide shows cannot be changed and these desktop backgrounds are permanent. Only the people with administrator rights can make changes.

The use of desktop backgrounds may be traced to as early as 1975. This was part of the experimental or trial system being designed for the office by XeroxPAC, the name of which is Officetalk. The patterns used for the pictures were gray dots. Just like in dot matrix pictures of earlier computers, the dots were pixelated. All of the wallpapers before were just whiter, black, or gray since there were no colored monitors yet at that period. Eventually, the emergence of colored monitors gave way to much better pictures of higher pixel content and better picture output.

Desktop backgrounds now have evolved from simple dotted drawings to 3-dimensional animation. Now, anyone can get free wallpapers to download. However, not all designs found in the Internet may be downloaded as there are other specifications necessary to get them. Wallpaper sizes or dimensions are standardized. Although this may be tweaked to the user’s preference, it is not really advised to tinker with the computer monitor resolution since it will change how the pictures are presented if expanded made smaller. Majority or the common sizes or dimensions are: 1024 X 768; 800 X 600; 1600 X 1200; and 1280 X 1024. If you will notice, all of these combinations are divisible by 256. This is because 256 is then least bit of the color monitor pixels. Then, if you will notice, the first number is always 4 and the second number is always 3. Example, for 1024 X 768 resolution, 1024 divided by 256 is 4 and 768 divided by 256 is 3. That is because this is the most advisable ration of pixels on computer monitors.

This will be different for bigger screens, though, since the resolution capacity of bigger screens is larger. For larger screens, the ration of the resolution is not really 4:3 but 16:9 or 16:10. According to experts, the pictures may be tweaked to compensate for the needs of the screen size.

Another issue with desktop backgrounds is for users who have dual monitors. Some companies provide computers for their employees with only one CPU but two monitors because they have to optimize multitasking. The solution to this is to multiply the wallpaper by two. This process is called double-width versions. This will make the computer wallpapers appear in both monitors as separate pictures instead of having it expanded for both.

There are other weird things that people can do with desktop backgrounds. Some have images that are deliberately imbalanced to make it look artistic. Some use videos as desktop to have entertainment. Some just use nothing but plain colors to cover the entire monitor or screen. No matter how a screen looks like, it simply boils down to the fact that it is a reflection of how one user expresses himself.

Desktop wallpapers are free. It is not wise to buy them since there are practically millions of pictures available all over the Internet for free. In fact, people who know better do not even download. They simply do something practical based on the available tools in the PC and off they collect wallpapers. This very simple process will be shown later own. Actually, it is recommended that you start guessing now. This is really simple.

It is very easy to download desktop wallpapers online. Even kids can do it. And kids really do it most of the times since they easily get bored with out how their computers look. As a result, the computer is swamped with pictures, mostly in the desktop itself. Although this does not really pose a threat to the computer, it looks disorganized and untidy. To download desktop wallpapers, the simple steps below may be helpful.

Select a browser from several options that your have. You may use Mozilla, Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer if you wish to. The browsers will not really affect your search but there may be wallpapers that may not be shown correctly due to browser compatibility.

Once a browser is launched, go to a website that offers free downloads of wallpapers. If you currently do not know of any, it is recommended that you browse for one. You may do this by searching for websites through search engines like Yahoo or Google. Once you are in a search engine website, you may type key words of your choice to narrow down what you are looking for. For example, typing the key word “wall paper is very broad,” so you may want to type “tiger desktop background” or any key word that specifically narrows down to the wallpaper that you want.

Once the choices of websites are populated, read the summary. This will allow you to make the best choice. If you will just click randomly, chances are you will get to a website that does not really offer what you want for free. And this is all the more frustrating because you have to search again.

Once a website is selected, log on to it. Look at the pictures available and download it. Or better yet, download all of it. That way, you have several options to change your wallpaper just in case you get tired of it. Some websites will only allow one download per day. So you have to do it everyday. At least, it is free. All you need to practice is patience. Make sure that you do not violate the terms and conditions of the website in terms of wallpaper usage.

Lastly, change the wallpaper setting of your computer.

Let us say that the very pictures that you want are not wallpapers but just pictures you saw in the Internet-like paintings-all you have to do to set them as your desktop wallpapers is to save them as pictures on your PC. Then choose it as your desktop background.

Free wallpapers abound all over then Internet. Everything one has to do is to browse online and select the wallpaper of his option and download it. There are practically thousands of wallpapers available and the option is really endless. Some charge a minimal fee but most the time these things are free. It is observed, though, that out of the thousands of pictures available online, majority of these are redundant or repetitive. It just so happened that the pixel quality or the formats of the pictures are different, thus giving the user more option for compatibility regarding the resolution of his computer.

To download free wallpapers online, one needs to follow the simple steps below.

1. Launch a browser and go a search engine website like Yahoo, Google, MSN, AOL, and other search engines. The reason we are doing this is to find the best websites where desktop wallpapers are offered. Type Free Wallpaper in the search engine box.
2. Once the search engine has generated the thousands of available websites, you may open these websites on different windows to get a glimpse of how the wallpapers are presented and to get a good look at the available options.
3. Select one and study the website’s interface. Some websites offer their own internal search engines that will make your search faster. Some websites have a layout that categorizes wallpaper descriptions. Some of the major categories are people, places, animals, scenes, etc. Select one that best fits your choice and navigate the website for all the pictures available.
4. Some websites allow users to view the picture in bigger presentations. This gives the users an idea how the pictures will look once they are expanded. Make sure to use this feature to make the right choices.
5. Once something has been selected, click on the Terms of Service. Read it thoroughly so you know the prohibitions of usage. It is not right to violate these terms and conditions since these wallpapers are legally owned by these websites. Also, it will be unjust that people download these wallpapers for free and then sell it to others.
6. After reading the terms and conditions, click on Agree or Accept.
7. Click on the download link. A pop-up window will appear allowing you to choose, Open, Save, or Cancel. Click save and save the file where you intend to keep your selection of desktop pictures.
8. Once the file has been saved, you have the option to choose other wallpapers and then save them again. That way, you have several options once downloading is complete.
9. It is strongly advised that you download several free wallpapers at a time so you have a vast collection. Pictures on desktops may easily become boring so it is imperative that you have many reserves.
10. Once the downloads are complete, you may now select a wallpaper of your choice.

As a final note, always read if the free wallpapers are really free. Some websites actually charge a nominal fee, and this will only cause you frustration if you were led to believe that the wallpapers are freebies.

Even though you’ve played by the rules, followed every instruction which the thick-as-a-block manual provided you with, you still find that there’s a distinct something that your photograph lacks. Maybe you’ve just tilted the frame too much, or chosen the wrong combination of colors for your image… you know that there’s definitely a lot you can do with it only, that you don’t have the time to re-shoot the photograph. Here’s the good news you don’t have to re-shoot your image. In fact you can transform the very same photograph into an exquisite work of art, by simply editing it. Sounds incredible, doesn’t it? In fact, that’s just a few of the many alternatives editing software allows you. Modern day photographers unanimously assert the use of editing software in creating their fabulous works of art. And the best part about editing digital photography is that you can do it by yourself, with as little or as much time you wish to dedicate to the task, once you understand the software you’ve chosen to use as well as the possibilities it offers.

With the growing popularity of digital photography, editing software has not lagged behind. In fact, software programs to suit every level of skill and expertise have been developed, some of which accommodate the needs of an accomplished professional who is looking to scale new frontiers while others cater to the amateur who’s just looking for a way to enhance his recreational photographs. So once you’ve chosen your software in view of the kind of task you want it to perform for you, you need to first upload your image on the workspace you’ve created. But before you proceed to make any changes to your original image, ensure that you have a back up copy to revert to in case you’re not satisfied with the final product, or simply want to start from scratch, all over again.

If your image features people, you will undoubtedly find that your image bears traces of the red-eye effect. Although this may be very hard to avoid when you are actually capturing that image, editing it out of the photograph is just a matter of a few clicks for your editing software. If you have any images which are tilted at an awkward angle, you can easily rotate the entire image until it’s perfectly straight, or even twirl it around some more to add a touch of eccentricity! Sometimes you will find that your photograph is almost perfect but has too many elements crowding it, which draw attention away from the focus of the image. In order to correct this, you can snip away the edges of the photograph along with the unnecessary details, which leaves you with a much clearer and professional image. This feature is best implemented when your subject is in the very center of your image.

You can even let your imagination run wild with the color palettes your software offers you. You can change the color of a part of the image or even hue the entire picture with a color of your choice to attain unbelievable results. You editing software will allow you to travel from post-modern to retro at the click of a mouse! You can convert your images to black and white or add a sepia tone to antiquate them, or even emphasize on the theme by inserting a suitable tint.

You can single out the most important aspect of your image and blur the background into oblivion, to call attention to the subject. You can even sharpen the highlights of your image to make it stand out from the background. The only parts of your image which your editing software cannot sharpen are the areas which are out of focus. To attain the most dramatic effects, you can also choose to sharpen only specific parts of the image and leave the others as they are.

Many modern versions of editing software can slice your image in several parts, which you can then use as singular images, or juxtapose them against others with a seamless finish. If you opt for a more advanced version, you can also avail of the revolutionary feature called ‘Layering’ which segregates your image into layers to allow you to experiment with a plethora of effects on individual portions of the image and them superimpose them on your image. You can even foray into different effects for each layer to come up with a unique combination of effects each time you work on the same image.

The software you decide to purchase and then work on, needs to be fine tuned to your very own set of requirements. What you need to bear in mind, is that advanced versions may offer you many more tools, but also come at a much heftier price. So, you first need to analyze of you’re really going to use all the features the software offers, instead of simply choosing the most attractive version you can find. If you are simply a recreational user, you may want to opt for more basic versions like Google Picasa or paint.net which come at a much lower rate or can even be downloaded for free from the internet. However if you’re looking to take up photography as a profession, you may want to research the more upscale versions like Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter before you make your selection. So the next time you think you could have done better with your photography, ponder no longer. Get to work recreating the magic with your photo-editing software. You’ll be amazed at the masterpieces you find yourself create!

Everybody with a computer knows that computer wallpapers help make the user feel a sense of ownership of the PC. The varying designs and animations make the screen seem livelier and add aesthetic value not only to the computer but to the entire room itself. It depicts the personality of a person and reflects his moods, interests, and others.

A desktop wallpaper is simply a still image sometimes animated images that are shown on the screen as opposed to the ordinary lay-out of the computer monitor. In most cases, the computer wallpaper is defaulted to what the computer operating system has at the time of purchase of the computer or installation. For Windows, the most common one seen is the blue desktop wallpaper with the Windows logo or symbol. However, there are also many options to select from if someone wants to infuse his personality through his computer screen.

To change the desktop wallpaper or computer wallpaper from the default choices of then operating system, just follow the steps shown below.

• From any blank area of the screen or computer monitor, press the right click of the mouse and select properties.
• From the tabs selected, click on Desktop.
• A computer screen will be shown and it will be a representation of what your computer desktop will look like.
• You will see a selection for default pictures that you may select as computer wallpapers.
• Click on a selection and you will see on the computer screen sample how your desktop will look like.
• On the right hand side, you may select the style of appearance of your desktop wallpapers. The selections are Center, Tiled, and Stretch. Center means the picture will not cover the entire screen. It will only be in the middle. For tiled, the picture will be placed in a repetitive way. The appearance will look like floor tiles or squared. Stretch is applicable if the picture is too small for the screen. What is going to happen is that the picture will be expanded to cover up the entire desktop space. The downside is that the picture will be pixilated.
• If you do not want to use the default choices of your Operating System, you have the option to choose your own picture. To do this, click on the browse tab found on the right side of the Display Properties window. A Browse window will appear from which you can select the picture that you want. Simply locate where it is saved and click it and select OK. You may also double click on it.
• Click on the Apply button found on the lower right section of the screen. Wait a few seconds and you will see the changes.

If you do not like the several desktop backgrounds you have on your PC, you always have the option to download online. However, you have to be careful as some may contain computer programs that may harm your computer. Also, read the website policies carefully as some of them place charges.