WinForms Splash Screen Component (coming in v2011 vol 2)

Thinking Out Loud
01 September 2011

DXperience v2011 vol 2 will include a new control called SplashScreenManager - designed to easily add splash screens to any WinForms project.

Only two steps are required to add a splash screen: drop a SplashScreenManager component onto a form and then add the splash screen via a context menu:

WinForms Splash Screen Control by DevExpress


Once you execute the application (no additional code is required), the splash screen will automatically appear during form load and will automatically close once the form is loaded:

The splash screen is a customizable form that is displayed in a separate thread. You do not need to worry about threading when using the DevExpress Splash Screen Manager, as all thread operations are implemented by the component internally.

If the default appearance of the splash screen does not meet your requirements, you can easily change it by modifying the default layout, adding custom controls, etc.

Oh and one final note: by default, a splash screen is displayed and closed automatically. You can, however, control the display of the splash screen manually within your code.

P.S. Over the coming days, I'll be describing some very cool enhancements to our WinForms products....keep tuned.

P.S.S. If you've not yet voted for your favorite DevExpress product in this year's DevConnections Magazine Readers Choice Awards, dont forget to do so before Sept 7.

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Carlitos
Carlitos

And will it be available for XAF?

1 September 2011
Neal
Neal

How about using the same concept of a form in a separate thread as a miniature component that we can use in an app to show progress information such as you do in your demos?  Call it a "StatusControl" and it's a form we can load, change text on, use an animation (image, progress bar, etc.) and then call to close it when our actions are complete?  Simple but useful control, again, just like your demos and now this splash component.  All the same concept.

1 September 2011
Boris Bosnjak
Boris Bosnjak

This will be terrific!

1 September 2011
Christopher Todd
Christopher Todd

Wow! Beta please!! :)

1 September 2011
CESAR F. QüEB
CESAR F. QüEB

The developer can specify assemblies to load, show custome messages or progress bar for loading status?.

1 September 2011
Nate Laff
Nate Laff

XAF already supports splash screens, in fact, I have a rather nice looking one. Though I would like to see the default one updated to be a little nicer looking like this.

1 September 2011
Dmitry Str (DevExpress)
Dmitry Str (DevExpress)

To Neal:

Yes, we are planning to implement this feature in version 2011 vol.2.

2 September 2011
Dmitry Str (DevExpress)
Dmitry Str (DevExpress)

To CESAR F. QüEB:

You can display custom controls (including custom labels and a progress bar) in the Splash Screen. We have also implemented the mechanism to manually control the state of the custom controls added to the Splash Screen.

2 September 2011
Sigurd Decroos
Sigurd Decroos

Interesting...

2 September 2011
Zbigniew Chwedoruk
Zbigniew Chwedoruk

Can we expect similar control for VCL?

2 September 2011
Juan Betancourt
Juan Betancourt

Long live winforms!

2 September 2011
Neal
Neal

Make sure you also add code to this component that properly handles transparency and shading.  I have the code in my app already, I can supply it if needed.  The transparency system in Winforms isn't that great if you want a nice splash with an odd shape and also shading effects like Adobe's splash's, etc.  Contact me if you want more info.

Great work DevEx, you all are THE BEST!

2 September 2011
Roger Parry
Roger Parry

This is great. Have you plans to make it so we can create irregular shaped splash screens?

2 September 2011
Robert Fuchs
Robert Fuchs

@Nate AFAIK the XAF splash screen isn't running on a separate thread.

2 September 2011
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)

Neal - as far as your first suggestion...you guys can certainly exploit the logic we've incorporated for this use case, but we are not going to be able to release a control like that in this release.

6 September 2011
Liu Aijun
Liu Aijun

When is the 2011 vol 2 will realse?

6 September 2011
Robert Fuchs
Robert Fuchs

> When is the 2011 vol 2 will release?

Being a fortuneteller I can tell you it will be released on Friday, December 2nd, 2011 ;)

6 September 2011
CESAR F. QüEB
CESAR F. QüEB

..I'm working long time with WinForm apps and really this component is welcome. I have my own class to do this, working in separate thread, customized labels, progress bar, like this. Please consider add a switch to change the application in single instance. Not ease for newbie developers.. ;)

6 September 2011
Jason M. Perry
Jason M. Perry

It will be very disappointing if this doesn't support something as simple as alpha transparency (i.e. full png support) - which I've had in my .NET splash screens going on 10 years now.  Very disappointing.

7 September 2011
Luk
Luk

Does it work with MDI?

10 November 2011

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