Desktop Minicalendar with vb.net Articles, samples and tutorials

Desktop Minicalendar with vb.net

Intoduction

This article for basic learners.In this article i will show, how to create a mini calendar desktop application and run with windows startup.

Step by step programming

Step1:

Create a windows application in visual studio and change form width & height to 150 (looklike small widget),set showintaskbar to false, change fromeborderstyle to none.Now add TableLayoutPanel control to windows form. Add 4 rows to TableLayoutPanlel. Add 4 Label controls to these 4 rows. And change font type, color, size good looking UI.

Step2:

Now change the 4 label names and change text property to "".
1) label1 -> Time_Label
2) label2 -> Month_Label
3) label3 -> Date_Label
4) label4 -> Week_Label

Step3:

Here we can set form position at desktop below right corner.
For this form_load() event write the code.


Dim x As Integer
Dim y As Integer
x = Screen.PrimaryScreen.WorkingArea.Width - Me.Width
y = Screen.PrimaryScreen.WorkingArea.Height - Me.Height
Me.Location = New Point(x, y)

Step:4

Here we can add our application to windows startup.
For this we add a registry key to windows registry run folder.
For this first import Microsoft.Win32 namespace, and add below code to form_load() event


Imports Microsoft.Win32
Dim regStartUp As RegistryKey regStartUp = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run", True)
regStartUp.CreateSubKey("MiniCalendar")
regStartUp.SetValue("MiniCalendar", Application.ExecutablePath.ToString())
regStartUp.Close()

Step:5

Here we can write code for display time, month, day, week in 4 labels.
For continuous update of time, day, month, week we add a timer control to windows form. Set timer control enable property to true in form_load() event write the below code in a sub procedure and call it to required places(timer_tick event).


Public Sub load_calendar()
        Dim month As String = Date.Now.Month.ToString()

        If month = "1" Then
            month = "January"
        End If
        If month = "2" Then
            month = "February"
        End If
        If month = "3" Then
            month = "March"
        End If
        If month = "4" Then
            month = "April"
        End If
        If month = "5" Then
            month = "May"
        End If
        If month = "6" Then
            month = "June"
        End If
        If month = "7" Then
            month = "July"
        End If
        If month = "8" Then
            month = "August"
        End If
        If month = "9" Then
            month = "September"
        End If
        If month = "10" Then
            month = "October"
        End If
        If month = "11" Then
            month = "November"
        End If
        If month = "12" Then
            month = "December"
        End If
        
        Dim t As DateTime = DateTime.Now
        Time_Label.Text = t.ToLongTimeString()
        Month_Label.Text = month
        Date_Label.Text = Date.Now.Day.ToString()
        Week_Label.Text = Date.Now.DayOfWeek.ToString()
    End Sub

Step:6

Now we can call above procedure in timer-tick event and form_load() events.
Add a global variable for display splash day, month.


'Add global variable
Dim d As Integer = 1
'write below code in form load event
Time_Label.Text = "Loading......"
load_calendar()
Timer1.Enabled = True
'write below code in timer tick event
load_calendar()
If d = 1 Then
Month_Label.Visible = False
Week_Label.Visible = True
d = 0
Else
Week_Label.Visible = False
Month_Label.Visible = True
d = 1
End If

Step:7

Here we write code for unable to close form.
For this write below code in form_closing event.


e.cancel=true

Step8:

Total Program Coding for this application


Imports System.Threading
Imports Microsoft.Win32
Public Class MiniCalendar
    Dim d As Integer = 1
    
    Public Sub MiniCalendar()

        

    End Sub
    Private Sub MiniCalendar_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim regStartUp As RegistryKey
        regStartUp = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run", True)
        regStartUp.CreateSubKey("MiniCalendar")
        regStartUp.SetValue("MiniCalendar", Application.ExecutablePath.ToString())
        regStartUp.Close()
        Dim x As Integer
        Dim y As Integer
        x = Screen.PrimaryScreen.WorkingArea.Width - Me.Width
        y = Screen.PrimaryScreen.WorkingArea.Height - Me.Height
        Me.Location = New Point(x, y)
        
        Time_Label.Text = "Loading......"
        
        load_calendar()
        Timer1.Enabled = True

    End Sub

    Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick


        load_calendar()

        If d = 1 Then
            Month_Label.Visible = False
            Week_Label.Visible = True
            d = 0
        Else
            Week_Label.Visible = False
            Month_Label.Visible = True
            d = 1
        End If


    End Sub

    Private Sub MiniCalendar_FormClosing(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs)
        e.Cancel = True
    End Sub
    Public Sub load_calendar()
        Dim month As String = Date.Now.Month.ToString()

        If month = "1" Then
            month = "January"
        End If
        If month = "2" Then
            month = "February"
        End If
        If month = "3" Then
            month = "March"
        End If
        If month = "4" Then
            month = "April"
        End If
        If month = "5" Then
            month = "May"
        End If
        If month = "6" Then
            month = "June"
        End If
        If month = "7" Then
            month = "July"
        End If
        If month = "8" Then
            month = "August"
        End If
        If month = "9" Then
            month = "September"
        End If
        If month = "10" Then
            month = "October"
        End If
        If month = "11" Then
            month = "November"
        End If
        If month = "12" Then
            month = "December"
        End If
        
        Dim t As DateTime = DateTime.Now
        Time_Label.Text = t.ToLongTimeString()
        Month_Label.Text = month
        Date_Label.Text = Date.Now.Day.ToString()
        Week_Label.Text = Date.Now.DayOfWeek.ToString()
    End Sub
    
   
End Class

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