Getting Started
with the
IdeaBlade.CAB Framework

Installation

The= Cabana distribution is a zip archive that includes complete source code. There are three top-level folders:=

CabanaDevExCS &= nbsp; &nbs= p; The source code for the IdeaBlade.Cab framework and the Cabana reference application. This is the version using the DeveloperExpress control suite and C#. Future versions will support Visual Basic.

IdeaBlade.Cab.WizardInstaller An MSI install package that adds the IdeaBlade CAB Tools to your Visual Studio installation.

1.      = Unzip the distribution archive= to a working location on your hard drive. The five folders listed above will be created and populated.

2.      = Navigate to the CabanaDevExCS.&nb= sp; Open and build the= CabanaLib solution.

Note:<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The build may generate a number of warning messages. These are o= f the form:

The referenced component ‘(assembly name)’ could not be found.

These may be safely ignored; the referenced assembly is indeed present and resolved properly.

Note:<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> If errors are generated, check the= version of your DevForce installation (use ControlPanel->Add/Remove Programs, select = IdeaBlade DevForce= and click on the link for support information.= You must have version 3.5.3 of DevForce installed.

This build creates the IdeaBlade.Cab libraries in= the \Lib folder. It also creates and populates the = Skeleton solution used bythe CabApplicationWizard to create new Cab-based applications.

3.      = Close the CabanaLib solution.

4.      = If you have an earlier version= of the CAB wizards installed, use Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel to remove IdeaBl= ade Cab Wizards.

5.      = Open the = IdeaBlade.Cab.WizardInstaller folder. Double click setup.exe. Click Next whenever asked to com= plete the installation.

Note:<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'>    Choose the “Just Me” installation option. Currently, the Cabana= tools must be installed separately for each user on a computer.=

Select Close to close the installation wizard.

Installation Verification

1.      = Locate and open the CabanaDevExCS solution in the CabanaDevExCS folder.

2.      = If your copy of the IdeaBlade tutorial database is not in the primary SqlServer instance on the local machine, edit the IdeaBlade.ibconfig<= /b> file (in the = AppHelper project in the Source\Deployment solution folder) and set the connection string for the default Rdb key to point to your installation of the IdeaBlade tutorial database.

3.      = Build the solution.=

Note:<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'>        &= nbsp; A warning message may be generated:

Found conflicts between different versions of the same dependent assembly.

This is due to a Cabana/DevEx issue that is yet to be resolved. It may be safely ignored. You may double click the message a= nd accept Visual Studio’s offer to add redirects to the App.config file (in the Shell project). = This will eliminate the message but may complicate migration of the application = to later versions of DevForce or Developer Express= .

4.      = Verify that the CabanaCo.Cabana.Shell proj= ect is set as the startup project. R= un the application under the Visual Studio debugger. Navigate to various modules and ob= serve the rich user experience available with the CAB framework.

5.      = Exit the Cabana application and close the Cab= anaDevExCS solution.

Creating a New CAB Application

The= CAB Application Wizard facilitates the process of building a new Cabana-style application.

1.      = From the Start->All Programs menu, select
IdeaBlade= ->IdeaBlade.C= AB->CAB Application Wizard.

2.      = In the wizard dialog, enter a = short name for your company. This s= hould be short (4-8 characters) and must be a legal .Net name. It will be used as a qualifier in = module and namespace names.

3.      = Also enter your full company n= ame (i.e.,”The Cabana Corporation, Inc.”). This will be used in the copyright notice (in AssemblyInfo files). Click Next.

4.      = Enter a short name for your application. Again, this must= be a legal .Net name and will be used as a namespace and module name qualifier.<= o:p>

5.      = Also enter a more descriptive application name to appear in the shell’s window caption bar and the splash screen. Click Next.

6.      = You may specify a namespace containing the DevForce data model for your application. The wizard will = make all components reference the model via this namespace, and will migrate the sample tutorial model to this namespace as well. If you are using the sample data m= odel, or do not yet have a data model for your application, the default works wel= l. Click Next.

7.      = Enter or browse to the folder = where the new application should be created.&nbs= p; For testing and demonstration, the default (Visual Studio\Projects under My Documents) works well. No= te that a new folder will be created at this location to hold the application solution. Click Next.

8.      = Select the control suite to be= used as the default for the new application.&nb= sp; Select DevEx. Click Next.

9.      = Click Generate. The wiz= ard will perform a series of operations to copy the application skeleton and cu= stomize it for your needs. When the generation is complete, click Clos= e.

10.   Navigate to the new application folder and open the solution.

11.   Right click on the file ApplicationGuidance.htm in the Guidance solution folder. Select Browse With… and choose the Internal Web Browser. Follow the guidance to complete yo= ur application skeleton and begin adding custom components.<= /p>

Getting Started with the IdeaBlade.CAB Framework

Installation

Installation Verification

Creating a New CAB Application

Getting Started
with the
IdeaBlade.CAB Framework