Net4x.Gtk.Windows.Forms 1.4.2463

GTKSystem.Windows.Forms

Introduction

Native Visual Studio Development, No Learning Required, Compile Once, Run Cross-Platform C# desktop application cross-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS) development framework, based on GTK components. With this framework, Visual Studio can use C#'s native WinForms form designer with the same properties, methods, and events as traditional WinForms development, requiring no additional learning. Compile once and run cross-platform. It facilitates cross-platform WinForms software development and enables upgrading existing C# WinForms applications to cross-platform solutions.

Project website: https://www.gtkapp.com

Software Architecture

Developed using .NET C# and GTK 3.24.24.95 as the UI framework, this system rewrites C#'s System.Windows.Forms components, ensuring compatibility with native C# program components.

Installation Guide

By default, when Visual Studio compiles a project with GtkSharp from NuGet, it automatically downloads the Gtk.zip runtime package and extracts it. This open-source project also includes the Gtk.zip package for manual installation. Below are three installation methods:

1. Automatic Installation (May Contain Older Libraries)

When you compile your project after installing GtkSharp, it automatically downloads gtk.zip and extracts it to the directory $(LOCALAPPDATA)\Gtk\3.24.24 to configure the GTK environment. However, due to network restrictions in some regions, automatic downloads may fail.

• Alternative download: https://gitee.com/easywebfactory/GTK-for-Windows/tree/master/Dependencies
• You can also download https://github.com/GtkSharp/Dependencies, extract it, and place it in $(LOCALAPPDATA)\Gtk\3.24.24.
• $(LOCALAPPDATA) refers to the AppData\Local folder, e.g., C:\Users\YourUser\AppData\Local\Gtk\3.24.24

2. EXE Installer (Recommended for Latest Libraries)

Downloading and installing the latest libraries using an EXE installer is recommended:

• Download from: https://gitee.com/easywebfactory/GTK-for-Windows/tree/master/Dependencies
• Alternative download: https://github.com/tschoonj/GTK-for-Windows-Runtime-Environment-Installer
• After installation, configure the system environment variables:

  @set GTK3R_PREFIX=C:\Program Files\GTK3-Runtime Win64
  @echo set PATH=%GTK3R_PREFIX%;%%PATH%%
  @set PATH=%GTK3R_PREFIX%;%PATH%
  

3. Installation via MSYS (For Latest Libraries)

Use MSYS to install GTK components. Search online for specific steps.

Installing .NET on Windows

Download the .NET SDK from Microsoft's official website: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download

Installing GTK on Linux

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install gtk3

# Fedora
sudo apt install gtk3       # Binary package
sudo apt install gtk3-devel # Development package

# MSYS2
pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gtk3

# Verify installation (requires pkg-config):
pkg-config --cflags --libs gtk+-3.0

# Find GTK installation directory:
ldconfig -p | grep gtk

Installing .NET on Linux

Refer to Microsoft's official guide: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/install/linux-scripted-manual

Development Guide

1. Project Framework Selection:
   • Choose "Windows Application" and set UseWindowsForms to false, or select "Console Application" (for .NET 6+).
2. Install Required NuGet Packages:
   • GtkSharp (3.24.24.95)
   • GTKSystem.Windows.Forms
   • GTKSystem.Windows.FormsDesigner
3. Ensure Proper Image Resource Handling:
   • If using images, create System.Resources.ResourceManager and System.ComponentModel.ComponentResourceManager (detailed below).
4. Compile the Project and Fix Form Designer Issues:
   • Use the built-in "Fix Form Designer" menu option or manually create designer.runtimeconfig.json in the obj directory.

Running the Software

1. On Windows: Compile and run demo_app.exe or demo_app.dll in the Debug directory.
2. On Linux/macOS: Run dotnet demo_app.dll.
3. Cross-Platform Deployment: Projects using this framework can be compiled and deployed on Linux, generating a native Linux binary (without a file extension) that can be executed directly.

Visual Studio Plugin Installation

Tool 1: NuGet Installation

Install GTKSystem.Windows.FormsDesigner from NuGet to fix form designer issues during compilation.

Tool 2: VSIX Plugin Installation

Download the plugin tool, close Visual Studio, and install GTKWinformVSIXProject.vsix by double-clicking it. (Required if the project lacks Form templates.)

Features Installed by the Plugin:

1. Form Templates: Adds templates for Forms and User Controls under "New Item".
2. Context Menu: Adds a right-click menu for project-specific GTKWinForms tasks.

Project Configuration Steps

1. Create System.Resources.ResourceManager Class

• Inherit from GTKSystem.Resources.ResourceManager to override native System.Resources.ResourceManager.
• Handles reading project resource files and images.
• (Skip this step if your project does not use resource files/images.)

2. Create System.ComponentModel.ComponentResourceManager Class

• Inherit from GTKSystem.ComponentModel.ComponentResourceManager.
• Enables resource and image file reading via GTKSystem.Resources.ResourceManager.
• (Skip this step if unnecessary.)

3. Modify GTKWinFormsApp.csproj

• Set UseWindowsForms to false in the project file:

  <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.WindowsDesktop">
    <PropertyGroup>
      <OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
      <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
      <UseWindowsForms>false</UseWindowsForms>
  

4. Add Required References

• Mandatory: GTKSystem.Windows.Forms
• Optional: System.Resources.Extensions (only for resolving VS design-time exceptions).

5. Configure Runtime Files for Form Designer

Example GTKWinFormsApp.designer.runtimeconfig.json:

{
  "runtimeOptions": {
    "tfm": "net8.0",
    "framework": {
      "name": "Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App",
      "version": "8.0.0"
    }
  }
}

Support and Resources

• Enterprise Services: https://www.gtkapp.com/vipservice

Common Issues

Why Can't I Open the Form Designer?

1. Compile the project.
2. Open the Form Designer.
3. If issues persist:
   • Close the Form Designer.
   • Recompile the project.
   • Restart Visual Studio.
   • Open the Form Designer again.

Contribution

Contribute to this framework at:

• Gitee Repository
• GitHub Repository
• CSDN Blog

Update History

For detailed updates, visit: Update History >>