Visual Basic 2012 Programmer's Reference

ABOUT, SPLASH, AND LOGIN FORMS

The TransparencyKey and Opacity properties enable you to build forms with unusual and interesting shapes. Although these would be distracting if used for the bulk of an application, they can add a little interest to About dialog boxes, splash screens, and login forms.

These three kinds of forms have quite a bit in common. Usually, they display the application’s name, version number, copyright in formation, trademarks, and so forth. They may also display a serial number, the name of the registered user, and a website or phone number where the user can get customer support.

The main difference between these forms is in how the user dismisses them. A splash screen automatically disappears after a few seconds. The user closes an About dialog box by clicking an OK button. A login form closes when the user enters a valid username and password and then clicks OK. It also closes if the user clicks Cancel, although then it doesn’t display the main application.

REMOVING THE SPLASH

Sometimes a splash screen is displayed while the application initializes, loads needed data, and otherwise prepares itself for work. In that case, the application removes the splash screen after initialization is complete or a few seconds have passed, whichever comes second.

The forms also differ slightly in the controls they contain. A splash screen needs a Timer to determine when it is time to close the form. An About dialog box needs a single OK button. A login form needs ...