Hi today we will see how to create wizard like window application in .NET 2.0.
1) Create a new window application.
2) Add three forms in it. I have named the form as FirstStep, SecondStep and ThirdStep.
3) In FirstStep add two button – Next and Cancel
4) In SecondStep add three button- Previous, Next and Cancel
5) In ThirdStep add two button- Previous and Cancel
6) Than add a new class file – name it WizardData.cs
7) Add following code to it
// this wizardData class will have a enumeration and a property to display the appropriate form
public class WizardData
{
public enum wizardForms
{
FirstStep =1, SecondStep=2, ThirdStep=3,Cancel =99
}
private wizardForms formToShow;
public wizardForms FormToShow
{
get
{
return formToShow;
}
set
{
formToShow=value;
}
}
}
8. Then go to program.cs and modify it in the following manner
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
MyInitialization();
//Replace Application.Run(…. ) with MyInitialization() – custom function
}
9) The code for MyInitialization() goes like this
// Create instances of all the forms to be displayed
private static void MyInitialization()
{
WizardData wData = new WizardData();
wData.FormToShow = WizardData.wizardForms.FirstStep;
Form step1 = new FirstStep(wData);
Form step2 = new SecondStep(wData);
Form step3 = new ThirdStep(wData);while (wData.FormToShow != WizardData.wizardForms.Cancel)
{
switch (wData.FormToShow)
{
case WizardData.wizardForms.FirstStep:
{
step1.ShowDialog();
break;
}
case WizardData.wizardForms.SecondStep:
{
step2.ShowDialog();
break;
}
case WizardData.wizardForms.ThirdStep:
{
step3.ShowDialog();
break;
}
}
}10) Now go to your FirstStep Form. Replace the constructor with this
public FirstStep(WizardData wd)
{
this.wData = wd;
InitializeComponent();
}
11) In the cancel button and next button click event handler write the following code
private void btnNext_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
// to show the SecondStep form
wData.FormToShow = WizardData.wizardForms.SecondStep;
this.Close();
}private void btnCancel_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
wData.FormToShow = WizardData.wizardForms.Cancel;
this.Close();
}
12) Repeat the same step 11 for SecondStep and ThirdStep form.
for previous button click event handler add the following codeprivate void btnPrevious_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
// replace the wizardForm.(…) with appropriate form to be displayed
wData.FormToShow = WizardData.wizardForms.FirstStep;
this.Close();
}
That’s it
Nishant Rana's Weblog 
wData is not intializing in forms
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replaced while loop with if conditions
MyInitialization displaying first form and immediately close that.
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Works fine – and nice how easy you kept it!
Only flicker in the taskbar and in between changing the forms is not really desireable
Thanks though
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Works like a charm! Your instructions are almost complete but I would like to add the following:
Add following to each form:
private WizardData wData;
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Nice one , really helped to create a prototype wizard
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Really Works Fine.
But flickering is the major issue. Even DoubleBuffering can’t solve the flickering issue. I think it should be a single form displaying the controls based on the Previous & Next button clicks.
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To eliminate the flickering you can try using panels. Using the methods show() and hide() for those panels with the next and previous buttons. The result is pretty nice!
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Thanks!
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I’m having the same problem as ashwani, the wData isn’t initializing
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Add following to each form
private WizardData wData;
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I think that a single form solution with a user control for each step would be more elegant since that would eliminate the taskbar flickering someone mentioned earlier.
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Thank you good job.
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My problem is that I receiving two err:
No overload for method ‘SecondStep’ takes ‘1’ arguments
No overload for method ‘ThirdStep’ takes ‘1’ arguments
Where could be a problem?
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@Martin:
I think you have created a form1 in different name.
here in the above explaination the form name is “FirstStep”, where as in my application i have named my form as “Form1”
replace the name of your form-1-name. with this u should be able to fix those errors.
all these u have to do in ur form1.cs file… similarly with the case of form 2 and 3.
public Form1(WizardData wd)
{
this.wData = wd;
InitializeComponent();
}
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Thank you for this
BTW: Do you live in that place(scenery)? it so beautiful.
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Thanks Arif !!
Unfortunately no !! 🙂
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First of all. Thanks very much for your useful post.
I just came across your blog and wanted to drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with the
information you have posted here.
Please let me introduce you some info related to this post and I hope that it is useful for community.
There is a good C# resource site, Have alook
http://CSharpTalk.com
Thanks again
Rahul
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I have a problem, I can’t close the windows using the icon on the top right.
Do you have any idea?
Thanks
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Thank you for this, but i have the problem .
for example textBox1.text in the First Step(first Form) from to transfer textbox.text Secon step(second form) how can i do ? (form to form data transfer)
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