problems compiling first Windows application

[thedougster]

I tried to compile a Windows Forms Application in Visual C# 2008 Express with this source code from the CSharpSchool tutorial at Programmer's Heaven:

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Drawing;
namespace CSharpSchool
{
    class HelloWinForm
    {
        static void Main ()
        {
            Application.Run (new MyWindow ());
        }
    }
    class MyWindow : Form
    {
        public MyWindow () : base ()
        {
            this.Text = "My First Windows Application";
            this.Size = new Size (300, 300);
            Label lblGreeting = new Label ();
            lblGreeting.Text = "Hello WinForm";
            lblGreeting.Location = new Point (100, 100);
            this.Controls.Add (lblGreeting);
        }
    }
}

but I got these errors:

Error 1 Program 'C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Local Settings\Application Data\Temporary Projects\HelloWinForm\obj\Release\HelloWinForm.exe' has more than one entry point defined: 'HelloWinForm.Test.Main()'. Compile with /main to specify the type that contains the entry point. C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Local Settings\Application Data\Temporary Projects\HelloWinForm\Form1.cs 8 21 HelloWinForm

Error 2 Program 'C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Local Settings\Application Data\Temporary Projects\HelloWinForm\obj\Release\HelloWinForm.exe' has more than one entry point defined: 'HelloWinForm.Program.Main()'. Compile with /main to specify the type that contains the entry point. C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Local Settings\Application Data\Temporary Projects\HelloWinForm\Program.cs 14 21 HelloWinForm

Error 3 'HelloWinForm.Form1.Dispose(bool)': no suitable method found to override C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Local Settings\Application Data\Temporary Projects\HelloWinForm\Form1.Designer.cs 14 33 HelloWinForm

Feeding this into a search engine:

"visual c#" "Compile with /main"

yielded this link:

Compiler Error CS0017
Visual C# Reference: Errors and Warnings. Compiler Error CS0017 ... Compile with /main to specify the type that contains the entry point. ...
msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t9k01y87.aspx

which said:

If you are using MS Visual Studio and do not want to delete the other Main() methods you can specify the class which you want as you Entry Point in Startup Object in the Project Properties under Application Tab (at least for VS2008 Express)

Going to:

Project | HelloWinForm Properties | Application | Startup Object

I discovered it wasn't set. Setting it to either HelloWinForm.Test or HelloWinForm.Program, the first two problems disappear, but not the third. I can't see how this code has more than one entry point, and I'm not at all clear on why the compiler requires these gyrations in Startup Object. None of these issues are mentioned by CSharpSchool, which claims the code I used will run as written. This is my first Windows app, and WOW! am I in the dark on this. What gives? Maybe I should just get a different tutorial. Any explanations of this or, failing that, any suggestions for which tutorial(s) I should use?

 

[jmeckley]

this search may be more helpful

http://www.google.com/search?q=Program++has+more+than+one+entry+point&btnG=Search

googling exception types and messages is the best way to find out how to solve the problem. removing the program specific details from the search.

the compiler doesn't know how to start your application. both Form1 and Program are valid entry points. looking at your code above, I don't see Form1 anywhere. maybe this object have not been deleted from the code.

Jason Meckley
Programmer
Specialty Bakers, Inc.