How to restructure this code into separate classes?

Question

I have C# code that initializes a force feedback joystick and plays an effect file(vibrates the joystick). I have turn the console application into library
code to make a dll so that I can use it in LabVIEW. 
Right now all the code is written under one class, so went I put the dll in LabVIEW I can only select that one class. labVIEW guy told me that I need to
restructure my C# code into separate classes. Each class that I want to access from LabVIEW needs to marked as public. Then I can instantiate that class in LabVIEW using a constructor, and call methods and set properties of that class using invoke nodes and
property nodes.
How can I do this correctly? I tried changing some of them into classes but doesn't work. Can you guys take a look at the code to see if it is even possible
to break the code into separate classes? Also, if it is possible can you guide me, suggest some reading/video, etc.
Thank you
using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Collections;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using Microsoft.DirectX.DirectInput;
namespace JoystickProject
/// <summary>
/// Summary description for Form1.
/// </summary>
public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form
private System.Windows.Forms.Label label1;
/// <summary>
/// Required designer variable.
/// </summary>
private System.ComponentModel.Container components = null;
private Device device = null;
private bool running = true;
private ArrayList effectList = new ArrayList();
private string joyState = "";
public bool InitializeInput()
// Create our joystick device
foreach(DeviceInstance di in Manager.GetDevices(DeviceClass.GameControl,
EnumDevicesFlags.AttachedOnly | EnumDevicesFlags.ForceFeeback))
// Pick the first attached joystick we see
device = new Device(di.InstanceGuid);
break;
if (device == null) // We couldn't find a joystick
return false;
device.SetDataFormat(DeviceDataFormat.Joystick);
device.SetCooperativeLevel(this, CooperativeLevelFlags.Exclusive | CooperativeLevelFlags.Background);
device.Properties.AxisModeAbsolute = true;
device.Properties.AutoCenter = false;
device.Acquire();
// Enumerate any axes
foreach(DeviceObjectInstance doi in device.Objects)
if ((doi.ObjectId & (int)DeviceObjectTypeFlags.Axis) != 0)
// We found an axis, set the range to a max of 10,000
device.Properties.SetRange(ParameterHow.ById,
doi.ObjectId, new InputRange(-5000, 5000));
// Load our feedback file
EffectList effects = null;
effects = device.GetEffects(@"C:\MyEffectFile.ffe",
FileEffectsFlags.ModifyIfNeeded);
foreach(FileEffect fe in effects)
EffectObject myEffect = new EffectObject(fe.EffectGuid, fe.EffectStruct,
device);
myEffect.Download();
effectList.Add(myEffect);
while(running)
UpdateInputState();
Application.DoEvents();
return true;
public void PlayEffects()
// See if our effects are playing.
foreach(EffectObject myEffect in effectList)
//if (button0pressed == true)
//MessageBox.Show("Button Pressed.");
// myEffect.Start(1, EffectStartFlags.NoDownload);
if (!myEffect.EffectStatus.Playing)
// If not, play them
myEffect.Start(1, EffectStartFlags.NoDownload);
//button0pressed = true;
protected override void OnClosed(EventArgs e)
running = false;
private void UpdateInputState()
PlayEffects();
// Check the joystick state
JoystickState state = device.CurrentJoystickState;
device.Poll();
joyState = "Using JoystickState: \r\n";
joyState += device.Properties.ProductName;
joyState += "\n";
joyState += device.ForceFeedbackState;
joyState += "\n";
joyState += state.ToString();
byte[] buttons = state.GetButtons();
for(int i = 0; i < buttons.Length; i++)
joyState += string.Format("Button {0} {1}\r\n", i, buttons[i] != 0 ? "Pressed" : "Not Pressed");
label1.Text = joyState;
//if(buttons[0] != 0)
//button0pressed = true;
public Form1()
// Required for Windows Form Designer support
InitializeComponent();
// TODO: Add any constructor code after InitializeComponent call
/// <summary>
/// Clean up any resources being used.
/// </summary>
protected override void Dispose( bool disposing )
if( disposing )
if (components != null)
components.Dispose();
base.Dispose( disposing );
#region Windows Form Designer generated code
/// <summary>
/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
/// </summary>
public void InitializeComponent()
this.label1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
this.SuspendLayout();
// label1
this.label1.BackColor = System.Drawing.SystemColors.ActiveCaptionText;
this.label1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(8, 8);
this.label1.Name = "label1";
this.label1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(272, 488);
this.label1.TabIndex = 0;
// Form1
this.AutoScaleBaseSize = new System.Drawing.Size(5, 13);
this.BackColor = System.Drawing.SystemColors.ControlText;
this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(288, 502);
this.Controls.AddRange(new System.Windows.Forms.Control[] {
this.label1});
this.Name = "Form1";
this.Text = "Joystick Stuff";
this.ResumeLayout(false);
#endregion
/// <summary>
/// The main entry point for the application.
/// </summary>
[STAThread]
static void Main()
using (Form1 frm = new Form1())
frm.Show();
if (!frm.InitializeInput())
MessageBox.Show("Couldn't find a joystick.");

Answer 1

Imho he means the following.
Your class has performs two tasks:
Controlling the joystick.
Managing the joystick with a form.
So I would recommend, that you separate the WinForm from the joystick code. E.g.
namespace JoystickCtlLib
public class JoystickControl
private Device device = null;
private bool running = true;
private ArrayList effectList = new ArrayList();
private string joyState = "";
public string State { get { return this.joyState; } }
public bool InitializeInput() { return true; }
public void PlayEffects() { }
private void UpdateInputState() { }
So that your joystick class does not reference or uses any winform or button.
btw, there is a thing which is more important than that: Your polling the device in the main thread of your application. This will block your main application. Imho this should be a job for a thread like background worker.