Visual Basic Introduction

IDS 306
from Shelly, Cashman & Repede
Microsoft Visual Basic 5: Complete
Concepts and Techniques
 Processing
• Parallel Processing -- more than one CPU
(each with its own memory); able to carry
out more than one instruction at a time
• Multitasking -- one processor, moves back
and forth between programs
 Graphical User Interface (GUI)
•
Design
Should be under user’s control
user should be able to customize
• Form should follow function
• Use concepts and metaphors familiar to user;
parallel real-world experience
• Visually and functionally consistent
• Immediate feedback
• Attempt to prevent user mistakes
 Program Development Life
Cycle (PDLC)
Methodology -- organized plan that breaks process
into steps
• Analyze the problem
• Design the problem
• Code the program
• Test and debug program
• Formalize solution
• Maintain the program
 Hierarchical Input Process
Output (HIPO) Chart
• A.k.a. hierarchy chart or top-down chart
• Represents subdivision of activities visually
• Lowest level instruction -- procedure

p. I.7
 Flow Chart
• Process Symbol
• Input/Output (I/O)
• Flowline
• Annotation
• Decision
• Terminal
• Connector
• Predefined Process
p. I.7
 Major Constructs of Structured
Programming
• Control Structures
– Sequence
– Selection
• Case
– Repetition
• Do…While
• Do…Until
 Control Structures
• Sequence Control Structure -- used to show a
single action or one action followed in order
(sequentially by another)
• Selection Control Structure -- used to tell the
program which action to take based on a certain
condition
• Case Control Structure -- form of selection that
allows for more than two alternatives
 Control Structures (cont.)
• Repetition Control Structure -- a.k.a. looping or
iteration; used when a set of actions is performed
repeatedly
– Do...While loop repeats as long as condition is true (may
never execute)
– Do...Until loop evaluates condition at end of the loop
(will always execute at least once)
• Nested Control Structure -- contained within other
control structures
 Object-Oriented Programming
(OOP)
• Object -- anything real or abstract, about
which you store both data and operations
that manipulate the data
• Class -- an implementation that can be used
to create multiple objects with the same
attributes and behavior
• Object is and Instance of a Class
 Generalization Hierarchy

p. I.11
• Object-oriented design tool used to show the
relationships among classes of objects
 Object-Oriented Terms
• Attribute -- identifying characteristics of
individual objects, such as name or color
• Operation -- an activity that reads or
manipulates the data of an object; called
service in OOD, in OOP called a method
• Message -- has two parts: name of object to
which message is sent, name of operation that
will be performed. In OOP called event
 Object Structure Diagram

p. I.12
 Event Diagram

p. I.13

• Used to represent relationships among events and

operations
• Operations shown in rounded rectangles
• Events shown on lines with arrows
 Major Constructs of OOP
• Encapsulation
• Inheritance
• Polymorphism
 Encapsulation
• Capability of an object to have data
(properties) and functionality (methods)
available to the user without the user having
to understand the implementation within the
object
• Also called information hiding
• Process of hiding the implementation details
of an object from its user
 Inheritance
• A descendent class (subclass) that differs
from its superclass in only one way contains
just the code or data necessary to explain
the difference
• Also known as subclassing
 Polymorphism
• Allows an instruction to be given to an
object in a generalized rather than specific
detailed command
• Same command will get different but
predictable results depending on object
receiving command
• Specific actions, internal to object differ,
results are the same
Rapid Application Development
(RAD)
• Use of prebuilt objects to make program
development much faster
• Shorter development life cycles
• Easier maintenance
• Capability to reuse components
 Benefits of OOP
• Reusability -- classes designed to be reused in
many systems or create modified classes using
inheritance
• Stability -- classes designed for repeated reuse,
become stable over time
• Easier Design -- object is a black box
• Faster Design -- can be created from existing
components
 Prototyping
• Process where developers iterate between
refining the specifications and building
working models of the system
 Visual Basic
• Properties -- attributes of objects
• Controls -- check boxes, list boxes, etc.
• Forms -- windows that contain application’s
controls
• Events -- messages or requests for service
• Procedures -- operations or services
– include methods, functions, subroutines
 Creating VB Applications
• Create the interface
• Set the properties
• Write the code