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ACTIVITY 1 Introduction to Microsoft Visual

Basic .Net
Objectives:
Introduction study about BASIC, VISUAL BASIC and VISUAL BASIC .NET
Parts of VB .NET IDE
Common controls in VB .NET
Visual Basic VISUAL BASIC is a high level programming language which evolved
from the earlier DOS version called BASIC. BASIC means Beginners' All-purpose
Symbolic Instruction Code. It is a very easy programming language to learn.
However, people prefer to use Microsoft Visual Basic today, as it is a well-developed
programming language and supporting resources are available everywhere. Now,
there are many versions of VB exist in the market, the most popular one and still
widely used by many VB programmers is none other than Visual Basic 6. We also
have VB.net, VB2005, VB2008 and VB2010. VISUAL BASIC is a VISUAL and events
driven Programming Language. These are the main divergence from the old BASIC.
BASIC

VISUAL BASIC

programming is done in a text-only

environment and the program is
executed sequentially

programming is done in a graphical

environment

you have to write program code for

each graphical object you wish to
display it on screen, including its
properties

you just need to drag and drop any

graphical object anywhere on the form,
and you can change its properties
through using the properties windows

single program

many subprograms that are linked to

one another

Table 1.1: BASIC vs VISUAL BASIC

Short History of Visual Basic
Alan Cooper is considered the father of Visual Basic.
In 1987, a program called Ruby is made that delivered visual programming to
the average programmer/user.
The drag and drop design for creating the user interface is derived from a
prototype form generator developed by Alan Cooper and his company called
Tripod
Tripod did not include a programming language at all. Microsoft decided to
combine Ruby with the Basic language to create Visual Basic.

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Microsoft Visual Basic .NET is a programming environment that allows you to
build programs for the Windows operating system or any operating system that
supports Microsofts .NET architecture. Visual Basic .NET is the seventh version of
Microsofts Visual Basic programming environment. By adding .NET to the name,
Visual Basic, Microsoft indicates Visual Basics tight integration with Microsofts .NET
initiative. It is often see Visual Basic .NET referred with the abbreviation, VB .NET.
Visual basic .NET is based on the Visual Basic programming language, which
evolved from BASIC.
Application Types
Windows Application allows developers to create Windows Application with
a graphical user interface (GUI). The windows GUI provides visual cues such
as menus, buttons, and icons that allow a user to enter a data and
instructions into the computer.
Console Application allows developers to create programs that run within
windows command prompt environment. (Windows and Console Applications
are both stand-alone application that does not require other applications or
data sources to run in the operating system)
Web Applications can be used to create complete Web sites and pages that
run in almost any Web browser on any operating system. When you create
and run a Web using Visual Basic .NET, the program code is converted into a
standard Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
Windows Services is a program that runs in an operating system and
performs tasks such as maintenance, information gathering, security, and
notifications but requires no user interaction.
Web Services is a program that provides information to another program
over the WEB, but does not have user interface. The information provided
usually is specific and well defined.
Components can create components for other programs to use. These are
pre-built program that can be used by other programs or applications to
complete a task or process.

Development of an Application in Visual Basic - An application can be

developed by the following steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Create a Form
Place controls on the form
Set properties of the controls
Add code to handle methods and events of the controls at the code window.

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Integrated development environment - IDEs typically present a single program
in which all development is done. This program typically provides many features for
authoring, modifying, compiling, deploying and debugging software. An IDE
normally consists of:

a source code editor

a compiler and/or an interpreter
build automation tools
a debugger

Title Bar

Menu Bar

Toolbar

Code Editor Window Solution E

Figure 1.1 Visual Basic 2010 Express Start Page

Tool Box

Status Bar

Form Layout Window

Properties Window

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Figure 1.2 Visual Basic 2010 IDE

1. Title Bar Appears at the top of the VB Window and displays the title of the
project. By default, the VB gives the name such as WindowsApplication1,
WindowsApplication2, etc.
2. Menu Bar Contains drop-down menus. A standard command like: File, Edit,
View, Window, Help menus, and specific command such as: Project, Format,
or Debug menus.
3. Toolbar It contains the most commonly used commands (button), if clicked
an action represented by that button is carried out.
4. Tool Box it contains a collection of icons of common tools and controls that
are needed for project design.
5. Form Layout Window Primary work area that forms the interface of the
program. By using the form layout window, the user can add controls,
graphics, and text to create the desired form appearance.
6. Code Editor Window Code Editor Window is used to write a VB code for an
application. For each form there is a separate code editor.
7. Solution Explorer Window It is a list of the forms and modules for the
current projects.
8. Properties Window it is a List of properties settings for a selected form or a
control. These properties are characteristics (such as size, visible, or color) of
the selected object it provides an easy way to set properties.
9. Status Bar displays the current state of the Visual Basic .NET IDE.

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Controls Tools are controls that could be selected from Toolbox to be placed on
form. The toolbox includes many tools and in general they are:
Pointer

Button

Label

TextBox

GroupBox

PictureBox

CheckBox

RadioButton

ComboBox

ListBox

Chart

Timer

LineShape

OvalShape

RectangleShape

DateTimePicker