Visual Basic Terms

IDE –The Integrated Development Environment consists of all the tools we need to create Visual
Basic programs: an Editor, a Compiler, a Debugger, an object Browser, and Context Sensitive
Help.

Object - An object is a thing a noun. It consists of code and data that work together as a unit.

Control - Object attached to a Form

• Button
• Check Box
• Combo Box
• Group Box
• Label
• List Box
• Radio Button
• Scroll Bar
• Text Box

Form - Container or windows for other forms and controls

Property - Attribute or characteristic of an object. An adjective

Setting - Current value of a property. Initial value established in property window but can be
altered using code.

Some properties:

Text - Appears in title bar of form or no the face of a Button. Also the Value displayed or typed
in a text window is stored in the Text property. (An access key can be created for a control by
inserting an & before a letter in the Text property. Pressing the Alt key and the access key can
then activate the button.) The Text property is not related to the Name property.

Name - The name used to refer to the object while writing code. Similar to a variable name.
Must begin with a letter and be no more than 40 characters long. Objects are given default names
when created. It is suggested you rename objects using standard prefixes for each control type
followed a word that describes its function.

• txtFilename
• frmLab3
• btnCalculate

BackColor – Controls the background color of a control or Form

Font – Determines the font style and size of any text printed on the control

TabStop - A Boolean property which determines whether the control can receive focus. The
Object that is active or ready for input is said to “have focus”.

TabIndex - Controls the order focus travels around the Form. The TabIndex can be set in the
Properties window or via the View/View Tab Order.

AutoSize - A Boolean property that determines if a labels size is determined by the size of the
contents of the Text property.

AcceptButton - The property of a Form used to specify which button will be activated when the
Enter key is pressed

CancelButton - The property of a Form used to specify which button will be activated when the
Cancel key is pressed.

Image - The property of a PictureBox used to specify the image to be displayed in the
PictureBox.

Object Oriented – An approach to programming that allows for defining objects, their properties
and methods. Objects can be reused.

Event Driven - A program is written to respond to actions taken by the user. The user is
somewhat in control of the order of operations.

Event - An action that is recognized by an object. Events can be triggered by the user, called
directly by the program or are triggered by code within a program.

• Click
• KeyPress
• Enter
• Load
• TextChanged
• GotFocus
• MouseHover

Event Procedure / Event Handler - Code written to respond to an event

Event Procedure Name - objectname_event

btnPrint_click()

txtUserinput_change()

Code - Instructions
 • Declaration statements (reserve memory for instance of variable or procedures)

Variable - A named area of memory used to store one value at a time.

Data type - Determines the kind of data (String, Integer, Long, Decimal, Single, Double) that can
be stored in a variable

Dim decGrossPay As Decimal

• Executable statements (perform an action, Assignment statements, procedure/method

calls)

Format : [Link] = setting

or

VariableName = constant, variable, or expression

[Link] = “”

[Link] = True

decGrossPay = decHoursWorked * decPayRate

Operator - Usually symbols, indicates the action to be applied to operands in an expression.

( ) * / \ mod + - & = += *= -=

Constants - Values that cannot change, may be numeric or string

6.5 "Parkland College" 34d

Reserved / Key Words - Words that have special meaning to a computer language

End, Public, Sub

Class – A template for an object. A description of an object of that class., its initial property
settings and any methods/procedures associated with the class.

Method - A procedure that is connected to an object , an action an object is capable of

performing, a verb.

Format: [Link]
'Causes focus to go to the textbox named txtNumHours
[Link]

'Clears the contents displayed in the textbox named [Link]

'Highlights the Text displayed in the textbox named txtHourlyRate

[Link]

'Explicitly casts the value passed to it to an Integer data type. (passed value MUST be numeric)
xxxxx = Convert.ToInt32(xxxx)

Syntax Error – Violation of the rules of the language

Syntax is language specific, different for different languages

Run Time Error / Unhandled Exception

When a statement is syntactically correct but causes a fatal error when the computer attempts to
execute it an Exception occurs.

Logic Error - When the program does exactly what you tell it to but not what you want it to a
logic error has occurred

Debugging - The process of finding and fixing errors / bugs in a program