Introduction to VB.NET

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Introduction to VB.NET

• Tonga Institute of Higher Education

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Programming Basics

• Program / Application A set of instructions
  that a computer uses to do something.
• Programming / Developing The act of creating or
  changing a program
• Programmer / Developer A person who makes a
  program
• Run / Execute The act of using a program
• Source Code Code written in a programming
  language by a developer.
• Every program was created by someone
• Computers use special languages
• Programmers use special languages to create or
  change a program

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Introduction to Visual Basic .Net

• Visual Basic .Net (VB.Net) is a programming
  language created by Microsoft.
• http//msdn.microsoft.com
• Many programmers use VB.Net
• VB.Net is an object oriented language.

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Impact on Visual Basic 6.0

• Visual Basic 6 is old technology
• Visual Basic 6 will still be used for many years
  to maintain existing programs
• The future of Visual Basic development is Visual
  Basic .NET

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Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)

• IDEs are programs designed to make programming
  easier.
• Graphical Interface is intuitive
• Program management is easier
• Source code is easier to read
• Errors are easier to fix
• Too many features to list!
• You do not need an IDE to create a program. But
  they are very helpful.
• There are a few different IDEs for VB.Net. But
  most VB.Net developers use Visual Studio .Net.
  (VS.Net)

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First Look at VS.NET
Options you can look at
Allows you to customize your IDE
Different windows you can use
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Setting Up Your Environment

• You cannot save files to the C Drive
• You must save files to the P Drive
• We want to organize our files on the P Drive
• Use good names
• Keep related files in the same location
• To tell VS.Net to use your P Drive
• Start VS.Net
• Go to Tools -gt Options
• Go to Environment -gt Project and Solutions
• Change Visual Studio Projects Location to your
  folder on the P drive. (You may create a new
  folder if you click the Browse button)
• Click OK button

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Demonstration

• Setting up VS.Net

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Class Exercise

• Start VS.Net
• Setup VS.Net to save to a directory on your P
  drive

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How to Make and Run a Program

• Create a new project
• Click on Projects tab
• Click on New Project button
• Enter HelloWorld as the name of the new
  project.
• Make sure that the Windows Application template
  is selected.
• Click the OK button
• Start the application
• Click on Debug -gt Start menu item

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Demonstration

• How to Make and Run a Program HelloWorld

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Class Exercise

• Create a Windows Application
• The name of the Windows Application is HelloWorld
• Run the program

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Solutions and Projects

• Solution An organizer for projects.
• A solution can contain many projects
• Project An organizer for a program.
• A project can include many files.

• Examples of how Solutions and Projects work
  together
• Molisi Management Solution
• Customer Project
• Financial Project
• Manager Project
• Homework 1 Solution
• Program 1
• Program 2
• Homework 8 Solution
• Big Program

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Solutions and Projects
Make sure the correct item Is selected

• To make a new solution, go to File -gt New -gt
  Blank Solution
• A solution can contain many projects
• To make a new project, go to File -gt New -gt
  Project
• A project can include many files.
• The same window is used for creating Solutions
  and Projects

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Projects

• There are many different kinds of project we can
  make.
• This class focuses on Windows Applications

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Best Practices

• Keep your Solution and Project names simple and
  descriptive
• Good Examples Assignment5, Bank, Customer
• Bad Examples ILoveYou, IMissYou, INeedYou
• Dont use spaces in your names

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Demonstration

• Creating Solutions and Projects

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Adding Forms to a Project

• A form is a window
• To add forms to a project
• Solution Explorer -gt Project Name -gt Right Click
  -gt Add -gt Add Windows Form
• Enter the name of the new form

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Adding Projects to a Solution

• To add projects to a solution
• Solution Explorer -gt Right Click -gt Add -gt New
  Project
• Select the project type
• Enter the name of the new form

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Demonstration

• Adding Forms to a Project and
• Adding Projects to a Solution

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Setting Startup Projects

• A solution may contain more than 1 project
• To tell Visual Studio .NET which project should
  be started when the solution is run
• Solution Explorer -gt Project Name -gt Set as
  Startup Project

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Setting Startup Objects

• Often, your project has more than 1 object that
  can be started
• To tell Visual Studio .NET which object should be
  started when the program is run
• Solution Explorer -gt Project Name -gt Right Click
  -gt Common Properties -gt General -gt Startup Object

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Demonstration

• Selecting a Startup Project and Selecting a
  Startup Object

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Stumbling Blocks

• You cant change properties when a program is
  running
• If you rename a file, make sure you keep the .vb
  extension
• Make sure youre saving to the P drive

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Class Exercise

• Create a solution called MyFirstSolution
• Create 2 projects inside MyFirstSolution
• Each project will have 2 forms
• All 4 forms will have different colors
• Practice Running each different form

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Behind the Scenes - 1

• All files are stored on the computer
• The location is determined by your settings
• 2 Folders exist
• Bin Contains the files needed to run the
  program
• To give the program to someone else, copy these
  files to their computer
• The running the .exe file will begin the program
• Obj Contains the files needed to debug (fix)
  the program
• These are useful when fixing errors in a program
• When you start the application this way Click
  on Debug -gt Start menu item, files are
  automatically created for you in both folders

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Demonstration

• Creating, Deleting and Executing Files Behind the
  Scenes

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Behind the Scenes - 2

• All files are stored on the computer
• The location is determined by your settings
• Solutions and Projects use different files
• Solutions
• ltSolutionNamegt.sln
• ltSolutionNamegt.suo
• Projects
• AssemblyInfo.vb
• ltProjectNamegt.vbproj
• ltProjectNamegt.vbproj.user
• The organization of the files is determined by
  the order that you create the solutions and
  projects in

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Demonstration

• Viewing Solution and Project Files

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Behind the Scenes - 3

• The organization of the files is determined by
  the order you create solutions and projects
• From a clean start
• If a solution is created first, a folder is
  created
• The solutions name is the name of the folder
• The solutions files are inside this folder
• If a project is added to the solution, a folder
  is created inside of the solution folder
• The projects name is the name of the folder
• The projects files are inside this folder

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Demonstration

• File Organization when Solution is Created First

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Behind the Scenes - 4

• The organization of the files is determined by
  the order you create solutions and projects
• From a clean start
• If a project is created first, a folder is
  created
• The projects name is the name of the folder
• The projects files are inside this folder
• The solutions files are also inside this folder

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Demonstration

• File Organization when Project is Created First

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Class Activity

• What will happen for these different solution /
  project creation scenarios?

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Continuing Work on a Program

• Always open your Solution or Project file.
• Solution files .sln
• Project files .vbproj
• Some files depend on other files. If you only
  open a .vb file, your references may not be
  correctly setup. Therefore, your application may
  not work.
• If you open a project file without a solution
  file
• The solution files are automatically created
• You will be asked to save the files when you exit
  VS .Net

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Demonstration

• Show how Solution files are automatically created

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VS.NET Windows - 1

• How do we write programs?
• Write the code
• Fix any errors
• Bug - An error in a program
• Debug The act of removing errors from a program
• Many windows are available to help you create
  code and debug your programs better

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VS.NET Windows - 2

• Solution Explorer
• Shows all the projects in your solution
• Shows all the files in each project
• ToolBox
• Allows you to add controls to your form
• Properties
• Allows you to change object properties
• Task List
• Shows all current syntax errors
• Tracks pending changes and additions to code
• Todo
• Right Click on column header and go to Show Tasks
  to change what is displayed

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Demonstration

• VS.Net Windows

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Managing Your Windows
Docked Windows

• Windows can dock in different parts of your
  screen
• Many windows docked in the same location are
  organized with tabs
• The pin allows you to choose whether you want the
  windows to hide when you are not using them
• Only show the windows you want to use!

Tabs
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Demonstration

• Managing Windows

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VS.NET Features

• Outlining
• Region RegionName
• End Region
• Intellisense
• Helps you choose the word you want to type
• Ctrl Space
• Autocode
• Creates code automatically for you
• Use ComboBoxes in code view
• Lines to Separate Methods

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Demonstration

• Other VS.Net Features