1. Chapter 1: An Introduction to Visual Basic .NET
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

2. Creating a Windows-Based Application in Visual Basic
Creating a Windows-Based Application in Visual Basic .NET Lesson A Objectives
Start and customize Visual Studio.NET
Create a Visual Studio .NET solution
Add a Visual Basic .NET project to a solution
Set the properties of an object
Restore a property to its default setting
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

3. Creating a Windows-Based Application in Visual Basic
Creating a Windows-Based Application in Visual Basic .NET Lesson A Objectives (continued)
Save a solution, project, and form
Close a solution
Open an existing solution
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

4. Starting and Customizing Visual Studio .NET
Visual Studio .NET is Microsoft’s newest integrated development environment (IDE)
Includes programming languages such as Visual Basic .NET, C++ .NET, and C# .NET
A Windows-based application has a Windows user interface and runs on a desktop computer
A user interface is what you see and interact with when using an application
A Web-based application has a Web user interface and runs on a server
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

5. Starting and Customizing Visual Studio .NET (continued)
Windows in the Visual Studio .NET IDE:
Start Page
Solution Explorer
Server Explorer
Toolbox
Class View
Dynamic Help
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

6. Starting and Customizing Visual Studio .NET (continued)
Figure 1-3: Projects pane in the Start Page window
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

7. Creating the Copyright Screen Application
Applications created in Visual Studio .NET are composed of solutions, projects, and files
A solution is a container that stores the projects and files for an entire application
A project is a container that stores files associated with only a specific piece of the solution
To create an application:
Create a blank Visual Studio .NET solution
Add one or more projects to the solution
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

8. Creating the Copyright Screen Application (continued)
Figure 1-6: New Project dialog box used to create a blank solution
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

9. Creating the Copyright Screen Application (continued)
Figure 1-9: New Visual Basic .NET project added to the solution
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

10. The Windows Form Designer Window
Windows Form Designer window is where you create (or design) the graphical user interface (GUI) for your project
You create the user interface by adding other objects (such as buttons and text boxes) to a Windows Form object (or form)
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

11. The Windows Form Designer Window (continued)
Figure 1-11: Windows Form Designer window
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

12. The Solution Explorer Window
The Solution Explorer window displays:
A list of projects contained in the current solution
Items contained in each project
The Solution Explorer window shows that the Copyright Solution contains one project named Copyright Project
Within the Copyright Project is:
A References folder
Two files: AssemblyInfo.vb and Form1.vb
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

13. The Solution Explorer Window (continued)
Figure 1-12: Solution Explorer window
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

14. The Properties Window
Each object has a set of attributes, called properties, that determine its appearance and behavior
The Properties window exposes the object’s properties to the programmer
The Properties window includes an Object box and a Properties list
The Properties window can be used to change a property of an object
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

15. The Properties Window (continued)
Figure 1-15: Properties window showing the properties of the Form1.vb file object
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

16. Properties of the Windows Form Object
The Windows Form object has a set of properties
Properties of the Windows Form object will appear in the Properties window when you select the Windows Form object in the designer window
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

17. Properties of the Windows Form Object (continued)
Important properties of the Windows Form object:
Name property
Text property
StartPosition property
Size property
BackgroundImage property
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

18. Saving a Solution Options for saving a solution:
Click File on the menu bar, and then click Save All
Click the Save All button on the Standard toolbar
Select the solution’s name in the Solution Explorer window, and then click the Save button on the Standard toolbar
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

19. Closing the Current Solution
You close a solution using the Close Solution option on the File menu
When you close a solution, all projects and files contained in the solution also are closed
If unsaved changes were made to the solution, project, or form, a dialog box opens and prompts you to save the appropriate files
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

20. Opening an Existing Solution
To open an existing solution:
Click File on the menu bar and then click Open Solution
Select the appropriate solution file in the Open Solution dialog box
Only one solution can be open in the IDE at any one time
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

21. Exiting Visual Studio .NET
You exit an application using either:
The Close button on the application window’s title bar
The Exit option on the File menu
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

22. Working with Controls Lesson B Objectives
Add a control to a form
Set the properties of a label, picture box, and button control
Select multiple controls
Center controls on the form
Set the properties of a project
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

23. Working with Controls Lesson B Objectives (continued)
Start and end an application
Enter code in the Code Editor window
Terminate an application using the Me.Close method
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

24. The Toolbox Window
The Toolbox window, or toolbox, contains the tools and other components you use when designing a user interface
The contents of the toolbox vary depending on the designer in use
Tools in the toolbox allow you to create objects, called controls, that can be displayed on a form
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

25. The Toolbox Window (continued)
The Windows Form tab
Contains the tools you use when designing your user interface
Contains 47 basic tools
You can add new tools or delete existing tools
By default, the tools on the Windows Form tab are listed in order by their estimated frequency of use, with the most used tools listed first
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

26. Using the Label Tool You use the Label tool to create a label control
The purpose of a label control is to display text that the user is not allowed to edit while the application is running
Assigning meaningful names to the controls on a form will help you keep track of the various controls in the user interface
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

27. Using the Label Tool (continued)
Used to display data that users cannot change
Property
Description
Name
Identifies the object in code
Text
Displays information
AutoSize
Determines if the object resizes itself to display all Text
Location
Sets the X and Y coordinates for where label is displayed
Font
Characteristics of the displayed Text
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

28. Changing the Property for More Than One Control at a Time
You can use the Font property to change the appearance of many of the objects in your user interface
The Font property allows you to change the type, style, and size of the font used to display the text in the object
A font is the general shape of the characters in the text
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

29. Changing the Property for More Than One Control at a Time (continued)
Font sizes are typically measured in points, with one point equaling 1/72 of an inch
One reason for changing a font is to bring attention to a specific part of the screen
You can change the font size for both controls at the same time by clicking one control and then pressing and holding down the Control key as you click the other control in the form
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

30. Changing the Property for More Than One Control at a Time (continued)
You can use the Control+Click method to select as many controls as you want
To cancel the selection of one of the selected controls, press and hold down the Control key as you click the control
To cancel the selection of all of the selected controls, release the Control key, then click the form or an unselected control on the form
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

31. Using the Format Menu
Align option aligns two or more controls by their left, right, top, or bottom borders
Make Same Size option makes two or more controls the same width and/or height
Center in Form option centers one or more controls either horizontally or vertically on the form
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

32. Using the PictureBox Tool
You can include a logo by displaying the logo in a picture box control, which you create using the PictureBox tool
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

33. Using the Button Tool
Every Windows application should give the user a way to exit the program
Most Windows applications provide either an Exit option on a File menu or an Exit button for this purpose
In Windows applications, a button control performs an immediate action when clicked
You create a button using the Button tool in the toolbox
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

34. Starting and Ending an Application
You can start an application by:
Clicking Debug on the menu bar, and then clicking Start
Or, pressing the F5 key on your keyboard
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

35. Starting and Ending an Application (continued)
You can stop the copyright screen application by:
Clicking the Close button on the form’s title bar
Or, clicking the designer window to make it the active window, then clicking Debug on the menu bar, and then clicking Stop Debugging
Or, pressing Shift+F5
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

36. Writing Visual Basic .NET Code
Users actions—such as clicking, double-clicking, and scrolling—are called events
The set of Visual Basic .NET code that tells an object how to respond to an event is called an event procedure
A class definition is a block of code that specifies (or defines) the attributes and behaviors of an object
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

37. Writing Visual Basic .NET Code (continued)
The Class Name list box lists the names of the objects included in the user interface
The Method Name list box lists the events to which the selected object is capable of responding
Code Editor provides you with a code template for every event procedure
First line in the Code template is the procedure header
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

38. Writing Visual Basic .NET Code (continued)
Last line in the Code template is the procedure footer
A keyword is a word that has a special meaning in a programming language
The Sub keyword refers to a block of code that performs a specific task
The Private keyword indicates that the procedure can be used only within the class in which it is defined
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

39. Writing Visual Basic .NET Code (continued)
Parameters represent information that is passed to the procedure when it is invoked
A method is a predefined Visual Basic .NET procedure that you can call (or invoke) when needed
When you call the Me.Close method, Visual Basic .NET terminates the current application
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

40. Writing Visual Basic .NET Code (continued)
Private Sub uiExitButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles uiExitButton.Click
Private Sub
Indicates the start of a code unit that can only be used in this class
uiExitButton_Click
The name of the procedures is the object name and event name connected with an underscore
sender As Object
Identifies the object creating the event
e As System.EventArgs
Identifies specific information about the event
Handles
Identifies the object and event that this procedure will handle
The uiExitButton’s Click event procedure
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

41. Writing Visual Basic .NET Code (continued)
Private Sub uiExitButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles uiExitButton.Click
Me.Close()
End Sub
The event procedure
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

42. Completing the Copyright Screen Lesson C Objectives
Set the properties of a timer control
Delete a control from the form
Delete code from the Code Editor window
Code the timer control’s Tick event
Remove and/or disable the Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons
Prevent the user from sizing a form
Print the project’s code
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

43. Using the Timer Tool
Splash screens typically use a timer control to automatically remove the splash screen after a set period of time
You create a timer control using the Timer tool in the toolbox
You can use a timer control to process code at regular time intervals
You set the timer control’s Interval property to the length of the desired time interval, in milliseconds
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

44. Using the Timer Tool (continued)
You also set its Enabled property to True
The Enabled property determines whether an object can respond to an event
You then enter the code you want processed into the control’s Tick event procedure
The Tick event procedure tells the computer what to do after each time interval has elapsed
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

45. Using the Timer Tool (continued)
Figure 1-35: Timer control placed in the component tray
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

46. Setting the FormBorderStyle Property
The FormBorderStyle property determines the border style of a Windows Form object
FromBorderStyle setting
Description
Fixed3D
Fixed, three-dimensional
FixedDialog
Fixed, thick dialog-style
FixedSingle
Fixed, thin line
FixedToolWindow
Fixed, tool window style
None
No border
Sizable
Sizable, normal style (default)
SizableToolWindow
Sizable, tool window style
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

47. The MinimizeBox, MaximizeBox, and ControlBox Properties
You can use a Windows Form object’s MinimizeBox property to disable the Minimize button
You can use the MaximizeBox property to disable the Maximize button
Splash screens typically do not contain a title bar
You can remove the title bar by setting the Windows Forms object’s ControlBox property to False, and then removing the text from its Text property
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

48. Printing Your Code
You always should print a copy of the code entered in the Code Editor window, because the printout will help you understand and maintain the application in the future
To print the code, the Code editor window must be the active, or current, window
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

49. Summary
To create a blank solution, click File on the menu bar, point to New, and then click Blank Solution
You can add a new project to the current solution by clicking File on the menu bar, pointing to Add Project, and then clicking New Project
To save a solution, click File on the menu bar, and then click Save All
To open an existing solution, click File on the menu bar, and then click Open Solution
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

50. Summary (continued)
To add a control to a form, click the appropriate tool in the toolbox, but do not release the mouse button, drag the mouse pointer to the form, and release the mouse button
To select multiple controls, click one control, then Control+click each of the other controls
One way to open the Code Editor window is to right-click anywhere on the form (except the form’s title bar), and then click View Code on the context menu
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition

51. Summary (continued)
Use the Timer tool to perform code at specified intervals of time
Set the form’s FormBorderStyle property to control the border style of the form
To print the Visual Basic .NET code, open the Code Editor window, click File on the menu bar, click Print, and then click the OK button in the Print dialog box
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition