Chapter 1: An Introduction to Visual Basic .
NET
Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition
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
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
Starting and Customizing Visual Studio .NET
Visual Studio .NET is Microsofts 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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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The Windows Form Designer Window (continued)
Figure 1-11: Windows Form Designer window
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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
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The Solution Explorer Window (continued)
Figure 1-12: Solution Explorer window
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The Properties Window
Each object has a set of attributes, called properties, that determine its appearance and behavior The Properties window exposes the objects 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
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The Properties Window (continued)
Figure 1-15: Properties window showing the properties of the Form1.vb file object
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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
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Properties of the Windows Form Object (continued)
Important properties of the Windows Form object:
Name property Text property StartPosition property Size property BackgroundImage property
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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 solutions name in the Solution Explorer window, and then click the Save button on the Standard toolbar
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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
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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
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Exiting Visual Studio .NET
You exit an application using either:
The Close button on the application windows title bar The Exit option on the File menu
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Using the Label Tool (continued)
Used to display data that users cannot change
Property Description
Name
Text AutoSize Location Font
Identifies the object in code
Displays information Determines if the object resizes itself to display all Text Sets the X and Y coordinates for where label is displayed Characteristics of the displayed Text
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Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Second Edition
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Starting and Ending an Application (continued)
You can stop the copyright screen application by:
Clicking the Close button on the forms 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
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Writing Visual Basic .NET Code
Users actionssuch as clicking, double-clicking, and scrollingare 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
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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
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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
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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
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Writing Visual Basic .NET Code (continued)
Private Sub uiExitButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, _ ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles uiExitButton.Click
Private Sub uiExitButton_Click Indicates the start of a code unit that can only be used in this class The name of the procedures is the object name and event name connected with an underscore Identifies the object creating the event Identifies specific information about the event Identifies the object and event that this procedure will handle
sender As Object e As System.EventArgs Handles
The uiExitButtons Click event procedure
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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
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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 controls Tick event Remove and/or disable the Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons Prevent the user from sizing a form Print the projects code
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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 controls Interval property to the length of the desired time interval, in milliseconds
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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 controls Tick event procedure The Tick event procedure tells the computer what to do after each time interval has elapsed
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Using the Timer Tool (continued)
Figure 1-35: Timer control placed in the component tray
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Setting the FormBorderStyle Property
The FormBorderStyle property determines the border style of a Windows Form object
FromBorderStyle setting Description
Fixed3D
FixedDialog FixedSingle FixedToolWindow None Sizable SizableToolWindow
Fixed, three-dimensional
Fixed, thick dialog-style Fixed, thin line Fixed, tool window style No border Sizable, normal style (default) Sizable, tool window style
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The MinimizeBox, MaximizeBox, and ControlBox Properties
You can use a Windows Form objects 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 objects ControlBox property to False, and then removing the text from its Text property
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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
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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
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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 forms title bar), and then click View Code on the context menu
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Summary (continued)
Use the Timer tool to perform code at specified intervals of time Set the forms 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
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