An Introduction to Visual Basic

Terms & Concepts

What is VB?

• Visual Basic is a programming language (actually an environment) designed to create computer programs that run in Microsoft Windows.

• VB has been developed through many versions. This course uses VB 2008.

Getting Started

VB 2008 addresses problem solving

“from the outside, in.”

In other words, the user interface is designed and created first, then it’s Events are programmed.

The Windows GUI

• The Graphical User Interface is the means through which users can interact with programs.

• Each window is called a form.

• Each form is populated with controls.

• It is through these controls that the programmer handles I/O in VB.

The Windows GUI

• There are many different kinds of controls:– Label– Text box– Radio button– Check box– Command button– Image– List box– Drop-down list– Frame– Line / Shape– Tab

A Sample Form

Tab

Checkbox

Textbox

Command Button

Drop-down list

Label

Programming Language Paradigms

Recall the programming paradigms:

• Procedural

• Functional

• Declarative

• Object-oriented– Event-driven

In this paradigm we develop projects rather than programs.

Object Oriented Programming

A VB project consists of:– Objects - the nouns of OOP

• forms and controls are examples of objects.

– Properties - the adjectives• size, location, name, caption

– Methods - the verbs• Move, Print, Resize, Clear

The dot operator– Object.property is the syntax for referring to a

particular property of a particular object.