27/09/2010

Week 4

Application Design

Agenda

Application Design

5 Steps of Application Design

Pseudocode

TOE Chart

Programming Conventions

Comments

Indentation

Line Continuation

Naming Conventions

Tutorial 2

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5 Steps of Application Design

5 steps to complete an application effectively
1. Plan the application

Flow charts/Pseudocode, TOE charts,
Sketch user-interfaces (find what works for
you)
2. Build the Graphical User-Interface (GUI)
3. Code the application
4. Test and debug the application
5. Assemble the documentation

Help files, comments, technical report

Pseudocode (pg. 90)

List of steps written in plain English that
describes what an object needs to do to perform
associated tasks

The pseudocode solution is translated by
programmers into a language (VB) that
computers can understand

Text Example

Print Order Button (pg. 131)
1. Hide the command buttons on the form
2. Print the user form
3. Re-display the buttons on the form
4. Send the focus to the Clear Screen button

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TOE Chart (pg. 98)

Tasks Objects Events

3 Steps:
1. Identify the TASKS the application needs to perform
2. Identify the Objects required to complete the tasks
3. Identify the Events required to trigger an object into
performing its assigned task

See pg. 98 for an example

Programming Conventions

Developers follow certain conventions when they write
code

Conventions dictate naming and documentation styles

Helps other developers work with your code more easily

Will even help you!

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Conventions continued…

Common conventions for Visual Basic:

Comments

Indentation

Line Continuation

Naming Conventions

Comments

Used to explain code (what it is doing)

In VB the apostrophe (‘) is used

Anything after an ‘ is not interpreted by the
computer

In your applications always include 3 things
at the top of the main forms code:
1. Name:
2. Date:
3. Program Description:

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Comments

Comments appear green by default
'Send a message to the user
MsgBox "CPU255 - Introduction to Programming is fun!"

Comment/Uncomment a block of selected code

using tools on the Edit toolbar
Comment block Uncomment block

Indentation

Do This:
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim x As Integer
For x = 1 To 3
y=1+x
Next x
End Sub

Don’t do this:
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim x As Integer
For x = 1 To 3
y=1+x
Next x
End Sub

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Line Continuation

VB allows you to break a long line of code over into the
next line

Use a space followed by an underscore ( _) at the point
you want the line to break

This can be very useful to help improve your code
readability

Example:

Naming Conventions

When adding a form or control VB assigns it a
default name

Example: the 1st Command Button added to a
form is named Command1, and the 2nd is
Command2

In this course, you must follow the naming
convention syntax for:
1. Controls
2. Forms
3. Variables (discussed next lecture)

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Naming Conventions continued…

Controls & Forms syntax

Prefix – 3 lower case letters specify type

Example: cmd – Command Button

Remaining letters describe the control

Example: Exit

Command1  cmdExit

Naming Conventions continued…

Q What if there is more than one word used in
the naming convention?
A Capitalize FirstLettersOfWords.

Example:

a text box used to enter customers first name:
txtFirstname
txtFirstName

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Control Prefix Naming Conventions

Control Default Name Name Prefix
Check Box Check1 chk
Combo Box Combo1 cbo
Command Button Command1 cmd
Form Form1 frm
Frame Frame1 fra
Image Image1 img
Label Label1 lbl
List Box List1 lst
Option Button Option1 opt
Picture Box Picture1 pic
Text Box Text1 txt
Timer Timer1 tmr

More about Visual Basic

Things you need to know to complete Tutorial #2

Methods

Functions

TabIndex Property

Access Keys

Concatenation Operators

Assigning Properties at run-time

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Methods

Methods are pre-defined procedures built into
objects

They define the behaviour (or tasks) of objects

Examples of Methods used in Tutorial 2:

object.SetFocus

[form.]PrintForm

Built-In Functions

Most programming languages come with a prewritten
set of functions

Functions are pre-defined procedures or routines

Similar to object methods, however functions return a
value

Two types of Functions:
1. Numeric Functions
2. String Functions

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Functions
1. Numeric Functions:

Deal with ways of manipulating and converting numbers
2. String Functions:

Deal with ways of manipulating and converting strings

String Functions used in Tutorial 2:
1. Val()
2. Format()

Val() Function (pg. 143)

Used to translate a string into a number

Usage: Val(string)

Example:
Val(“10”) Returns 10
Val(“Kyle”) Returns 0

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Format() Function (pg. 144)

Used to format numbers, dates and times

Usage: Format(expression, format)

Example:
Format(5459.4 , “##,##0.00” ) Returns ”5,459.40”
Format(1000000, “currency” ) Returns ”$1,000,000.00”

TabIndex

Property of Objects (object.TabIndex)

Permits the user to access active controls on
forms by pressing the Tab key

Order of access is determined by predefined
order as set by the programmer

First object added to a form is assigned a
default TabIndex value of 0

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Access Keys

Allows users to select objects using the “Alt” key in
combination with a number or letter (must be unique)

To set an access key place the ampersand (&) in the
caption property

Example:

&Save File
E&xit

Access Keys continued…

To set focus to a text box place the ampersand in the
label controls caption property that precedes the text
box

Label control Text box

lblFirstName.Caption = “&First Name:”

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Concatenation Operators

Join multiple strings into a single string

The plus sign (+) and ampersand (&) can be
used to concatenate strings

Example:

The & operator is recommended for string

concatenation

Assigning Properties at Run-time

Assignment statements assign a value to a property
(attribute) of an object

Syntax:

[form.]object.property = value

Square brackets [] indicate optional information

Italicized words indicate required information

The period between the object and the property is
called the dot member selection property

What appears to the right of the period is a member of
what appears to the left

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Getting Help

F1 key for context-sensitive help

MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0

World Wide Web

Hands-On Tutorial

Tutorial 2

Lesson B – Building the User Interface

Lesson C – Coding, Testing, Debugging, and
Documenting the Application

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