1

Chapter 1
Introduction to
Visual Basic
Programming
and
Applications

By Carlotta Eaton Exploring Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0

Copyright © 1999 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
 Objectives

 Machine language vs.. High-level language

 Procedure-oriented, object-oriented, and
event-driven languages
 Background of Visual Basic
 VB Integrated Development Environment
 Online documentation and Help features

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 Application Programs
Program - detailed set of instructions for a
computer to execute
Application programs (applications or apps) -
self-contained collection of programs that
perform a task for the end user
Programming language - formal language used
to give instructions to computers

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 History of Programming
Languages

 Machine language
 Procedure-oriented languages
 Object-oriented languages
 Event-driven languages
 Natural languages

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 History of Programming
Languages

 Machine Language
 different for each computer processor
 Procedure-Oriented Languages
 FORTRAN
 COBOL
 Pascal
 C
 Ada

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 History of Programming
Languages

 Object-oriented languages
 Smalltalk
 C++
 Ada 95
 Event-driven languages
 VisualBasic
 most Visual languages

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 History of Programming
Languages

 Natural languages
 computer will accept a user’s native or
natural language, such as English
 Researchers continue to work in this
area

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 Background of Visual Basic

 BASIC
 Beginner’sAll-purpose Symbolic
Instruction Code
 By John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz
 Designed to teach programming to
beginners
 BASIC language interpreter, one of
Microsoft’s first products

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 Background of Visual Basic

 BASIC
 Included with DOS
 QBASIC - included with DOS Version 5 - subset
of BASIC
 Visual Basic
 1992 - Visual Basic 1 for Windows 3
 Visual Basic 4 - for Windows 95
 Visual Basic 5 - for Office 97
 Visual Basic 6 - for Windows 98 & Office 2000

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 Visual Basic Editions

 Learning Edition
 Professional Edition
 Enterprise Edition
 Included in Visual Studio suite
(analogy Office for programmers)

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 Visual Basic Editions

 Other Visual Basic packaging options

 VBA (Visual Basic for Applications)
 Windows CE Toolkit for Visual Basic
 Visual Basic Scripting Edition
 Control Creation Edition

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Visual Basic 6 Interactive Development Environment

Project
Toolbox Explorer

Form
Designer
Window

Properties
window

Code Editor
Window

Form Layout
Window
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 Elements of the Integrated
Development Environment

 Application icon  Major windows

 Application name  Form Designer
 Form Layout
 Context menus
 Toolbox
 Controls
 Project Explorer
 Current project  Object Browser
 Design view mode  Properties
 Title bar  Code Editor
 Immediate, Locals, Watch

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 Introduction to Visual Basic

Hands-On Exercise 1
 Start Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0
 Open the Welcome Project
 Open the Welcome Form
 Run the Welcome Project
 End the Welcome Project
 Exit Visual Basic

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 Get Help When You Need It

 MSDN Library
 Microsoft on the Web
 Learning Edition of Visual Basic 6.0
 Visual Basic 6.0 in Action book
 Learn Visual Basic Now multimedia
tutorial

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 MSDN Library

Navigation Topic Pane

Pane

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 MSDN Library
 Visual Basic Documentation
 Documentation Map
 What’s New
 Programmer’s Guide
 Samples
 Reference Guidebooks
 Component Tools Guide
 Data Access Guide

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 Get Help from the CD

Hands-On Exercise 2
 Open the Calc Sample Application
 Run the Calc Sample Application
 Get Help from the MSDN Library
 Add a Topic to the Favorites List
 Search for a Definition
 Exit Help and Visual Basic

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 Help from the Web

 Pull down Help menu

 Select Help from the Web
 or www.microsoft.com/vbasic

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 Get Help from the Web

Hands-On Exercise 3
 Use the Free Stuff Page to Update VB
 Install the Update (optional)
 Product News
 Frequently Asked Questions
 Online Support

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 Use the Right Tool
for the Job
 Microsoft Office Suite
 Word - word processing
 Excel - spreadsheet
 PowerPoint - presentation
 Access - database
 OLE = Object Linking and Embedding
 Use Visual Basic to create a
specialized, customized application

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 Summary ...

 Event-driven languages is a major

improvement in programming languages
 Editions include Learning Edition,
Professional Edition, and Enterprise
Edition
 CD-ROM includes the MSDN Library,
and many sample programs

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 Summary

 Integrated Development Environment

includes
 Form Designer, Form Layout
 Code Edition, Project Explorer
 Properties and Object Browser
 Choose the right tool for the job
 Visual Basic is the glue that binds
Windows objects together
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 Practice with Visual Basic

1. Automated Teller Machine

2. Personal News Service
3. Getting Assistance While You Work
4. Pricing Information

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 Case Studies

 I Wish I Could
 Visual Basic Help on the Web
 Quick Reference Manual
 Planning for Disaster

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