Microsoft Visual Basic 2017

for Windows®, Web, and Database Applications

Chapter 1
Introduction to
Visual Basic
2017
Programming

• Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Objectives (1 of 3)
• Understand software and computer programs
• State the role of a developer in creating computer
programs
• Specify the use of a graphical user interface and
describe an event-driven program
• Specify the roles of input, processing, output, and data
when running a program on a computer
• Explain the logical operations a computer program can
perform

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Objectives (2 of 3)

• Define and describe the use of a database

• Identify the use of a computer programming language
in general and Visual Basic 2017 in particular
• Explain the use of Visual Studio 2017 when developing
Visual Basic 2017 programs
• Specify the programming languages available for use
with Visual Studio 2017
• Explain the .NET Framework 4.6.2

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Objectives (3 of 3)

• Explain RAD
• Describe classes, objects, and the .NET Framework
class libraries
• Explain ADO.NET, ASP.NET, MSIL, and CLR
• Specify the types of Visual Basic 2017 applications

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Introduction (1 of 6)
• The set of instructions that directs a computer to
perform tasks is called computer software, or a
computer program
• A computer program on a mobile device or on a
Windows 10 computer is also called an app

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Introduction (2 of 6)
• Computer hardware is the physical equipment associated
with a computer
• A mobile device is portable computer hardware

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Introduction (3 of 6)

• The basic function of many programs is to accept some

form of data (sometimes called input data), manipulate
the data in some manner (sometimes called
processing), and create some form of data that is
usable by people or other computers (sometimes called
output data, or information)
• In order for the computer to execute a program:
– Program and data must be placed in the computer’s
random access memory (RAM)

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Introduction (4 of 6)
• The computer’s central processing unit (CPU) can
access the program instructions and the data in RAM to
perform activities as directed by the program

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publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Introduction (5 of 6)

• Saving, or storing, data refers to placing the data or

software electronically on a storage medium such as:
– Hard disk
– Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive
– Cloud storage server
• Persistent data remains available even after the
computer power is turned off

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Introduction (6 of 6)

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Computer Programmers and Developers

• A computer program is designed and developed by

people known as computer programmers, or
developers
• Developers are people skilled in designing computer
programs and creating them using programming
languages
• Applications may consist of several computer
programs working together to solve a problem
• Developers create the program by writing its code
using a programming language

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Event-Driven Computer Programs
with a Graphical User Interface (1 of 2)
• Most Visual Basic 2017 programs are event-driven
programs that communicate with the user through a
graphical user interface (GUI)
– The GUI usually consists of a window, containing a
variety of objects
• An event means the user has initiated an action that
causes the program to perform a type of processing in
response to that action

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Event-Driven Computer Programs
with a Graphical User Interface (2 of 2)
• For example:
– A user might enter data into the program and then click a
button

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Input Operation
• A fundamental operation in most computer programs
involves a user who enters data

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Output Operation (1 of 3)
• The second basic program operation is creating
output, or information

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Output Operation (2 of 3)

• As with input operations, a variety of devices can

present output
• In addition to computer monitors, common output
devices include printers, gaming console screens, and
smartphone screens

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Output Operation (3 of 3)

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Basic Arithmetic Operations

• In many programs, arithmetic operations (addition,

subtraction, multiplication, and division) are performed
on numeric data to produce useful output

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Logical Operations
• Computers, through the use of programs, can compare
numbers, letters of the alphabet, and special characters
• The program can perform one processing task if the
tested condition is true
• A program can perform the following logical operations:
– Comparing to determine if two values are equal
– Comparing to determine if one value is greater than
another value
– Comparing to determine if one value is less than another
value

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Saving Software and Data

• When you develop and write a program, the code you

write and other features, such as the GUI, must be
saved on disk
• When you want the program to run, you can have the
program loaded into RAM and executed
• The program you write, however, also can save data
– Banking applications must save account data
• In most cases, data is stored in a database
– Collection of data organized in a manner that allows
access, retrieval, and use of that data

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Visual Basic 2017 and Visual Studio 2017
(1 of 2)
• Each program statement causes the computer to
perform one or more operations
• The developer must follow the syntax, or
programming rules, of the programming language
precisely
• Most developers use a tool called Visual Studio 2017
to write Visual Basic 2017 programs
• Visual Studio 2017 is a type of integrated
development environment (IDE)
– Provides services and tools that enable a developer to
code, test, and implement a single program or
sometimes a series of programs

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Visual Basic 2017 and Visual Studio 2017
(2 of 2)
• Coded statements in the Visual Basic 2017
programming language:

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Microsoft Imagine
• Microsoft program that supports technical education by
providing access to Microsoft software for learning,
teaching, and research purposes such as Visual
Studio

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Visual Studio 2017 Window (1 of 3)

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Visual Studio 2017 Window (2 of 3)
• The following elements help you to use the Visual
Studio 2017 Window:
• Title bar: The title bar identifies the window and the
application open in the window
• Menu bar: The menus contain lists of commands that
allow you to create, edit, save, print, test, and run a
Visual Basic program and to perform other functions
• Standard tool bar: The Standard tool bar contains
buttons that execute frequently used commands such
as

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Visual Studio 2017 Window (3 of 3)
Open Project, New Project, Save, Cut, Copy, Paste, and
Undo
• Toolbox: The toolbox contains .NET components
that help you develop the GUI program
• Main work area: The main work area contains the item
you are currently developing
• Solution Explorer: The Solution Explorer window
displays the elements of the Visual Basic solution

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Programming Languages (1 of 2)
• Visual Basic
– Programming language that allows developers to easily
build complex Windows and web programs, as well as
other software tools
– Based on the BASIC language
• Visual C++
– Derivative of the programming language C
• Visual C#
– synthesis of the elegance and syntax of C++ with many
of the productivity benefits enjoyed in Visual Basic

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Programming Languages (2 of 2)
• JavaScript
– Open-source client-side scripting language
• Visual F#
– Multipurpose language known for its math-intensive
focus

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 .NET Framework 4.6.2
• .NET technologies and products were designed to work
together to allow businesses to connect information,
people, systems, and devices through software
• The .NET Framework provides tools and processes
that developers can use to produce and run programs
– Most recent version is .NET Framework 4.6.2

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 .NET Class Library (1 of 2)
• A class is a named group of program code
– A button is an example of a class
• A class library stores the class and makes the
class available to all developers who need to use it

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 .NET Class Library (2 of 2)
• A button created from a class is called an object, or
sometimes an instance of a class
• The process of creating a Button object from the Button
class is called instantiation
• Rapid application development (RAD) refers to the
process of using prebuilt classes to make application
development faster, easier, and more reliable

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 ADO.NET
• ADO.NET (ActiveX Data Objects) provides the
functionality for a program to perform four primary tasks
when working with a database:
– Getting the data
– Examining the data
– Editing the data
– Updating the data

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 ASP.NET
• Allows developers to use Visual Studio 2017 to build
powerful and sophisticated web applications
• Using ASP.NET classes, programmers can create
websites that perform any function available on web
• ASP.NET is designed for cloud technologies and
server-side applications
• Cloud computing is the connection of remote servers
hosted on the Internet to store and process data,
instead of storing the information locally on a personal
computer or device

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Microsoft Intermediate Language and
Common Language Runtime (1 of 2)
• Program compilation translates programming
statements into instructions that can be understood by
the electronics of the computer
• Program compilation for a Visual Basic 2017 program
creates a set of electronic code expressed in an
intermediate language called the Microsoft
Intermediate Language (MSIL)
• When the program is executed, a portion of .NET called
the Common Language Runtime (CLR) reads the
MSIL and causes the instructions within the program to
be executed

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Microsoft Intermediate Language and
Common Language Runtime (2 of 2)

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Types of Visual Basic 2017 Applications
• Windows Classic Desktop application
– Program will run on a computer or other device that
supports the Windows GUI
• Windows Universal apps
– Designed to run on Windows 8 or Windows 10
computers and mobile devices
• Web application
– Uses ASP.NET and runs on a web server
• Database application
– Written using ADO.NET to reference, access, display,
and update data stored in a database

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Microsoft HoloLens Development (1 of 3)
• HoloLens is the augmented reality headset that places
3-D holographic images in your scope of vision
• HoloLens apps are being developed using Visual
Studio:
– To select car options at Volvo dealerships
– To create a custom kitchen at Lowe’s Home Centers
– To explore other planets at NASA
– To replace a flat-screen TV with a much larger
holographic display

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Microsoft HoloLens Development (2 of 3)
• Microsoft Visual Studio works with Unity software to
build HoloLens apps and test them on a built-in
HoloLens emulator
• The emulator uses a Hyper-V virtual machine to run the
app
• HoloLens are stimulated using your keyboard, mouse,
or Xbox controller

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Microsoft HoloLens Development (3 of 3)

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Summary
• understand the fundamentals of computer
programming and have been introduced to the Visual
Studio 2017 and Visual Basic 2017 program
development environments
• In subsequent chapters, you will learn to use Virtual
Studio 2017 and Visual Basic 2017 to create Windows
Classic Desktop applications for Windows Universal
apps, database applications, Web/Cloud applications
for computer and mobile devices, and HoloLens apps

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.