Chapter 2: Microsoft Visual Studio IDE code, although the capabilities are significantly

limited if you do not write code.

2.1 Chapter overview
As a visual design tool, VB.NET allows you
❖ The Visual Studio. Net Development to develop applications quickly; this
Environment is called Rapid Application Development (RAD).
❖ Creating a New windows form Project
VB.NET is a multi-paradigm, object-
oriented programming language, implemented
❖ The Anatomy of a ASP.NET
on
Application
the .NET Framework.
❖ Visual Studio. Net User Interface;Menus,
Toolbars, Code Editor Window, Solution
Explorer, properties Window, Output The core features and capabilities of Visual
Window Basic .NET (also called VB.NET) were the driving
force behind the design of Visual Studio
2.2 Introduction to Visual studio.NET
.NET, which is comprised of four primary languages:
VB.NET is a graphical programming Visual Basic .NET, Visual C# .NET, Visual C++ .NET
language that lets you build a complete and Visual J# .NET
application without writing any source
Studio .NET enables programmers to create windows We shall explore the development
forms aplications as well as link them to data sources .e.g. environment (IDE) in detail, giving you an
database using the ADO.NET (ActiveX Data Objects introduction to the main features of Visual Studio.NET.
.NET)
2.4 CREATING A NEW ASP.NET PROJECT
Visual Studio.NET is a large development After starting your Visual studio application, Open the New

environment that is Project dialog by clicking File, New, Project,

completely self-contained, incorporating all as shown in Figure 2.0

three languages, numerous libraries, and the

huge .NET Framework library, which was
designed to replace the aging Windows
Application Programming Interface (API).

2.3 THE VISUAL STUDIO.NET DEVELOPMENT

ENVIRONMENT

Visual Studio.NET includes a powerful and

feature-rich development environment, bringing
together several languages into a seamless whole.
 Fig 2.1 setting the project parameters
Select windows forms App(.NET framework) and click the
next button

fig 2.0: Create new project dialog

Clicking on “create new project option” on the right of the
screen.

From the create new dialog that appears, select the

language of development to Visual basic, platform to
windows and project type to wen as shown in figure 2.1
below
From the resulting dialog,give the project an appropriate 2.5 THE VISUAL STUDIO.NET FEATURES
name, select the location of the project and check the
“place the project and solution in same directory” check The Visual Studio .NET includes features
box as shown below in fig 2.2 such as
a standard menu, toolbar, and multiple
windows that can be docked and minimized.

Auto-hide is a particularly nice feature

of Visual Studio .NET, helping to
reduce the number of open windows in
the environment, while still keeping
those windows handy when needed.

Figure2.3 shows the environment

with a new project ready to go.
Fig 2.2: set project name and location folder

Next click the “create” button to create the project. This may
take some minutes depending on your system
computational capabilities be patient as the project is being
created
Fig 2:3-New project at glance
▪ The Project menu allowsyou to add
new components and files to the
2.5.1 MENUS
project, such as a new forms,
The main menu for Visual Studio.NET is the databases, controls e.t.c

same for any .NET language for all ▪ Build. The Build menu includes the
programming languages commands needed to compile, build and
execute the program on a web browser program

▪ The File menu was designed to ▪ The Debug menu is used when
support the Solution Explorer with stepping through a program that
handling multiple projects at one has been stopped with a breakpoint
time. or error condition.
▪ The Edit menu includes the standard
text editing features, such as copy, ▪ Data. The Data menu is useful when
cut, and paste, but also has some connecting controls to a database
advanced features that you will find or when using an ADO.NET dataset.
useful, such as outlining and ▪ The Format menu is a user-
commenting/uncommenting source code. interface menu that helps to align and
format the position and size of
▪ The View menu allowsyou to switch controls.
between the Source Code and
Designer edit windows, and also allows ▪ The Tools menu includes numerous
you to bring up dock-able windows commands that may be needed during
that have been closed. a development project. Most
 importantly however, is the last item quickly perform some action by pressing one of
in the Tools menu, called Options. Use
the icons on a toolbar.
this command to customize the user
interface and settings of your There are over 20 toolbars to choose
projects.
from, therefore you will want to display
▪ The Window menu allowsyou to select among only those toolbars that are relevant to
the open files loaded into Visual Studio
the project at hand.
.NET and arrange the windows on
the screen.
2.5.3 Code Editor Window

▪ The Help menu includes numerous commands This component is loaded with functionality and
for searching the integrated help system supports numerous languages. This editor is
that comes with Visual Studio.NET. If you capable of editing just about any type
are ever stuck on a strange error of file imaginable with ease (see Figure2.4).
message or language feature, you
can usually find help on the item
using this menu.

2.5.2 Toolbars
Visual Studio.NET features numerous
toolbars that provide a means to
 Fig 2.5-solution explorer

2.5.5 Properties Window

Fig 2.4-code editor window
The Properties window is part of the
2.5.4 Solution Explorer
Windows Forms Designer but very useful
This component contains the files and
for Windows Forms.
resources, as well as individual projects,
that are used by your application.
Properties are the key to designing a
This window was called Project Explorer
custom user
in earlier versions (see Figure2.5).
interface with controls (see Figure2.6). property in a group (all data properties together etc)
or by alphabetical order.
its used to allow we programmers set properties of ❖ Property View – This displays all the properties that
different objects in their project are available to the control that has been selected.
These are all the “Design” time properties, some will
not be visible as they are “Run Time” properties; i.e.
they can only be set when the web site is running.
❖ Event View – These are the events that may be
associated with the control. All controls have
standard events such as Load, Init, Prerender etc.
❖ Property Description – This provides a description of
the property that is currently selected.
The Event View of a control’s property box allows for the
creation of specific handlers for the events that the control
Fig 2.6-properties window is able to create.
The main sections are:
❖ Grouping View – This changes the manner in which
the properties can be viewed, either with each
 2.4.6 Design View

The Design tab allows the web site to be developed in the

development window in a drag-and-drop manner. This
allows controls to be dragged onto the screen, and then
selected so that the properties can be changed or set.
2.5.7 Tool box
The Tool Box contains all the “drag and drop” controls that
2.5.6 Output Window
are available within Visual Studio, these are split into
The output box shows the output from when the windows different panels, each panel contains a different set of
form is complied. There is also an error list box which controls such as “Standard”, contains controls such as the
shows the errors that are currently on the project, the label, text box, button, calendar and other commonly used
warnings and general messages. This can be very useful controls. The “Data” panel contains the controls that are
when creating the project as errors can be caught before often used to display data such as the grid view, data list etc..
the site is compiled. 2.5.8 Server Explorer
The server explorer contains any connections to databases
that have been setup in Visual Studio as well as any database
files that are contained within the web site.
figure 2.7- output window
The server explorer allows for database management,
specifically of MS SQL Server, allowing the creation of tables,
deletions, inserting of data and the creating of store
procedures.

2.6 Summary
This chapter provided an overview of
Visual Studio .NET and covered the
major features of the development
environment, including the program
menus, tool- bars, and the various windows
that make Visual Studio .NET a
productive and efficient development
tool.

By learning to customize the

environment to your tastes, you will
become more comfortable with the user
interface and will learn the new environment
quicker.