Visual Basic.NET Comprehensive Concepts and Techniques Chapter 2 The Visual Basic.NET Integrated Development Environment

2 Starting Visual Basic.NET If you are opening VB.NET then you probably want to create applications! Chapter 2 gives you a chance to explore the programming environment! Integrated Development Environment (IDE) – the part of the VB.NET application that contains windows and toolbars that allow you to develop applications. A project is a collection of code and other files that usually encompasses one program.

3 VB.NET’s IDE When the IDE is in Design Time, you can make modifications to the forms and code of a program.

4 Exploring the Visual Basic.NET Integrated Development Environment Menu Bar – displays the VB.NET menu names each of which represents a list of commands that you allow you to create, edit, save, print, test and run VB.NET applications. Toolbars – contain shortcuts to commonly used commands. Standard and Layout are two most popular toolbars. Solution – a grouping of projects and related files. Solutions can contain one project, like this take-home pay calculator, or many related projects, data files and graphic files.

5 Running a Project To test a project you run it. This is usually done by clicking the start button on the standard toolbar. –When you run a project, the project is loaded into memory and the program code is executed by the.NET architecture. –By running your project during the development phase, you can check for problems, or bugs, that you may have introduced into your code inadvertently. –The process of getting your code to work as expected is known as debugging.

6 TOURING THE VB.NET IDE

7 The Toolbox Window The Windows Forms section of the toolbox contains controls used to create Windows Applications –Includes Labels, Text Boxes, Track Bars, Radio Buttons, Number Up/Down boxes and many others.

8 The Properties Window A property is a characteristic or attribute of an object, such as its background color or the test that it displays. The Properties Window lists the attributes for the object currently selected in the main work area. –Object box -- displays the name of the currently selected object or control. –Properties List – displays the list of properties associated with the currently selected object or control.

9 THE CODE WINDOW Tour of code window –Object box –Procedure box –Keywords –Code region

10 Modifying an Existing Project Modifying Code in the Code Window –Drag the code window scroll box up until the code displays in the code window as shown:

11 Saving a Project Click the Form1.vb [Design] tab Click the Save All button on the Standard toolbar

12 Documenting the User Interface Design of a Form Documenting an application refers to producing a record of the design and code used to create an application. This can be done electronically or through hard-copy, which is a printed record. With the Take-home pay calculator project open in design time, press the PRINT SCREEN key (or ALT + PRINT SCREEN to capture the active window. Go to the Paint Program and paste in your screen capture. You can print from there!

13 Visual Basic.NET Help

14 Quitting Visual Basic.NET Click the Visual Basic.NET Close button on the right side of the title bar

Visual Basic.NET Comprehensive Concepts and Techniques Chapter 2 Complete