CIS16 Application Development – Programming with Visual Basic Overview

What ARE Visual Basic, .NET & VISUAL STUDIO Overview What ARE Visual Basic, .NET & VISUAL STUDIO

What is Visual Basic Visual Basic is an object-oriented programming language Objects are units of code, created from pre-built “master copies” of code, called Classes Classes are stored in a library file called the .NET FRAMEWORK The .NET framework is built into the editor, Visual Studio Visual Studio is a robust framework, in that it integrates other tools into it, such as a database interface, hence it is called an Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

Overview Programming

Programming Languages 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 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 JavaScript Open source client-side scripting language Visual F# Multipurpose language known for its math-intensive focus

Programming Overview A program is a set of instructions that directs a computer to A perform task A computer program on a mobile device or Windows 8/10 computer is also called an app

Programming Overview In order for the computer to execute a program, hardware gets involved: Program and data must be placed in the computer’s random access memory (RAM) The central processing unit (CPU) can access the program instructions and the data in RAM to perform activities as directed by the program

Programming Overview 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) create some form of data usable by people or other computers (sometimes called output data or information)

Programming Overview Saving, or storing, data refers to placing the data or software electronically on a storage medium Hard disk Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive

Types of Visual Basic Applications Windows application Program will run on a computer or other device that supports the Windows GUI Windows Store app Designed to run on Windows 8/10 computers and mobile devices Web application Uses ASP.NET 4.6 and runs on a Web server

Programming Overview Computer Programs: Programming: Programs are the step-by-step instructions that tell a computer how to perform a task 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 Programming: Writing programs - giving a mechanism the directions to accomplish a task Programmers/developers: people skilled in designing computer programs and creating them using programming languages Programming languages: code used to communicate with the computer Applications: may consist of several computer programs working together to solve a problem

Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) and Common Language Runtime (CLR) Program compilation translates programming statements into instructions that can be understood by the computer Program compilation for a Visual Basic 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 4.6 called the Common Language Runtime (CLR) reads the MSIL and causes the actual instructions within the program to be executed

Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) and Common Language Runtime (CLR)

.NET FRAMEWORK – VB.NET, ADO.NET, ASP.NET

.NET Framework 4.6 The .NET Framework provides tools and processes developers can use to produce and run programs Most recent version is .NET Framework 4.6 Consists of Classes - 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

.NET Class Library An object is created from a class and is sometimes called an instance of a class The process of creating an object from its Class is called instantiation Rapid application development (RAD) refers to the process of using pre-built classes to make application development faster, easier, and more reliable .NET Framework’s Class Library is known as System. It is broken down into smaller libraries called namespaces. Each namespace holds the class code for similar groups of classes (windows forms, web forms, etc.)

ADO.NET 4.6 ADO.NET 4.6 (ActiveX Data Objects) provides the functionality for a program to perform four primary tasks when working with a database: Get the data Examine the data Edit the data Update the data

ASP.NET 4.6 Allows developers to use Visual Studio to build powerful, sophisticated Web applications Easy to deploy a Web application on a Web server

VISUAL STUDIO

Visual Basic and Visual Studio Most developers use a tool called Visual Studio to write Visual Basic programs Visual Studio 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 series of programs

Visual Basic and Visual Studio Contains many different windows, most frequently used are: Designer, Toolbox, Properties, Solution Explorer

Visual Studio Each tool shown in the window is derived from a Class in a particular namespace. Clicking a tool, and dragging it onto the designer window creates the object (copies the class code into your program) Each object has a set of attributes, called properties, that determine its behavior and appearance. Properties are listed in the Properties window, and can be modified

Programming as a Profession

The Programmer’s Job Typical tasks performed by a programmer include: Meet with users to determine the exact problem and to agree on the desired solution Plan an appropriate solution and convert the solution to instructions that the computer can follow Coding: the process of translating the solution into a programming language Meet with users to determine whether the program fulfills the users’ needs Rigorously test the program with sample data before releasing it to the user Provide the user with a manual that explains how to use the program

Employment Opportunities Job titles and descriptions vary Software developers Responsible for designing an appropriate solution to a problem Computer programmers Responsible for translating the solution into a language that the computer can understand Competition for programming and software developer jobs Jobseekers need to keep up to date with the latest programming languages and technologies A competitive edge may be gained by obtaining vendor-specific and/or language-specific certifications

The Book - Using the Chapters Effectively

Using the Chapters Effectively Each chapter focuses on programming concepts Simple examples are first introduced Larger applications appear at the end of each chapter Chapters Each chapter is divided into sections A1-An Each lesson contains Mini-Quizzes Summary Key Terms Review Questions Exercises These guide you through the process of creating an application using the concepts in the chapter