1. Chapter 3: I Need a Tour Guide (Introduction to Visual Basic 2012)

2. Chapter Objectives After studying Chapter 3, you should be able to:
Create a Windows application in Visual Basic 2012
Use the Label and PictureBox tools to add controls to a form
Set the properties of an object
Save a solution
Size, align, and center objects using the FORMAT menu
Lock the controls on a form
Start and end an application
Close and open an existing solution
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

3. Ok, the Algorithm is Correct. What’s Next?
User Interface
What the user sees and interacts with
Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
Contains all the tools and features needed to create the interface
The combination of the user interface and the program’s code is referred to as an application.
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

4. Ok, the Algorithm is Correct. What’s Next? (Cont.)
Figure 3-1 Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2012 startup screen
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

5. Ok, the Algorithm is Correct. What’s Next? (Cont.)
Figure 3-2 Options dialog box
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

6. Creating a Visual Basic Windows Application
Figure 3-3 Completed New Project dialog box in Visual Studio Professional 2012
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

7. Creating a Visual Basic Windows Application (Cont.)
Figure 3-4 Solution and Visual Basic project
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

8. Creating a Visual Basic Windows Application (Cont.)
So Many Windows!
Close windows you don’t want to see
Use auto-hide to maximize design space
Figure 3-5 Current status of the windows in the IDE
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

9. Creating the User Interface
Windows Form Designer
window
Create the GUI here
Windows Form Object (Form)
Foundation for the user interface
Figure 3-6 Windows Form Designer window
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

10. Creating the User Interface (Cont.)
Controls
Objects added to a form
Toolbox window
Contains tools use to create the interface
Picture box
Displays an image on a form
Label controls
Display text that user is not allowed to edit while application is running
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

11. Creating the User Interface (Cont.)
Figure 3-8 Label tool being dragged to the form
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

12. Creating the User Interface (Cont.)
Figure 3-10 A blue snap line appears when the borders are aligned
Figure 3-11 A pink snap line appears when the text is aligned
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

13. Save, Save, Save Good practice To save a solution
Save current solution every 10 or 15 minutes
To save a solution
Click on File on the menu bar, then click Save All
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

14. Whose Property Is It? Properties
Determine object’s appearance and behavior
Name and current value of each property
Appear in the Properties window when the object is selected
Properties window
Object box contains the name of the selected object
Properties list
Two columns: Property names and settings box
Settings box displays the current value of the property
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

15. Whose Property Is It? (Cont.)
Font
General shape of text characters
Measured in points
Figure 3-13 Partial listing of the form’s properties
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

16. Using the FORMAT Menu Format menu
Provides several options for manipulating controls in the interface
Useful options include Align and Make Same Size
Reference control Is the first control selected
Figure 3-17 Both picture boxes selected on the form
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

17. Lock Them Down Lock Controls
Prevents them from being moved inadvertently as you work in the IDE
Figure 3-19 Controls locked on the form
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

18. Ok, Let’s See the Interface in Action!
Figure 3-20 Result of starting the Merlin the Cat application
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

19. Closing the Current Solution
To close a solution
Use the Close Solution option on the File menu
When you close a solution
All projects and files contained in the solution are also closed
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

20. Opening an Existing Solution
To open an existing solution
Use Open Project the File menu
If a solution is already open in the IDE
It is closed before another solution is opened
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

21. Exiting Visual Studio To exit Visual Studio
Use either the Close button on its title bar or
The Exit option on the File menu
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

22. Summary Creating the user interface
Fourth step in the problem-solving process
Windows applications in Visual Basic
Composed of solutions, projects, and files
Label controls
Display text that user is not allowed to edit while an application is running
Picture boxes
Used to display images on a form
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012

23. Summary (Cont.) Good practice to save solution every 10-15 minutes
Form’s StartPosition property
Specifies the position of the form when it first appears on the screen
Font property
Determines the type, style, and size of font used to display text on the form
Picture box control’s Image property
Specifies name of file containing the image to display
Good practice to lock the controls in place on form
Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2012