1. Visual Studio

2. Introduction
Visual Studio is Microsoft’s Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for creating, running and debugging apps (also called applications) written in various .NET programming languages.
Multiple-project solutions are for large-scale apps.
Most apps we create consist of a solution containing a single project.

3. Overview of the Visual Studio IDE
A Windows Forms app executes within a Windows operating system (such as Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10) and typically has a graphical user interface (GUI)—users interact with this visual part of the app.
Windows apps include Microsoft software products like Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer and Visual Studio; software products created by other vendors; and customized software that you and other app developers create.

4. Visual Studio Environment
The Visual Studio environment is where you create and test your projects. In Visual Studio, it is called an
Integrated Development Environment (IDE) consisting of various tools including:
Form Designer
Editor for entering and modifying code
Compiler
Debugger
Object Browser
Help Facility

5. Menu Bar and Toolbar
Commands for managing the IDE and for developing, maintaining and executing apps are contained in menus, which are located on the menu bar of the IDE
The set of menus displayed depends on what you’re currently doing in the IDE.

6. Tool Box You can scroll to view more controls.
To sort the tools in the toolbox:
Right-click the toolbox and select.
Sort Items Alphabetically from the context menu (shortcut menu).
When you open the Visual Studio IDE, you generally see an empty environment with a Start Page.

7. Properties Window
To display the Properties window, select VIEW > Properties Window.
The Properties window displays the properties for the currently selected Form, control or file in Design view.
Properties specify information about the Form or control, such as its size, color and position.

8. Using Help Context-Sensitive Help
Visual Studio provides context-sensitive help pertaining to the “current content” (that is, the items around the location of the mouse cursor).
To use context-sensitive help, click an item, then press the F1 key.
The help documentation is displayed in a web browser window.
To return to the IDE, either close the browser window or select the IDE’s icon in your Windows task bar.
You can view this help by selecting the Form, clicking its Text property in the Properties window and pressing the F1 key.

9. Text Box Allows for user input Text property TextAlign property
What is displayed in text box
What user entered in text box
TextAlign property
Controls alignment of text in the text box

10. Group Box
Used as a container for other controls such as radio buttons and check boxes
Improves readability of form by separating the controls into logical groups
Example Names for Group Boxes
ColorGroupBox
StyleGroupBox

11. Check Box
Allows the user to select or deselect one or more items in any group
Checked property
Checked = True
Unchecked = False
Use the Text property for the text you want to appear next to the box.
Example names for Check Boxes
BoldCheckBox
ItalicCheckBox

12. Radio Button User may select only one in any group.
First create a group box and then create each radio button inside the group box.
Checked property
Selected = True
Unselected = False
Text property
What is displayed next to the radio button
Example Names for Radio Buttons
RedRadioButton
BlueRadioButton

13. Picture Box Displays/contains an image Image property
Complete path and filename of graphic; it’s a good idea to place the graphic into the folder with your project before it is assigned to a picture box.
Can set extension to .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .ico, .emf, .wmf
PictureBox controls have several useful properties such as the SizeMode property.
StretchImage causes picture to be resized to match the size of the control, or the
Visible property, which can be set to False to make the picture disappear

14. Naming Rules and Conventions
Have a set of standards and always follow them.
No spaces, punctuation marks, or reserved words
Use Pascal casing.
Examples
MessageLabel
ExitButton
DataEntryForm
PaymentAmountTextBox
Using good consistent names for objects can make a project easier to read and understand, as well as easier to debug.
When you select a name for an object, Visual Basic requires the name to begin with a letter or an underscore; names can contain letters, digits, and underscores but no spaces, punctuation marks, or reserved words such as Exit or It.
Pascal casing is beginning the name with an uppercase character and capitalizing each additional word in the name.

15. Recommended Naming Conventions for VB Objects
Object Class
Example
Form
DataEntryForm
Button
ExitButton
Label
TotalLabel
TextBox
PaymentAmountTextbox
Radio button
BoldRadiobutton
CheckBox
PrintSummaryCheckBox
PictureBox
LandscapePictureBox
ComboBox
BookListComboBox
ListBox
IngredientsListBox

16. Modes
Design Time — used when designing the user interface and writing code
Run Time — used when testing and running a project
Break Time — if/when receiving a run-time error or pause error
The Title Bar indicates which mode is currently being used.

19. Planning the Project Design the user interface.
Set up the form.
Resize the form.
Place a label and a button control on the form using the toolbox.
Lock the Controls in place.
After the user interface is designed, the next step is to set the properties.
Design the user interface by making a sketch of the form that includes the controls.
Resize the form in the document window; drag the handle (key term) in the lower-right corner.
Place the controls by pointing to the tool in the toolbox and clicking to select; drag the pointer over the form and the pointer becomes a crosshair; point to a spot to place the corner of the control and drag to create the control; a selected control that is selected will have 8 small square handles around it (Button 2).
Once the controls have been selected and placed on the form, right-click on one of the controls and select Lock Controls from the context menu.

20. Setting the Form Properties
The default startup object is Form1
The name of the form should always be changed to adhere to naming rules
The properties window shows the files properties
Using good consistent names for objects can make a project easier to read and understand, as well as easier to debug.
When you select a name for an object, Visual Basic requires the name to begin with a letter or an underscore; names can contain letters, digits, and underscores but no spaces, punctuation marks, or reserved words such as Exit or It.
Pascal casing is beginning the name with an uppercase character and capitalizing each additional word in the name.

21. Setting Properties Label 1 Button 1 Button 2 Form Name MessageLabel
Text leave blank
Button 1
Name PushButton
Text Push Me
Button 2
Name ExitButton
Text Exit
Form
Name HelloForm
Text Hello World by your name
Design the user interface by making a sketch of the form that includes the controls.
Resize the form in the document window; drag the handle (key term) in the lower-right corner.
Place the controls by pointing to the tool in the toolbox and clicking to select; drag the pointer over the form and the pointer becomes a crosshair; point to a spot to place the corner of the control and drag to create the control; a selected control that is selected will have 8 small square handles around it (Button 2).
Once the controls have been selected and placed on the form, right-click on one of the controls and select Lock Controls from the context menu.

22. Setting the Tab Order of Controls (1 of 2)
One control on a Form always has the focus.
Not all control types can receive the focus.
Text boxes, buttons — focus
Picture boxes and labels — no focus
TabStop property is applicable only for controls that are capable of receiving the focus.
Designates whether a control is allowed to receive the focus; set to True or False
TabIndex property determines the order the focus moves as the Tab key is pressed.

23. Setting the Tab Order of Controls (2 of 2)