CICS 313:

Visual Basic Programming

Introduction to Visual Basic

Programming

Ghana Technology University College

Lecturer – Dr. Forgor Lempogo
2021
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

Explain the concept of computer programming

Explain how programmers solve problems

Understand the history and evolution of the VB

programming language
Understand the architecture of the .NET
Framework and Visual Studio Integrated
Development Environment (IDE)
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Computer Programming
 Programming
The process of giving a computer/ mechanism the
directions it needs to accomplish a task
The act/process of creating computer programs

 Programs:
 Detailed set of instructions/directions given to computers
to execute in order to generate a desired outcome
Written by programmers using specialized languages

 Programmers:
people who write programs
Programmers write computer programs to solve problems
that require a computer solution
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
 Basic Functions of a Program
 The basic function of many programs is to:

Accept some form of data (input data)

Manipulate the data in some manner (processing)

Create some form of data that is usable by people

or other computers (output data, or information)

 In order for the computer to execute a program:

Program and data must be placed in the
computer’s random access memory (RAM)

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Input Operation
 A fundamental operation in most computer programs
involves a user who enters data

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Output Operation (1 of 3)
 The second basic program operation is creating
output, or information

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 Saving Software and Data
 When you develop and write a program, the code you
write and other features, such as the GUI, must be
saved on disk

 When you want the program to run, you can have the
program loaded into RAM and executed

 The program you write, however, also can save data

Banking applications must save account data

 In most cases, data is stored in a database

Collection of data organized in a manner that allows
access, retrieval, and use of that data
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
 Central Processing Unit
 The computer’s central processing unit (CPU) can
access the program instructions and the data in RAM to
perform activities as directed by the program

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How Programmers Solve Problems

You cannot solve a problem unless you understand it

You cannot understand a problem unless you

analyze it

Most important components of any problem are the

problem’s output and its input

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How Programmers Solve Problems
1. Analyze the problem

2. Plan the solution/algorithm

3. Desk-check the algorithm

4. Create the user interface

5. Implement the algorithm

6. Desk-check the program

7. Rigorously test the program using the computer

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Step 1 – Analyze the Problem
Identify Output
What does the user want to see printed on paper,
displayed on the screen, or stored in a file?

Identify Input
What information will the computer need to know
to print, display, or store the output items?

Analysis step is most difficult problem-solving step

CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery

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Step 1 – Analyze Problem ONE

As a Marketing Executive of Zenith Bank,

Kwadjo receives an annual commission
which is calculated by multiplying his annual
sales by a commission rate.

He needs a program that will calculate and

display his annual commission.

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Step 1 – Analyze Problem ONE
Input?
Annual Sales
Commission Rate

Output?
Annual Commission

Process?
Multiply Annual sales by commission rate (result
is the user’s annual commission)
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
 Step 2 – Plan the Algorithm
Pseudo code
False code, not standardized
Cannot be understood by a computer
Used by programmers when planning an
algorithm

Flowchart
Uses standardized symbols to visually depict an
algorithm

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Step 2 – Plan Algorithm One
 Input?
Annual Sales
Commission Rate
 Output?
Annual Commission

Algorithm
1. enter the annual sales and commission rate
2. calculate the annual commission by multiplying the
annual sales by the commission rate
3. display the annual commission
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
 Step 2 – Plan the Algorithm (2)

 Flowchart symbols
Oval: start/stop symbol
Parallelogram: input/output symbol
Rectangle: process symbol

 Flowlines
Connect symbols

 Processing item:
intermediate value that algorithm uses when processing
input into output
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
 Algorithm 1 – Flow Chart
 Input?
 Current Pay
 Percentage of Raise

 Output?
 New Pay

 Process?
 Multiply current pay by
percentage of raise(result is the
user’s new pay)

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Step 1 – Analyze Problem TWO

Mr. Jimah is Paid at the end of every week.

He is expecting to receive a pay raise next
week. However, he is not sure of the actual
percentage.

He needs a program that will calculate and

display his new pay when the percentage of
raise is known.

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Step 1 – Analyze Problem Two
Input?
Current Pay
Percentage of Raise

Output?
New Pay

Process?
Multiply current pay by percentage of raise and
add the value to the current pay(result is the
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user’s new pay)
CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Step 2 – Plan Algorithm Two
 Input?
Current Pay
Percentage of Raise

 Output?
New Pay

 Algorithm
1. Enter the current pay and percentage of raise.
2. Calculate the raise by multiplying current pay by
percentage of raise.
3. Calculate new weekly pay by adding the value of the
raise to the current pay.
4. Display the new weekly pay.
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Plan Algorithm Two – Flow Chart
 Input?
 Current Pay
 Percentage of Raise

 Output?
 New Pay

 Process?
 Multiply current pay by
percentage of raise
 add the value to the current pay
 result is the user’s new pay

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Step 1 – Analyze Problem Three

Students in the BIT Level 300 class optained

various grades in a Mid sem exam. A
computer program is needed to find the
highest and lowest class score.

Create an algorithm for the computer

program needed to solve the above problem.

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
 Step 3 – Desk-Check the Algorithm

Desk-checking (hand-tracing)
Programmer reviews algorithm while seated at
his/her desk

Valid data
Data that algorithm is expecting user to enter

Invalid data
Data that algorithm is not expecting user to enter

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Step 3 – Desk-Check the Algorithm

 To check correctness, select

certain values and put them
through the algorithm

 Do the computation yourself

 Use a calculator or spreadsheet

program if necessary

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
What Is Visual Basic? (1/2)
 Visual Basic is modern, high-level, multi-paradigm,
general-purpose programming language for building
applications using Visual Studio and the .NET
Framework.

 Visual Basic is Designed to:

Be easy-to-learn by beginners
Be powerful for experts
use an English-like syntax which promotes clarity and
readability
combines an extensive set of advanced features and a
philosophy that emphasizes flexibility, productivity, and
great tooling.
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
What Is Visual Basic? (2/2)
 VISUAL
Visual Basic belonges to a class of Visual languages:
 Permit the programmer to manipulate graphical objects
directly, with the language providing the necessary code
 Permit users to access and format information without
the need for writing any procedural code

 BASIC
Visual Basic is from Basic:
 BASIC - Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction
Code
 a programming language used more than 20 years ago
as part of MS-DOS.
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The Versions of Visual Basic
Visual Basic 1.0 first appeared in 1991.

It was followed by version 2.0 in 1992,

version 3.0 in 1993, version 4.0 in 1995,
version 5.0 in 1997, version 6.0 in 1998.

VB.NET, initially released in February 2002,

was not backward compatible with the
earlier versions of Visual Basic.
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
 Event-Driven Computer Programs

 Most Visual Basic programs are event-driven

programs that communicate with the user
through a graphical user interface (GUI)
The GUI usually consists of a window, containing a
variety of objects

 An event means the user has initiated an action

that causes the program to perform a type of
processing in response to that action

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Event-Driven Computer Programs
with a Graphical User Interface
 For example:
 A user might enter data into the program and then click a
button

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 What Is Visual Basic . NET?

 .NET is a program that sits on top of the Operating

System. Thus, it sits between your software and the
OS.

 Provides language interoperability across platforms

 Strong emphasis on Web connectivity, using XML web

services to connect and share data between smart
client devices, servers, and developers/users

 Platform/language independent

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 .NET Framework 4.6.2

 .NET technologies and products were designed to work

together to allow businesses to connect information,
people, systems, and devices through software

 The .NET Framework provides tools and processes that

developers can use to produce and run programs
Most recent version is .NET Framework 4.6.2

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What Is Visual Basic . NET?
Visual Basic has gone through a few revisions since
VB 6.
VB 2002 (a.k.a. VB 7), VB 2003 (VB 7.1), and VB
2005 (VB 8) etc. are all just revisions of the
language as it uses the .NET Framework.
From 2008, new and improved versions produced at
least, every 2 years(in most cases 1 each year)
Current version – 2019

Visual Basic Versions history

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
 .NET Class Library (1 of 2)
 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

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 .NET Class Library (2 of 2)
 A button created from a class is called an object, or
sometimes an instance of a class

 The process of creating a Button object from the Button

class is called instantiation

 Rapid application development (RAD) refers to the

process of using prebuilt classes to make application
development faster, easier, and more reliable

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ADO.NET
 ADO.NET (ActiveX Data Objects) provides the
functionality for a program to perform four primary tasks
when working with a database:
Getting the data

Examining the data

Editing the data

Updating the data

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ASP.NET
 Allows developers to use Visual Studio to build powerful
and sophisticated web applications

 Using ASP.NET classes, programmers can create

websites that perform any function available on web

 ASP.NET is designed for cloud technologies and server-

side applications

 Cloud computing is the connection of remote servers

hosted on the Internet to store and process data, instead
of storing the information locally on a personal computer
or device
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Microsoft Intermediate Language and
Common Language Runtime (1 of 2)
 Program compilation translates programming
statements into instructions that can be understood by
the electronics of the computer
 Program compilation for a Visual Basic .NET 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 called
the Common Language Runtime (CLR) reads the
MSIL and causes the instructions within the program to
be executed
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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Microsoft Intermediate Language and
Common Language Runtime (2 of 2)

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery
Visual Studio IDE (1/2)
 Visual Studio is Microsoft’s integrated development
environment (IDE) for creating, running and debugging
applications.

 The IDE allows you to create applications by dragging

and dropping existing building blocks into place.

 This technique is called visual programming.

 It is a Rapid Application Development (RAD) tool

because it is focused on productivity.

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Types of Visual Basic 2019 Applications
 Windows Classic Desktop application
Program will run on a computer or other device that
supports the Windows GUI
 Windows Universal apps
Designed to run on Windows 8 or Windows 10 computers
and mobile devices
 Web application
Uses ASP.NET and runs on a web server
 Database application
Written using ADO.NET to reference, access, display, and
update data stored in a database

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 Any Questions?

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CICS 313: Visual Basic Programming - GTUC 2021 Delivery