Lecture II


Coding with Variables, Named Constants, and Calculations

Variables, TryParse Method, Arithmetic Expressions, ToString Method, Option Statements, &
Named Constants

Variables

A variable is a computer memory location where a programmer can temporarily
store an item of data while an application is running.

The memory location is called a variable because its contents can change (vary)
during run time.

E.g. include all of the user-provided items (from your Planning Chart) that will be
included in a calculation and also result of any calculation made by the application.

Storing data in variables allow the programmer to:
 control the preciseness of the data,
 verify that the data meets certain requirements, and
 save the data for later use within the application’s code.
 It also makes your code run more efficiently because the computer can process data stored
in a variable much faster than it can process data stored in the property of a control.
 Variables – Declaration


The Dim statement is often used to declare variables within
procedures..

The statement assigns a name, a data type, and an initial
value to the variable.

E.g.
 Dim intQuantity As Integer
 declares a variable whose name is intQuantity , data type is Integer,
and initial value is the number 0.

Variables – Selecting an Appropriate Data Type


A variable’s data type indicates the type of data the variable will store;
 for example, numeric or textual.
 It also determines the variable’s size, which is the amount of memory it consumes.
 Variables – Selecting an Appropriate Data Type


Decimal or Double data type store numbers containing decimal
places.

The two data types differ in the range of numbers each can store
and the amount of memory each needs to store the numbers.

Calculations involving Double variables execute faster than those
involving Decimal variables.

However, calculations involving Decimal variables are not subject to
the small rounding errors that may occur when using Double variables;
 this is due to the Decimal data type storing numbers with many more
significant digits.

Variables – Selecting an Appropriate Name


A variable’s name, also called its identifier, should describe (identify) its contents.

A good variable name should be meaningful right after you finish a program and also years
later when the program needs to be modified.
 Variables – Examples

Variables – Examples

Variable declaration within a btnCalc_Click procedure
 TryParse Method

When the user enters data in a text box during run time, the computer
stores the data in the control’s Text property.


Because the Text property can contain any characters

 numbers, letters, and so on – it is treated as a string in Visual Basic.


Even when the Text property contains only numbers, cannot be used as is
in a calculation;

 instead, it must be converted to its numeric equivalent.


One way of converting a string to a number is to use the TryParse method.

TryParse Method – Examples

 TryParse Method

The three methods can convert a string that contains only numbers.


They can also convert a string that contains a leading sign as well as one that
contains leading or trailing spaces.


In addition, the Double.TryParse and Decimal TryParse methods can convert a
string that contains a decimal point or a comma.


However, none of the three methods can convert a string that contains;

 a dollar sign, a percent sign, a letter, a space within the string, or an empty string.

TryParse Method
 Arithmetic Expressions

Arithmetic Expressions

The integer division operator (\) divides two integers and then returns the result as
an integer.

Using this operator, the expression 9 \ 4 results in 2, which is the integer result of
dividing 9 by 4.

The arithmetic expressions you enter in your code should not contain commas or
special characters;
 E.g. to multiply 30 by 5%, use the expression 30 * 0.05 instead of 30 * 5%.
 ToString Method

The need will always arise for one to display a computed numeric value to object on a
GUI (form).


Note, these objects only process data as Text and therefore, there is the need to
convert it to string before assigning to the Text property.


The ToString method is used to make the conversion.


All of the numeric data types have a ToString method for this purpose.


The ToString method also allows you to format the value, which means to specify
the number of decimal places and the special characters (such as a dollar sign,
percent sign, or thousands separator) to display.


The ToString method formats a copy of the value stored in the numeric variable and
then returns the result as a string.

ToString Method
 ToString Method

ToString Method

To compute area of a circle and display on a label.

lblArea.Text = dblArea.ToString("N2")
 Option Statements

A variable’s declaration statement allows you to control the variable’s
data type.


To ensure that all of the variables in your code have been declared
insert the statement:

 Option Explicit On above the Public Class clause in the Code

Editor window.


The Option Infer Off statement, tells the Code Editor to ensure that
every variable is declared with a data type.
 This is because the statement tells the computer not to infer (or assume) a memory
location’s data type based on the data assigned to it.

Option Statements

implicit type conversion; convert a value to fit a memory location, if
the value’s data type does not match the memory location’s data
type.


E.g., when processing the statement Dim dblLength As Double = 9

 9 is converted to 9.0 before it is assigned to dblLength


When a value is converted from one data type to another that can
store either larger numbers or numbers with greater precision, the
value is said to be promoted.
 Conversely, it is said to be demoted.
 Option Statements

With implicit type conversions, data loss can occur when a value is
converted from one data type to a narrower data type,

 which is a data type with less precision or smaller capacity.


You can eliminate the problems that occur as a result of implicit type
conversions by entering the Option Strict On statement above the
Public Class clause in the Code Editor window.


When Option Strict On is set the the following rules are used for
conversions.

Option Statements
 Area of Circle Code Example

To compute area of a circle and display on a label.

Area of Circle Code Example

,
Area of Circle Code Example