Visual Programming
BY
SHAFIA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
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Brief History of Visual Basic
2
Evolved from BASIC
Beginner’s
All-Purpose
Symbolic
Instruction
Code
Developed in mid-1960s
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Visual Basic
3
Evolved into Visual Basic in 1991
Major Features:
IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
GUI’s
Event Handling
Object Oriented Programming
Exception Handling
Rapid Application Development (RAD)
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VB.Net
4
Introduced in 2000
Features:
Enhance language interoperability
Availability of Internet features
Web services
Enhanced object orientation
Including library of components
Platform independence
Not backwardly compatible
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.Net Strategy
5
Web Services
Applications can be used over the Internet
Includes ASP.Net technology
Software Reuse
Allows programmers to concentrate on their particular
specialties without having to implement every component of
every application.
Universal Data Access
Central location for data
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Reusability
6
Building-block approach
Central to the OOP concept.
Improves performance
More reliable programs
Avoids reinventing the wheel…
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.Net Framework
7
Manages and executes applications and Web
services
Contains a class library
Framework Class Library or FCL
Enforces security
Visual programming
Microsoft .Net Framework Link
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.Net Framework Layers
8
VB C++ C# JScript
Common Language Specification
ASP.NET Windows Forms
Data and XML
Base Class Library
Common Language Runtime
Windows COM+ Services
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Common Language Infrastructure (CLI)
9
Contains info about storage of
data types
Data that have predefined characteristics
Ex. Dates, percentages or currency amounts
Objects
Has been standardized
Making it easier to create the .NET Framework for other
platforms.
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Common Language Runtime (CLR)
10
Executes Visual Basic .Net programs
Programs are compiled into machine-specific instructions
using two steps:
Program is compiled into Microsoft Intermediate Language
(MSIL).
Defines instructions for the CLR
Then another compiler in the CLR, called the JIT compiler (just-
in-time compiler) translates the MSIL into machine code, for the
particular platform, creating a single application
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Why two compilations?
11
Provides
Portability between operating systems
Interoperability between languages
Execution-management features
Memory management
Security
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Platform Independence
12
.Net framework provides the ability of a program
to run (without any modification) across
multiple platforms.
The .NET Framework is actually a set of classes called
base classes.
Saves Time and Money!
Don’t reinvent the same code for multiple platforms
Targets wider audience
Avoids the expensive process of porting
(converting software from one platform to another)
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Language Interoperability
13
Programs from different languages are all
compiled into MSIL
The different parts are combined to create one
program
MSIL allows the .NET Framework to be language
independent or .Net compliant
.Net programs are not tied to any particular programming
language.
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Benefits of Language Interoperability in
.Net?
14
VB.Net, C#, Visual C++.Net programmers can all
work on same project
Old and new components can work together
Permits code reusability (code doesn’t have to be
rewritten)
CLR’s execution-management features
Code loading and execution
Application isolation
Memory management
Security
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15
Exception handling
Interoperability
Managing security, memory and other features, relieving
programmer of these responsibilities
Provides huge library of classes providing
reusability
Framework Class Library (FCL)
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Software Engineering Observation
16
Reuse of existing classes when building new
classes and programs saves
time, money & effort
Reuse also helps in building more reliable and
effective systems
Why?
Because existing classes and components go through extensive
testing, debugging and performance tuning.
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Views of VB Between
Vista vs Windows 7 & 8
17
Vista Windows 7 Windows 8
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18
Introduction to
Programming Development
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People Involved in Program Development
19
Programmer
Person who solves the problem and writes the instructions for
the computer
Client
The person/organization who is responsible for
requesting/purchasing the program
User
Any person who uses the program
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Designing Your Program
20
Critically important to design before beginning to
code
Coding first is like putting the cart before the horse.
Doesn’t matter the size of the program -- design first!
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Program Planning Steps
21
1. Analyze – define the problem
2. Design – plan the solution to the problem
3. Design the Interface – select the objects that will be used
4. Code – translate the algorithm into a programming
language
5. Debug & Test – locate and remove any errors in the
program
6. Complete the documentation – Internal & External
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Key Steps to Creating a Visual Program
22
How it should work
Plan the tasks
Design user interface How it should look
Repeat Steps 1 & 2
Write the code
Debug and Test Prepare test criteria
Document & Distribute Put program into use
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Design Process Results
23
Even for a small program, the design process should
produce the following results:
A concise list of tasks to be performed by the program
Deadlines for components
Clarification of the dependence of one part of the program on
another
The criteria for testing the program
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Problem Solving
24
Developing the solution to a problem
Algorithm
a step by step series of instructions to solve a problem
Example:
How would you give instructions to someone to find your
house?
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Divide-and-Conquer Method
25
Used in problem solving
take a large problem and break it into smaller problems
Solve the small problems first
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Tools Used in Design
26
Hierarchy Charts/Structure Pseudocode
Charts Uses English-like
Flowcharts/UML phrases with some
Visual Basic terms to
Graphically depict the logical
outline the task.
steps to accomplish a task and
indicate how the steps relate to Control Structures
each other Sequence
Decision/Selection
Repetition/Loops/
Iteration
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Pseudocode Example
27
Program: Determine average grade of a class
Initialize Counter and Sum to 0 Initialization
Do While there are more data
Get the next Grade
Add the Grade to the Sum Processing
Increment the Counter
Loop
Compute Average = Sum / Counter
Display Average Output
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Flowchart Symbols
28
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Flowchart Symbols (continued)
29
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Flowchart
Example 30
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Statement Structures
31
Sequence
Execute instructions one after another
Decision
Allows us to ask questions and execute different instructions
based on result
Looping
a series of instructions are executed repeatedly
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Decision Flow Chart
32
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Looping
33 Flow Chart
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Visual Programming
34 Benefits
Provides the programmer with the ability to create
graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
Allows the programmer to write much less code
Does not require the programmer to be a Windows
expert
Provides Rapid Application Development (RAD) –
code can be developed faster & cheaper
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Programming Languages-Procedural, Event
Driven and Object Oriented
35
Procedural—Cobol, Fortran, Basic
Program specifies exact sequence of all operations
Event Driven (VB 6.0 and previous)
Contain some elements of Object oriented programming but not all
User controls sequence
Click event
Double Click event
Change event
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36
Object Oriented Programming (OOP) (VB .NET)
VB is an object-oriented programming
language.
Means you work with objects in building an
application.
Examples: Form objects, Button objects, TextBox
objects, Label objects, ListBox objects, PictureBox
objects, and more.
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37
VB is also termed an event-driven programming
language because you will write program code that
responds to events that are controlled by the system
user. Example events include:
Clicking a button or menu.
Opening or Closing a form.
Moving the mouse over the top of an object such as a
text box.
Moving from one text box to another.
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The Object Model
38
In VB you will work with objects, which have
properties, methods, and events. Each object is
based on a class.
Objects equate to Nouns
Forms are windows
Controls are components contained inside a form
Properties equate to Adjectives
Color or size of a Form
Methods are like Verbs
Typical methods include Close, Show and Clear
Events occur when the user takes action
User clicks a button, User moves a form
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The Object Model
39
Classes are templates used to create a new object
Classes contain the definition of all available properties, methods,
and events
Each new object created is based on a class
Creating three new buttons makes each button a instance of the
Button class
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40
Terminology Definition
Object A thing – like a noun in English. Examples include forms and controls you place on forms such
as buttons, text boxes, and icons.
Property Objects have properties – like adjectives in English. Properties describe object behaviors.
Examples of properties include Text, Name, BackColor, Font, and Size.
Refer to a property by the notation ObjectName.PropertyName (use the .dot notation) –
example: TotalDueTextBox.Text or AccountLabel.ForeColor.
Method Like a verb in English – these are the actions that objects exhibit. Examples include methods to
Show and Hide forms and methods to Print and Close forms.
Refer to a method with the notation ObjectName.MethodName – example Me.Close will close
the current form.
Event Events are actions usually triggered by the system user such as clicking a button; however,
events can also be triggered by the actions of objects. For example, closing a form can trigger
an event.
Class This is a really abstract term – it is a sort of template for an object. For example, all forms
belong to the Form class of object. All buttons belong to the Button class of object. Classes
include definitions for object properties, methods, and associated events. Each class is
assigned an identifying namespace within the .NET Framework Class Library.
Each new object you create is defined based on its class – the new object is called a class
instance.
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Object Model Analogy
41
Class = automobile
Properties = make, model, color, year
Object = each individual car
Object is also an Instance of the automobile class
Methods = start, stop, speedup, slowdown
Events = car arrives, car crashes
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Visual Studio .NET
42
Included in Visual Studio .NET 2002, 2003,2005,
2008 ,2010,2012,2103 and onword
Visual Basic
Visual C++
Visual C# (C sharp)
Visual J#
Visual F#
.NET 2.0 Framework or more
Visual Studio .NET Editions
Standard
Professional
Enterprise Developer
Enterprise Architect
Express
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System Requirements Express Edition
43
Supported Operating Hardware
Systems Requirements:
Windows 7 SP3 (x32) 1.6 GHz or faster processor
(This package) 1 GB of RAM (1.5 GB if running
Windows 7 SP1 on a virtual machine)
(x86 and x64) 5 GB of available hard disk
Windows 8 space
(x86 and x64) 5400 RPM hard drive
Windows Server 2008 R2 DirectX 9-capable video card
SP1 (x64) running at 1024 x 768 or higher
Windows Server 2012 (x64) display resolution
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Visual Studio Environment
44
The Visual Studio environment is where you create
and test your projects-in Visual Studio it is called an
Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
consists of various tools including:
Form Designer
Editor for entering code
Compiler
Debugger
Object Browser
Help facility
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The IDE Initial Screen
45
The Visual Studio
IDE with the
Start Page open,
as it first
appears in
Windows , with
an open project.
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Get Started
46
New Project
Opens list of existing projects
Recent Projects
Contains information on projects recently created or modified
Get Started
Focuses on using the IDE for creating programs and learning
VB.
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New Project Window
47
Window Form
Need to rename to something meaningful!
Change Location
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New Project
48
DO NOT MOVE
Properties Window
Or
Solution Explorer Windows!!!!!
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Visual Studio’s Main Windows
49
Solution Explorer
Properties
Toolbox
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Solution Explorer
50
Provides access to all of a solution’s files.
If it’s not shown in the IDE, click the Solution
Explorer icon in the IDE , select View > Other
Windows > Solution Explorer or type <Ctrl> <Alt> L.
Displays the solution’s contents
When a new or existing solution is opened.
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Properties
Window 51
4 Methods to Place
Control on Form
Double-click
Drag and Drop
Click, Point, and Click
Click, Point, and Drag
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IDE Menus
52
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IDE Menus cont.
53
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Toolbox
54
The pushpin in the upper
right corner is the AutoHide
feature and will “stick” the
Toolbox to visible if you want
it to remain visible during design.
Toolbox window
displaying
controls for the
Common Controls
group.
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Auto Hide
55
Hides Toolbox when not in use
Vertical push pin icon indicates auto hide is disabled.
Click the push pin to make it horizontal and enable
auto hide.
push pin
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Properties Window
56
Selected
control
Settings in
Properties Alphabetical
Order
Description
pane
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Modes
57
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
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VB Application Files
58
One Solution File—think of
one solution file equals one project .sln
Solution User Options File .suo
Form Files .vb
Resource File for the Form .resx
Project Files .vbproj
Project User Options File .vbproj.user
Application configuration File .app.config
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Remark Statement
59
Also known as Comment, used for documentation;
every procedure should begin with a remark
statement providing explanation
Non-executable
Automatically colored Green in Editor
Begins with an apostrophe ( ' )
On a separate line from executable code
At the right end of a line of executable code
`Display your information
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Notation
60
To reference object's properties and events in code
Object dot Property
Form.Text, TextBox.Text
Object dot Method/Function/Subroutine
Form.Hide( ), TextBox.Focus( )
To reference an object's events use an underscore
instead of a dot
Button_Click, ListBox_TextChanged
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Naming Rules and Conventions
61
Visual Basic automatically assigns a value to the Name property of each control, for
example, Label1, Label2, Label3, or TextBox1, TextBox2, TextBox3, or Button1,
Button2, Button3. However, it is difficult to remember the difference between Label1 and
Label2 so:
if you are going to later refer to the controls, it is best to rename them to a more
meaningful name,
if you are not going to refer to the controls later, then just use the assigned default name
such as Label1.
When you name an object such as a Label or TextBox or Button, you must follow these rules:
An object name can begin with an alphabetic letter or the special “underscore” character.
An object name can include letters, digits, and underscores.
An object name CANNOT include a space or a punctuation mark.
An object name CANNOT be a VB reserved word such as Button, Close, or TextBox.
An object name can contain a VB reserved word – object names such as PrintButton,
CloseButton, NameTextBox, and MajorTextBox are legal names.
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Pascal naming convention
62
The rules are:
Begin an object name with an uppercase alphabetic character.
Capitalize each word that is part of an object name.
Select object names that are meaningful.
Append the full name of the control class to the end of the name.
Avoid abbreviations unless they are standard abbreviations such as SSN (social security
number).
Examples of valid names: MajorTextBox, ResetButton, MessageLabel,
TotalDueTextBox, and CloseButton.
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Camel Casing and Hungarian naming
conventions
63
Camel Casing and Hungarian Naming Conventions
Control Type and Example Camel Casing Hungarian Example Hungarian
Camel Casing Naming Control Names Naming Control Names
Suffix Prefix
TextBox NameTextBox, txt txtName, txtMajor
MajorTextBox
Button ShippingButton, btn btnShipping, btnExit,
ExitButton, ResetButton btnReset
Label NameLabel, OutputLabel lbl lblName, lblOutput
Note: Label controls are often not renamed – they are not referred to later in
writing computer code so the default assigned name is unchanged.
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