Introduction to Visual Basic .NET Programming with Microsoft .NET

Course 2559: Five days; Instructor-led

Introduction

This five-day instructor-led course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop applications in Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET for the Microsoft .NET platform. The course focuses on user interfaces, program structure, language syntax, and implementation details. This is the first course in the Visual Basic .NET curriculum and will serve as the entry point for other .NET courses.

Audience
This course is intended for both novice and experienced programmers who have a minimum of three months programming experience and have basic Microsoft Windows navigation skills.

At Course Completion
At the end of the course, students will be able to:

Create a simple Visual Basic .NET-based application based on the Windows Application template.
Use forms and controls to create a user interface.
Create and use variables and arrays.
Create and use Sub, Function, and Property procedures.
Implement decision structures and loops by using conditional expressions.
Resolve syntax, run-time, and logic errors by using the debugger and structured exception handling.
Validate user input for fields, controls, and forms.
Enhance the user interface by adding menus, status bars, and toolbars.
Create a simple Visual Basic .NET-based Web Forms application that uses an XML Web Service.
Apply object-oriented programming techniques to create classes, add methods, and add properties.
Access and manipulate data in a Microsoft Access database by using ADO.NET.
Build, package, and deploy an application.

Prerequisites
Before attending this course, students must have:

Windows navigation skills.
Experience (at least 3 months) with developing applications in either a graphical or non-graphical environment.
-And-
Completion of Microsoft MSDN® Training Course 1587—Introduction to Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 6.
-Or-
Understanding of the basics of structured programming, including concepts such as flow control, variables and parameters, and function calls.

Microsoft Certified Professional Exams
There is no MCP exam associated with this course.

Student Materials
The student kit includes a comprehensive workbook and other necessary materials for this class.

Course Outline
Module 1: Getting Started
This module introduces Visual Basic .NET and explains how it fits into the .NET platform. It explains how to use the programming tools in Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET and provides enough practice so that students can create their first application in Visual Basic .NET.

Lessons

Basic .NET Concepts
Exploring the Development Environment
Creating a Visual Basic .NET Project
Lab 1.1: Creating Your First Application

Exercise 1: Creating Your First Application in Visual Basic .NET
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Begin a Visual Basic .NET project based on the Windows Application template.
Use the standard toolbar, programming tools, and programming windows in the development environment to work with applications.
Create a simple application in Visual Basic .NET.

Module 2: Working with Forms and Controls
This module explains fundamental programming concepts, including event-driven programming, classes, objects, properties, methods, and events. This module also explains how to use forms and controls to create a user interface. This includes the following: how to create a form, set properties, call methods, and write code for events; how to add controls to a form; how to manage multiple forms; how to use message boxes; how to use naming conventions; and how to format and document code.

Lessons

Understanding Programming Concepts
Working with Windows Forms
Working with Controls
Styling Your Code
2.1: Creating the User Interface

Exercise 1: Creating the Main Form
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Explain fundamental programming concepts, including event-driven programming, classes, objects, properties, methods, and events.
Use forms and controls to create a user interface.
Create and manage multiple forms in a simple application.
Interact with a user by using the MessageBox function.
Use Visual Basic naming conventions and standards for formatting and documenting your code.

Module 3: Using Variables and Arrays
This module explains how to name, declare, assign values to, and use variables and constants. It explains how to declare variables with different levels of scope, how to create your own data structures, and how to convert variable values from one data type to another. It also describes how to store data in an array.

Lessons

Introduction to Data Types
Using Variables
Variable Scope
Creating and Using Structures
Converting Data Types
Storing Data in Arrays
Lab 3.1: Creating and Using Variables

Exercise 1: Using Static Variables
Exercise 2: Creating, Using, and Converting Variables
Lab 3.2: Using Structures and Arrays

Exercise 1: Creating a Structure Variable
Exercise 2: Creating and Using Arrays
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the various data types you can use to declare variables.
Name, declare, initialize, and use variables and constants.
Declare variables with different levels of scope.
Create user-defined data structures.
Convert variable values from one data type to another.
Store data in arrays.

Module 4: Working with Procedures
This module describes how to create and use Sub and Function procedures, including predefined functions, and how to structure code for increased reusability.

Lessons

Creating Procedures
Using Procedures
Using Predefined Functions
Lab 4.1: Creating and Using Procedures

Exercise 1: Creating Functions in a Module
Exercise 2: Working with the Main Form
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Differentiate between a Sub procedure and a Function procedure.
Create and call Sub and Function procedures.
Write procedures in modules to enable code reuse.
Pass arguments by value and by reference.
Use predefined functions in application code.

Module 5: Decision Structures and Loops
This module explains how to implement decision structures and loop structures to control program output and execution.

Lessons

Using Conditional Expressions
Using Decision Structures
Using Conditional Loop Structures
Lab 5.1: Using Decision Structures

Exercise 1: Checking User Input
Exercise 2: Confirming Application Close
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Create formulas and conditional expressions by using arithmetic, comparison, and logical operators.
Use If…Then structures to evaluate whether a condition is true or false and direct the program's flow accordingly.
Use Select Case structures to test different values of the same expression and then run corresponding statements.
Use Do…Loop structures to execute statements until a specific condition is met or while a specific condition is true.
Use For…Next structures to execute statements a set number of times.
Choose the appropriate decision structure or loop based on the requirements of the application.

Module 6: Handling Errors and Exceptions
This module explains types of errors that can occur in a program and explains how to use the debugging tools provided with Visual Basic .NET to help diagnose and correct the errors. These tools include the Visual Studio .NET debugger, debugging windows, and structured exception handling.

Lessons

Types of Errors
Using the Debugger
Handling Exceptions
Lab 6.1: Using Structured Exception Handling

Exercise 1: Using Try…Catch Blocks
Exercise 2: Using Try…Catch…Finally Blocks
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Define and give examples of syntax, run-time, and logic errors.
Debug code by using the Visual Studio .NET debugger.
Implement structured exception handling in an application.

Module 7: Validating User Input
This module explains how to validate user input at both the field level and the form level. It describes how to handle invalid input by providing error messages and guiding users through the process of finding and fixing errors. It describes how to use control properties and methods to restrict and validate data entry.

Lessons

Restricting User Input
Validating Field Data
Validating Form Data
7.1: Validating User Input

Exercise 1: Validating Field Data
Exercise 2: Validating Form Data
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Restrict the type of data that can be entered in a field.
Test user input at the field level to determine if it is valid, and display messages to help the user correct invalid data.
Set control properties to specify the order of data entry, the type of data to enter, and how to display the data when the application is run.
Validate user input at the form level, and guide users through the process of finding and fixing errors.

Module 8: Enhancing the User Interface
This module explains how to create menus, status bars, and toolbars to enhance the usability of an application.

Lessons

Creating Menus
Creating Status Bars
Creating Toolbars
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Create custom menus to group application commands.
Create a status bar to provide users with feedback about an application.
Create a toolbar to provide a graphical interface for the user to access key functions of your application.

Module 9: Web Forms and XML Web Services
This module explains how to create a Web Form application and how to invoke a simple XML Web service.

Lessons

Working with Web Forms
Using XML Web Services
Lab 9.1: Creating a Web Application

Exercise 1: Creating the User Interface
Exercise 2: Using XML Web Services
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Create a basic Web Form.
Discover an XML Web service, and invoke the XML Web service from a browser and from a Web Form.

Module 10: Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming Concepts
This module explains how to create and use classes. The module explains the concepts of abstraction, encapsulation, instantiation, initialization, constructors, and destructors. This module also describes inheritance, polymorphism, and namespaces.

Lessons

Basic Concepts
Working with Classes
Using Shared Members
Polymorphism, Inheritance, and Namespaces
Lab 10.1: Creating a Derived Class

Exercise 1: Creating a Derived Form Class
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Explain object-oriented programming concepts, including abstraction, encapsulation, class, and object.
Create a new class, including its methods, properties, and data members with appropriate access levels.
Create and use an instance of a class, including instance and shared data members, and shared and non-shared methods.
Explain how constructors and destructors work.
Explain inheritance, polymorphism, and namespaces.

Module 11: Using ADO.NET
This module explains how to use Microsoft ADO.NET with a Windows Form application to create, read, update, and delete records in Access and Microsoft SQL Server™ databases.

Lessons

Database Concepts
Overview of ADO.NET
Working with Data
Lab 11.1: Accessing Data with ADO.NET

Exercise 1: Using the Data Form Wizard
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Define basic database terminology, including database, table, record, field, and key.
Describe some commonly used ADO.NET objects.
Create and open a connection to a database.
Create, read, update, and delete records in a database.
Use the Data Form Wizard to create a simple data access application.
Display and modify data extracted from a database.

Module 12: Working with Forms and Controls
This module explains various deployment options available in Visual Basic .NET. It also explains how to deploy Windows-based applications.

Lessons

Assembly Overview
Choosing a Deployment Option
Deploying Windows-based Applications
Lab 12.1: Deploying an Application

Exercise 1: Using the Setup Wizard
Exercise 2: Installing the Loan Application
After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe an assembly.
List the different types of application deployment.
Create a Setup program for a Windows-based application by using the Setup wizard.

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