Gain a basic understanding of the philosophy and architecture of .NET
Acquire a working knowledge of VB.NET programming
Gain a thorough understanding of object-oriented programming using VB.NET
Learn how to implement Windows applications using the Windows Forms classes of the .NET Framework
Learn how to program with files and databases using VB.NET
This course description should be used to determine whether the course is appropriate for you based on your current skill and technical training needs. Technical information is provided on the intended audience, course prerequisites, and covered topics. Course content, prices, and availability are subject to change without notice.
Course Audience
This course introduces object-oriented concepts early and is intended to be fully accessible to programmers who do not already have a background in object-oriented programming. Previous knowledge of Visual Basic is also not essential. The course may also be studied by more experienced programmers who desire a simple introduction to VB.NET with many example programs.
Course Description
This course is a practical introduction to programming in VB.NET and the use of services provided by .NET. It emphasizes the VB.NET language. It is part of the Object Innovations series of .NET courses, which are based on The Integrated .NET Series of books from Object Innovations and Prentice Hall.
Besides supporting traditional object-oriented features such as classes, inheritance and polymorphism, VB.NET introduces several additional features, such as properties, delegates, events and interfaces that make VB.NET a compelling language for developing object-oriented and component-based systems. This course provides thorough coverage of all these features.
One of the strengths of Visual Basic, and the reason it has enjoyed such widespread use, is the ease in which Windows application can be developed. Microsoft has revamped the way that Windows applications are built under .NET. Windows Forms, used by all .NET languages, represents a class library that brings uniformity to the components of a Windows application. The course includes substantial coverage of using Windows Forms VB.NET.
VB.NET, as a language, is elegant and powerful. However, to fully utilize its capabilities, you must have a good understanding of how it works with the .NET Framework. The course examines several important interactions between VB.NET and the .NET Framework, and includes an introduction to major .NET classes for collections, files, and databases.
Numerous programming examples and exercises are included, including a substantial case study. The student will receive a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes, all the programming examples, and the book Introduction to Programming Visual Basic Using .NET.
Course Objectives
At course completion the student will be able to perform the following tasks:
Gain a basic understanding of the philosophy and architecture of .NET
Acquire a working knowledge of VB.NET programming
Gain a thorough understanding of object-oriented programming using VB.NET
Learn how to implement Windows applications using the Windows Forms classes of the .NET Framework
Learn how to program with files and databases using VB.NET
Prerequisites
The attendee should have programming experience in a high-level language.
TOPICS COVERED IN LECTURE & LAB
Part 1. Introduction to .NET and VB.NET
.NET Framework
NET: What You Need To Know
What Is Microsoft .NET?
NET Framework Overview
Common Language Runtime
Introduction to VB.NET Programming
Namespaces
Console Programs
Program Structure
Example: Hello World
The .NET Framework Class Library
Visual Studio.NET
Overview of Visual Studio.NET
Creating a Console Application
Project Configurations
Debugging
Part 2. VB.NET as a Visual Basic Language
Fundamentals of VB.NET
Program Structure
Simple Data Types
Using Typed Literals
Declaring Variables and Constants
Conversions
Operators and Expressions
Console I/O
Control Structures
Conditional Statements (If, Select Case)
Looping Statements (Do Loop, While, For)
Procedures
Subroutines
Call-by-value vs. call-by-reference
Functions
Scope Rules
Storage Classes
Overloading
Optional Arguments
Recursion
Advanced Data Types
Enumerations
Declaring Arrays
Passing Arrays to Procedures
Dynamic Arrays
ParamArray
Structures
Passing Structures to Procedures
With Statement
.NET Object
VB.NET Utility Functions
Math Functions
Financial Functions
Informational Functions
Conversion Functions
Control Characters
Character Manipulation Functions
Date/Time Functions
String Functions
Format Functions
Object Browser
Exception Handling
Exception Detection
Structured Exception Handling
Inner Exceptions
Part 3. Object-Oriented Programming in VB.NET
Object-Oriented Programming Concepts
Objects
Classes
Inheritance
Polymorphism
Object-Oriented Languages
Components
Classes in VB.NET
Defining a Class
Access Control
Methods
Initialization
Properties
Static Data Members and Methods
Garbage Collection
User-Defined Exceptions
Inheritance
Overview of Inheritance
Access Control
Overriding Methods
Polymorphism and Dynamic Binding
Initialization
Abstract Classes
Heterogeneous Collections
Interfaces
Defining Interfaces
Implementing Interfaces
Using Interfaces at Runtime
Resolving Ambiguities
The VB.NET Type System
Review of Types in VB.NET
Value Types
Boxing and Unboxing
Reference Types
Part 4. Windows Programming in VB.NET
Introduction to Windows Forms
Windows Forms
Overview of Controls
Using Properties
Handling Events
Using the Windows Form Designer
Example: HelloWorld
Using the Label, TextBox and Button Controls
Using the CheckBox, GroupBox and RadioButton Controls
Using the Listbox and ComboBox Controls
Using the Tooltip Control
Using the Panel Control
Using the Timer Control
Using the PictureBox Control
Using the LinkLabel Control
Using the MonthCalendar and DataTimePicker Controls
More on Windows Applications
Displaying Forms
Using DialogResult
Handling Mouse and Keyboard Events
Building Menus
Building Context Menus
Building Toolbars
Building StatusBars
Using the Common Dialogs
Still More on Windows Applications
Using the RichTextBox Control
Using the ProgressBar Control
Using the Scrollbar Controls
Using the NumericUpDown and DomainUpDown Controls
Using the DataGrid Control
Using the TreeView, ListView and CheckedListBox Controls
