Introduction to Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Programming

Introduction
Elements of this syllabus are subject to change.
This five-day instructor-led course provides studentswith the knowledge and skills needed to develop applications in MicrosoftVisual Basic® .NET for the Microsoft .NET platform. The course focuses on userinterfaces, program structure, language syntax, and implementation details.
This is the first course in the Visual Basic .NETcurriculum and will serve as the entry point for other .NET courses.

Audience
This course is intended for both novice andexperienced programmers who have a minimum of three months programmingexperience and have basic Microsoft Windows® navigation skills.

At Course Completion
After completing this course, students will beable 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 and Function procedures, including predefined functions.

Implement decision structures and loops by using conditional expressions.

Validate user input for fields, controls, and forms.

Apply object-oriented programming techniques to create classes, add methods, and add properties.

Resolve syntax, run-time, and logic errors by using the debugger and structured exception handling.

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.

Access and manipulate data in a Microsoft Access or Microsoft SQL Server database by using Microsoft ADO.NET.

Build, package, and deploy an application.

Prerequisites
Before attending this course, students must have:

Windows navigation skills.

Experience (at least three months) with developing applications in either a graphical or non-graphical environment.
- And -

Completion of Microsoft MSDN® Training Course 2667 : Introduction to Programming.
- Or -

Understanding of the basics of structured programming, including concepts such as flow control, variables and parameters, and function calls.

Course Materials
The student kit includes a comprehensive workbookand other necessary materials for this class.

Course Outline
Module1: Getting Started
This module introduces Visual Basic .NET andexplains how it fits into the .NET platform. It explains how to use theprogramming tools in Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET and provides enough practiceso 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
Lab1.1: Creating Your First Application

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

Begin a Visual Basic .NET project that is 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.

Module2: Working with Forms and Controls
This module explains fundamental programmingconcepts, including event-driven programming, classes, objects, properties,methods, and events. This module also explains how to use forms and controls tocreate a user interface. This includes the following: how to create a form, setproperties, call methods, and write code for events; how to add controls to aform; how to manage multiple forms; how to use message boxes; how to use namingconventions; and how to format and document code.
Lessons

Understanding Programming Concepts

Working with Windows Forms

Working with Controls

Styling Your Code
Lab2.1: Creating the User Interface

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

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 code.

Module3: Using Variables and Arrays
This module explains how to name, declare, assignvalues to, and use variables and constants. It explains how to declarevariables with different levels of scope, how to create your own datastructures, 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

Converting Data Types

Creating and Using Structures

Storing Data in Arrays
Lab3.1: 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

Exercise 2: Creating and Using Arrays
After completing this module, students will be ableto:

Describe the various data types they can use to declare variables.

Name, declare, initialize, and use variables and constants.

Declare variables with different levels of scope.

Create user-defined structures.

Convert variable values from one data type to another.

Store data in arrays.

Module4: Working with Procedures
This module describes how to create and use Suband Function procedures, including predefined functions, and how to structurecode for increased reusability.
Lessons

Creating Procedures

Using Procedures

Using Predefined Functions
Lab4.1: 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 ableto:

Create and call Sub procedures and Function procedures.

Write procedures in modules to enable code reuse.

Pass arguments by value and by reference.

Use predefined functions in application code.

Module5: Decision Structures and Loops
This module explains how to implement decisionstructures 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 ableto:

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 flow accordingly.

Use Select Case structures to execute one of several statements.

Use For...Next structures to execute statements a set number of times.

Use Do...Loop structures to execute statements until a specific condition is met or while a specific condition is true.

Choose the appropriate decision structure or loop based on the requirements of the application.

Module6: Validating User Input
This module explains how to validate user input atboth the field level and the form level. It describes how to handle invalid inputby providing error messages and guiding users through the process of findingand fixing errors. It describes how to use control properties and methods torestrict and validate data entry.
Lessons

Restricting User Input

Validating Field Data

Validating Form Data
Lab6.1: Validating User Input

Exercise 1: Validating User Input
After completing this module, students will be ableto:

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.

Module7: Object-Oriented Programming in Visual Basic .NET
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 describesinheritance, polymorphism, and namespaces.
Lessons

Understanding Classes

Working with Classes

Using Shared Members

Inheritance, Polymorphism, and Namespaces
Lab7.1: Creating a Derived Class

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

Explain object-oriented programming concepts, including abstraction, encapsulation, classes, and objects.

Use the Object Browser to examine available programming elements, including classes and objects.

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.

Module8: Handling Errors and Exceptions
This module explains types of errors that canoccur in a program and explains how to use the debugging tools provided withVisual Basic .NET to help diagnose and correct the errors. These toolsinclude the Visual Studio .NET debugger, debugging windows, and structuredexception handling.
Lessons

Types of Errors

Using the Debugger

Handling Exceptions
Lab 8.1:Implementing Structured Exception Handling

Exercise 1: Using Try...Catch Blocks

Exercise 2: Using Try...Catch...Finally Blocks
After completing this module, students will be ableto:

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.

Module9: 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 with which users can access key functions of an application.

Module10: Web Forms and XML Web Services
This module explains how to create a Web Formsapplication and how to invoke a simple XML Web service.
Lessons

Working with Web Forms

Using XML Web Services
Lab10.1: Creating a Web Application

Exercise 1: Creating the User Interface

Exercise 2: Using XML Web Services
After completing this module, students will be ableto:

Create, build, and run an application that uses Web Forms.

Explain the process for discovering and calling XML Web services.

Use a proxy to call an XML Web service from a Web Form.

Module11: Using ADO.NET
This module explains how to use ADO.NET with aWindows Forms application to create, read, update, and delete records in Accessand SQL Server databases.
Lessons

Database Concepts

Overview of ADO.NET

Working with Data
Lab11.1: Accessing Data with ADO.NET

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

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.

Module12: Deploying Applications
This module explains how to deploy applications byusing Visual Studio .NET. The module also describes deployment optionsavailable in Visual Basic .NET, and how to create and configure a setupproject for a Windows-based application.
Lessons

Introduction to Deployment

Deploying a Windows-based Application
Lab12.1: Deploying an Application

Exercise 1: Using the Setup Wizard

Exercise 2: Installing the Loan Application
After completing this module, students will be ableto:

Describe how to deploy applications by using Visual Studio .NET.

Create and customize a Setup program for a Windows-based application.