Learn Visual Basic 5 Contents

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Learn Visual Basic 5 - Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Visual Basic Language and Environment

Preview 1-1
Course Objectives 1-1
What is Visual Basic? 1-2
Visual Basic 5.0 versus Visual Basic 4.0 1-3
16 Bits versus 32 Bits 1-3
Structure of a Visual Basic Application 1-4
Steps in Developing Application 1-4
Drawing the User Interface and Setting Properties 1-5
Example 1-1: Stopwatch Application - Drawing Controls 1-9
Setting Properties of Objects at Design Time 1-10
Setting Properties at Run Time 1-11
How Names Are Used in Object Events 1-11
Example 1-2: Stopwatch Application - Setting Properties 1-12
Variables 1-14
Visual Basic Data Types 1-14
Variable Declaration 1-14
Example 1-3: Stopwatch Application - Attaching Code 1-18
Quick Primer on Saving Visual Basic Applications 1-20
Exercise 1: Calendar/Time Display 1-21

2. The Visual Basic Language

Review and Preview 2-1
A Brief History of Basic 2-1
Visual Basic Statements and Expressions 2-2
Visual Basic Operators 2-3
Visual Basic Functions 2-4
A Closer Look at the Rnd Function 2-5
Example 2-1: Savings Account 2-6
Visual Basic Symbolic Constants 2-10
Defining Your Own Constants 2-10
Visual Basic Branching - If Statements 2-11
Key Trapping 2-12
Example 2-2: Savings Account - Key Trapping 2-14
Select Case - Another Way to Branch 2-16
The GoTo Statement 2-17
Visual Basic Looping 2-17
Visual Basic Counting 2-19
Example 2-3: Savings Account - Decisions 2-20
Exercise 2-1: Computing a Mean and Standard Deviation 2-23
Exercise 2-2: Flash Card Addition Problems 2-28

3. Exploring the Visual Basic Toolbox

Review and Preview 3-1
The Message Box 3-1
Object Methods 3-3
The Form Object 3-4
Command Buttons 3-5
Label Boxes 3-5
Text Boxes 3-6
Example 3-1: Password Validation 3-8
Check Boxes 3-11
Option Buttons 3-11
Arrays 3-12
Control Arrays 3-12
Frames 3-13
Example 3-2: Pizza Order 3-15
List Boxes 3-20
Combo Boxes 3-21
Example 3-3: Flight Planner 3-23
Exercise 3: Customer Database Input Screen 3-27

4. More Exploration of the Visual Basic Toolbox

Review and Preview 4-1
Display Layers 4-1
Line Tool 4-2
Shape Tool 4-3
Horizontal and Vertical Scroll Bars 4-4
Example 4-1: Temperature Conversion 4-7
Picture Boxes 4-12
Image Boxes 4-14
Quick Example: Picture and Image Boxes 4-14
Drive List Box 4-15
Directory List Box 4-15
File List Box 4-16
Synchronizing the Drive, Directory, and File List Boxes 4-17
Example 4-2: Image Viewer 4-18
Common Dialog Boxes 4-23
Open Common Dialog Box 4-24
Quick Example: The Open Dialog Box 4-25
Save As Common Dialog Box 4-27
Quick Example: The Save As Dialog Box 4-28
Exercise 4: Student Database Input Screen 4-29

5. Creating a Stand-Alone Visual Basic Application

Review and Preview 5-1
Designing an Application 5-1
Using General Sub Procedures in Applications 5-2
Creating a Code Module 5-5
Using General Function Procedures in Applications 5-5
Quick Example: Temperature Conversion 5-7
Quick Example: Image Viewer (Optional) 5-8
Adding Menus to an Application 5-8
Example 5-1: Note Editor 5-12
Using Pop-Up Menus 5-16
Assigning Icons to Forms 5-17
Designing Your Own Icon with IconEdit 5-17
Creating Visual Basic Executable Files 5-19
Example 5-2: Note Editor - Building an Executable
and Attaching an Icon 5-21
Using the Visual Basic Application Setup Wizard 5-22
Example 5-3: Note Editor - Creating a Distribution Disk 5-24
Exercise 5: US Capitals Quiz 5-25

6. Error-Handling, Debugging and File Input/Output

Review and Preview 6-1
Error Types 6-1
Run-Time Error Trapping and Handling 6-2
General Error Handling Procedure 6-4
Example 6-1: Simple Error Trapping 6-7
Debugging Visual Basic Programs 6-9
Example 6-2: Debugging Example 6-10
Using the Debugging Tools 6-11
Debugging Strategies 6-16
Sequential Files 6-17
Sequential File Output (Variables) 6-17
Application Path 6-19
Quick Example: Writing Variables to Sequential Files 6-20
Sequential File Input (Variables) 6-21
Quick Example: Reading Variables from Sequential Files 6-22
Writing and Reading Text Using Sequential Files 6-23
Random Access Files 6-25
User-Defined Variables 6-26
Writing and Reading Random Access Files 6-27
Using the Open and Save Common Dialog Boxes 6-30
Example 6-3: Note Editor - Reading and Saving Text Files 6-32
Exercise 6-1: Information Tracking 6-37
Exercise 6-2: ‘Recent Files’ Menu Option 6-43

7. Graphics Techniques with Visual Basic

Review and Preview 7-1
Graphics Methods 7-1
Using Colors 7-8
Mouse Events 7-10
Example 7-1: Blackboard 7-13
Drag and Drop Events 7-18
Example 7-2: Letter Disposal 7-20
Timer Tool and Delays 7-23
Animation Techniques 7-24
Quick Example: Simple Animation 7-25
Quick Example: Animation with the Timer Tool 7-26
Random Numbers (Revisited) and Games 7-28
Randomly Sorting N Integers 7-29
Example 7-3: One-Buttoned Bandit 7-30
User-Defined Coordinates 7-35
Simple Function Plotting (Line Charts) 7-36
Simple Bar Charts 7-38
Example 7-4: Line Chart and Bar Chart Application 7-40
Exercise 7-1: Blackjack 7-43
Exercise 7-2: Information Tracking Plotting 7-54

8. Database Access and Management

Review and Preview 8-1
Database Structure and Terminology 8-1
Data Control 8-5
Bound Data Tools 8-7
Example 8-1: Accessing the Books Database 8-9
Creating a Virtual Table 8-11
Quick Example: Forming a Virtual Table 8-11
Finding Specific Records 8-13
Example 8-2: ‘Rolodex’ Searching of the Books Database 8-14
Data Manager 8-17
Example 8-3: Phone Directory - Creating the Database 8-18
Database Management 8-20
Example 8-4: Phone Directory - Managing the Database 8-23
Custom Data Aware Controls 8-28
Using the Crystal Reports Writer 8-30
Quick Example: Tabular Phone Directory Listing 8-31
Using the Crystal Reports Custom Control 8-32
Exercise 8: Home Inventory Database 8-35

9. Dynamic Link Libraries and the Windows API

Review and Preview 9-1
Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) 9-1
Accessing the Windows API With DLL 9-2
Timing with DLL Calls 9-4
Quick Example 1: Using GetTickCount to Build a Stopwatch 9-5
Quick Example 2: Using GetTickCount to Implement a Delay 9-6
Drawing Ellipses 9-7
Quick Example 3: Drawing Ellipses 9-7
Drawing Lines 9-8
Quick Example 4: Drawing Lines 9-9
Drawing Polygons 9-10
Quick Example 5: Drawing Polygons 9-11
Sounds with DLL Calls - Other Beeps 9-14
Quick Example 6: Adding Beeps to Message Box Displays 9-15
More Elaborate Sounds 9-16
Quick Example 7: Playing WAV Files 9-16
Playing Sounds Quickly 9-17
Quick Example 8: Playing Sounds Quickly 9-18
Fun With Graphics 9-19
Quick Example 9: Bouncing Ball With Sound! 9-20
Flicker Free Animation 9-22
Quick Example 10: Flicker Free Animation 9-23
Quick Example 11: Horizontally Scrolling Background 9-24
Quick Example 11a. Sprite Animation 9-26
A Bit of Multimedia 9-29
Quick Example 12: Multimedia Sound and Video 9-29
Exercise 9: The Original Video Game - Pong! 9-31

10. Other Visual Basic Topics

Review and Preview 10-1
Custom Controls 10-1
Masked Edit Control 10-3
Chart Control 10-4
Multimedia Control 10-6
Rich Textbox Control 10-8
Slider Control 10-9
Tabbed Dialog Control 10-12
UpDown Control 10-13
Toolbar Control 10-14
Using the Windows Clipboard 10-18
Printing with Visual Basic 10-19
Multiple Form Visual Basic Applications 10-22
Visual Basic Multiple Document Interface (MDI) 10-26
Creating a Help File 10-30
Class Summary 10-37
Exercise 10: The Ultimate Application 10-39

Appendix I: Visual Basic Symbolic Constants I-1
Appendix II: Common Dialog Box Constants II-1

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