VISUAL
BASIC
HOW TO WORK Visual Basic (VB) is the third-
generation event-driven programming
language and integrated development
WITH VISUAL environment (IDE) from Microsoft or its
COM programming model. Visual Basic is
relatively easy to learn and [Link]
BASIC? Basic was derived from BASIC and
enables the rapid application
development (RAD) of graphical user
interface (GUI) applications, access to
databases using Data Access Objects,
Remote Data Objects, or ActiveX Data
Objects, and creation of ActiveX
controls and objects. Scripting languages
such as VBA and VBScript are
syntactically similar to Visual Basic, but
perform differently. A programmer can
put together an application using the
components provided with Visual Basic
itself. Programs written in Visual Basic
can also use the Windows API, but doing
so requires external function
[Link] final release was
version 6 in 1998. Microsoft's extended
support ended in March 2008 and the
designated successor was Visual Basic
.NET (now known simply as Visual Basic).
HOW TO START VISUAL BASIC?
TO START VISUAL BASIC,THE STEPS
ARE-
[Link] ON START PROGRAMS
MICROSOFT VISUAL BASIC STUDIO 6.0
MICROSOFT VISUAL BASIC 6.0
[Link] NEW PROJECT WINDOW APPEARS
(FIG.1.1)
THE NEW PROJECT WINDOW HAS
THREE TABS:-
1)NEW:TO START A NEW PROJECT.
2)EXISTING:TO SELECT FROM A LIST OF
EXISTING PROJECTS.
3)RECENT:TO SELECT FROM THE LIST OF
RECENTLY OPENED [Link]
THE NEW TAB ,SELECT [Link]
FIG.1.1 NEW PROJECT WINDOW APPLICATION .THIS OPENS THE MICROSOFT
VISUAL BASIC WINDOW.
COMPONENTS OF VB WINDOW
Title
bar
Project
Menu window
bar
Propertie
s window
Tool
bar
Form
window
Propertie
FIG 1.2 COMPONENTS OF WINDOW s layout
Tool box window
TITLE BAR:-
FIG 1.3 TITLE BAR
THE TITLE BAR(FIG 1.3)APPEARS AT THE TOP OF THE
VB WINDOW AND DISPLAYS TITLE OF THE PROJECT.
BY DEFAULT THE VB GIVES NAME SUCH AS PROJECT1,
PROJECT 2 .
A VB APPLICATION WORKS ON 3 MODES:-
DESIGN
MODE
RUN
MODE
BREAK
MODE
MENU BAR AND TOOL BAR
Menu
bar
MENU BAR-
FIG 1.4 MENU BAR AND TOOL BAR
THE MENU BAR(FIG 1.4) CONSISTS OF
MANY DROP-DOWN [Link] ON ANY OF
THE OPTION OFTHE MENU BAR MAKES IT
ACTIVE.
TOOL BAR-
THE TOOL BAR(FIG 1.4) HAS BUTTONS THAT
PROVIDE SOME OF THE MENU OPTIONS.
FORM WINDOW
THE FORM WINDOW(FIG1.5)
IS THE PRIMARY WORK
AREA THAT FORMS THE
BACKGROUND OF THE
APPLICATION .THE USER
CAN DRAW OBJECTS ON
THE FORM.
FIG. 1.5 FORM WINDOW
TOOLBOX
THE TOOLBOX (FIG 1.6)CONTAINS ICONS
THAT REPRESENT COMMONLY USED
CONTROLS SUCH AS LABEL,TEXTBOX,
COMMAND BUTTON ,ETC.
FIG 1.6 TOOLBOX
PROJECT WINDOW
IT DISPLAYS A LIST OF ALL FORMS THAT MAKES UP
THE [Link] HAS THREE BUTTONS ON THE
TOP LEFT.(FIG 1.7)
[Link] ON VIEW OBJECT TO OPEN A FORM.
[Link] ON VIEW CODE TO OPEN CODE WINDOW.
View Select
Code form
View
object
FIG 1.7 PROJECT WINDOW
PROPERTIES WINDOW
THE PROPERTIES WINDOW LISTS THE PROPERTY OF THE SELECTED
CONTROLS OR FOR THE FORM.
THE PROPERTY WINDOW HAS TWO TABS:
[Link] ALPHABETIC TAB LIST ALL THE PROPERTIES IN ALPHABETIC
ORDER.(FIG 1.8)
[Link] CATEGORIZED TAB LISTS THE PROPERTIES CATEGORY-
WISE(FIG 1.9)
FIG 1.8 ALPHABETIC TAB OF PROPERTIES FIG 1.9 CATEGORIZED TAB OF
WINDOW
PROPERTIES WINDOW
FORM LAYOUT WINDOW
IT SHOWS THE POSITION OF THE
FORM RELATIVE TO THE MONITOR’S
SCREEN WHEN THE PROGRAM IS
EXECUTED.(FIG 1.10)
FIG 1.10 FORM LAYOUT WINDOW
FAST FORWARD
TO VIEW FORM LAYOUT
WINDOW PRESS
SHIFT+F4
DEVELOPMENT OF AN
APPLICATION
IN VB, AN APPLICATION CAN BE DEVELOPED BY THE
FOLLOWING STEPS:
[Link] A FORM
[Link] CONTROLS ON TE FORM
[Link] PROPERTIES OR THE CONTROL
[Link] CODE TO THE HANDLE THE EVENTS
THE CONTROLS IN THE TOOLBOX CAN BE CALLED OBJECTS IN
[Link] CONTROL IS ASSOCIATED WITH ITS INDIVIDUAL
PROPERTIES ,METHODS AND EVENTS.
PROPERTY
IT IS THE NAMED ATTRIBUTE OF AN OBJECT
FOR EXAMPLE,THE TEXT BOX HAS PROPERTIES
SUCH AS COLOR,FONT,ENABLED,VISIBLE,ETC.
METHOD
IT IS AN ACTION THAT CAN BE PERFORMED ON
AN OBJECT.
EVENT
WE KNOW THAT VB IS AN EVENT-DRIVEN PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGE.A TEXT BOX SUPPORTS VARIOUS EVENTS SUCH AS
CLICK,DOUBLE-CLICK,MOUSE UP [Link] AN
EVENT OCCURS,A PARTICULAR CODE IS EXECUTED
HOW TO PLACE CONTROLS ON THE
FORM?
A CONTOL CAN BE PLACED ON A FORM USING TWO
METHODS.
FIRST METOD
DOUBLE CLCK ON THE CONTROL IN THE ICON IN THE
TOOLBOX.
THE CONTROL APPEARS IN THE MIDDLE OF FORM.(FIG
1.11)
FIG 1.11 CONTROL ON THE FORM
TO CHANGE THE POSITION OF THE CONTROL:
CLICK THE CONTROL
DRAG IT TO THE NEW LOCATION.
(FIG.1.12)
FIG 1.12 DRAGGING THE CONTROL
TO RESIZE THE CONTROL JUST CLICK ON THE
CONTROL AND RESIZE THE POINTERS ON ITS
EDGES AND CORNERS.
[Link] THE EDGES POINTER FOR CHANGING THE SIZE EITHER
HORIZONTALLY OR VERTICALLY.[FIG 1.13(a)]
[Link] THE CORNER POINTERS FOR CHANGING THE SIZE
DIAGONALLY.[FIG 1.13(b)]
FIG 1.13(a) RESIZING CONTROL VERTICALLY FIG 1.13(b) RESIZING DIAGONALLY
SECOND METHOD
CLICK ON THE CONTROL ICON IN THE TOOLBOX
AND THEN CLICK ON THE DESIRED LOCATION ON
THE [Link] THE MOUSE DIAGONALLY SO THAT
THE CONTROL HAS THE DESIRED SIZE.(FIG 1.14)
FIG 1.14 DRAGGING DIAGONALLY
TO REPOSITION THE CONTROL ,HOLD DOWN THE
LEFT MOUSE BUTTON AND DRAG THE CONTROL TO
A NEW LOCATION,
TO RESIZE THE CONTROL,CLICK THE CONTROL,DRAG
ONE OF ITS EDGES OR CORNERS.
DELETE A CONTROL
CLICK ON
DELETE
FORM OBJECT
TO CREATE A VB APPLICATION ,WE NEED AN
INTERFACE FOR THE USER TO [Link]
FORM IS WHERE THE INTERFACE IS
[Link] OF THE COMMON PROPERTIES ,
EVENTS AND METHODS ARE:
PROPERTIES
CAPTION :IT SETS THE TITLE OF THE FORM
NAME :IT GIVES THE NAME OF THE FORM WITH WHICH IT IS
REFERRED TO IN THE [Link] DEFAULT VALUE IS FORM.
APPEARANCE:VALUE 1 MAKES THE FORM LOOK LIKE THREE-
[Link] 0 MAKES THE FORM LOOK
FLAT.
FONT:IT SETS THE FONT TYPE ,FONT STYLE AND FONT SIZE
FOR THE TEXT.
FORE COLOR :IT SETS THE COLOR FOR THE TEXT ON THE FORM.
ENABLED:VALUE TRUE MAKES THE FORM RESPOND TO MOUSE
AND KEYBOARD [Link] FALSE MAKES THE
FORM RESPONDING TO ANY EVENT.
BACK COLOR:IT SETS THE FORM’S BACKGROUND COLOR.
VISIBLE: VALUE FALSE MAKES THE FORM INVISIBLE
EVENTS
CLICK FORM-CLICK EVENT IS TRGGERED WHEN
THE USER CLICKS ON THE FORM .
LOAD FORM-LOAD EVENT IS TRIGGERED WHEN
THE FORM I [Link] LOADS THE
FORM INTO THE MEMORY.
METHODS
PRINT THIS PRINTS TEXT STRING ON THE FORM.
SHOW THIS MAKES THE FORM [Link] IS THE
SAME AS SETTING A FORM’S VISIBLE
PROPERTY ON TRUE.
HIDE THIS MAKES THE FORM INVISIBLE
LET US SEE HOW A VB APPPLIATION IS
CREATED AND EXECUTED
SUPPOSE WE WANT TO DISPLAY A MESSAGE ‘LEARNING VISUAL BASIC
IS FUN’ ON THE [Link] STEPS TO CREATE EXEXCUTE AND SAVE VB
APPLICATION FOR THIS MESSAGE ARE:
1)
CLICK
ON
STAR
T
3 4)
33)
MICROSOF
T VISUAL
STUDIO
CLICK PROGRAMS CLICK MICROSOFT VISUAL BASIC STUDIO
5) THEN CLICK ON MICOSOFT VISUAL BASIC 6.0
[Link] SURE FORM IS SELECTED IN THE PROJECT
EXPLORER WINDOW.
[Link] THE PROPERTIES WINDOW
[Link] THE CAPTION MESSAGE.
[Link] THE BACKCOLOR OF THE [Link] ON THE
DROP-DOWN ARROW ON THE RIGHT OF BACK COLOR
AND SELECT A [Link] SURE THE PALLETE TAB IS
SELECTED.(FIG 1.16)
FIG 1.16 BackColor Property
[Link] THE FONT CLICK ON THE BUTTON TO THE
RIGHT WITH THREE DOTS(FIG 6.17).THE FONT
WINDOW APPEARS.(FIG 6.18)
FIG 6.17 FONT PROPERTY FIG 1.18 FONT WINDOW
[Link] THE FONT AS ARIAL,FOBT STYLE AS BOLD AND SZE
AS 18;AND CLICK ON OK.
[Link] WRITE THE CODE:
i. DOUBLE-CLICK ANYWHERE ON THE FORM TO GET THE
CODE TEMPLATE(FIG 1.19).
ii. BETWEEN THE TWO LINESOF THE TEMPLATE,TYPE THE
FOLLOWING CODE(FIG 1.20)
FIG 1.20 VB CODE
FIG 1.19 CODE TEMPLATE
[Link] SAVE THIS VB APPLICATION:
i. SELECT FILE SAVE TO FIRST SAVE THE FORM(FIG
1.21) AND THEN THE PROJECT (FIG 1.22).
FIG 1.21 SAVE FROM FIG 1.22 SAVE PROJECT
[Link] RUN THIS VB APPLICATION:
i. PRESS F5 OR CLICK THE START BUTTON ON THE
TOOL BAR.(FIG 1.23) Start button
FIG 1.23 START BUTTON ON TOOLBAR
[Link] OUTOUT OF THIS VB APPLICATION IS
SHOWN IN (FIG 1.24).
FIG 1.24 OUTPUT OF THE VB CODE
FAST FORWARD
TO RUN A PROGRAM
PRESS F5
COMMON CONTROLS
POINTER
THE POINTER PROVIDES THE WAY TO
RESIZE OR MOVE THE OTHER CONTROLS.
THIS IS AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATED
AFTER THE USER PLACES A CONTROL ON
THE FORM. TOP TIP
THE POINTER IS THE ONLY
CONTROL IN THE TOOLBOX
THAT CANNOT BE PLACED
ON THE FORM
LABEL
LABEL IS A CONTROL THAT CAN BE USED TO DISPLAY
TEXT THAT USER CAN NOT EDIT DIRECTLY.
PROPERTIES
NAME:THIS GIVES THE NAME USED TO REFER LABEL IN THE CODE.
CAPTION:THIS IS THE TEXT DISPLAYED IN THE LABEL.
FONT:THIS SETS FONT,FONT STYLE AND FONT SIZE.
BORDER STYLE:THIS DETERMINES THE TYPE OF BORDER.
APPEARANCE:THIS IS 3-D IN APPEARANCE.
EVENTS
CLICK:THIS EVENT IS TRIGGERED WHEN THE USER CLICKS ON THE
LABEL.
DOUBLE CLICK:THIS EVENT IS TRIGGERED WHEN TH USER DOUBLE-
CLICKS ON THE LABEL
TEXTBOX
THE TEXT BOX IS A CONTROL THAT IS USED
TO RECEIVE INPUT FROM THE USER AND ALSO
TO DISPLAY THE [Link] CAN HANDLE
STRING(TEXT) AND NUMERIC DATA BUT NOT
PICTURE OR IMAGES.
PROPERTIES
NAME:THIS IS THE NAME USED TO REFER TO THE
TEXTBOX IN THE CODE.
APPEARANCE:THIS IS 3-D OR FLAT IN APPEARANCE
MAXLENGTH:THIS LIMITS THE LENGTH OF THE TEXT.
VALUE 0 INDICATES LIMITED LENGTH.
MULTILINE: THIS SPECIFIES WHETHER THE TEXTBOX
DISPLAYS A SINGLE LINE OR MULTIPLE
LINES.
PASSWORD CHAR:THIS HIDES THE TEXT WITH A
SINGLE CHARACTER(USUALLY*IS
USED).
ENABLED:VALUE TRUE/FALSE DETERMINES WHETHER
THE TEXTBOX RESPONDS TO ANY EVENT OR
NOT.
LOCKED:VALUE TRUE/FALSE DETERMINES WHETHER
THE TEXTBOX RESPONDS TO ANY EVENT OR
NOT.
LOCKED:VALUE TRUE/FALSE DETERMINES WHETHER
THE TEXTBOX CONTENTS CAN BE CHANGED OR
NOT.
TEXT:THIS IS THE STRING TO BE DISPLAYED IN THE
TEXTBOX.
EVENTS
CHANGE:THIS EVENT IS TRIGGERED EVERY TIME WHEN
THE TEXTBOX DISPLAYS A SINGLE LINE OR
MULTIPLE LINE.
METHOD
SetFocus:THIS POSITIONS THE CURSOR INSIDE THE TEXT BOX.
COMMAND BUTTON
THE COMMAND BUTON IS VERY IMPORTANT CONTROL AS IT IS
USED TO EXECUTE COMMANDS AND IT DISPLAYS AN ILLUSION
THAT THE BUTTON IS PRESSEDWHEN THE USER CLICKS ON IT.
PROPERTIES
APPEARANCES:THIS IS 3-D OR FLAT IN APPEARANCE.
CAPTION:THIS IS THE STRING THAT IS DISPLAYED ON THE
COMMAND BUTTON.
VISIBLE:VALUE TRUE/FALSE DETERMINES WHETHER IT IS VISIBLE
OR NOT.
FONT:THIS SETS FONT,FONT STYLE AND FONT SIZE.
ENABLED:VALUE TRUE/FALSE DETERMINES WHETHER IT RESPONDS
TO AN EVENT OR NOT.
EVENTS
CLICK:THIS EVENT IS TRIGGERED WHEN IT IS SELECTED BY CLIICKING
ON IT.
LET US NOW CREATE AN APPLICATION USING
ALL THE COMMANDS DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY
THE STEPS TO CREATE ,EXECUTE AND SAVE A VB
APPLICATION ARE:
1)SELECT PROGRAMS
MICROSOFT VISUAL BASIC 6.0.
2)IN THE NEW PROJECT WINDOW,SELECT STANDARD.
[Link] FORM WILL APPEAR ON THE SCREEN.
3)NOTICE THAT THE PROPERTIES OF THE FORM WILL
APPEAR IN THE PROPERTIES WINDOW.
i. SELECT CAPTION , AND TYPE ‘DISPLAY MESSAGE’.
ii SELECT BackColor , AND CHANGE IT TO ORANGE.(FIG 1.25)
FIG 1.25 CHANGED CAPTION AND BackColor
4)PLACE THE LABEL ON THE FORM AND CHANGE ITS
PROPERIES AS SHOWN BELOW:
PROPERTIES SETTINGS
CAPTION ENTER YOUR NAME
FONT 12,BOLD
BackColor SAME AS FORM
5)PLACE ANOTHER LABEL ON THE FORM AND CHANGE IN
PROPERTIES AS SHOWN BELOW:
PROPERTIES SETTINGS
NAME lblmessage
CAPTION (BLANK)[DELETE LABEL 2 THAT APPEARS ON THE
RIGHT SIDE]
BorderStyle 1-FIXED SINGLE
FONT 12,BOLD
6) PLACE THE TEXTBOX ON THE FORM AND CHANGE ITS
PROPERTIES AS SHOWN BELOW:
PROPERTIES SETTING
NAME txtname
TEXT (BLANK)
FONT 12,BOLD
7)PLACE COMMAND BUTON ON THE FORM AND CHANGE
ITS PROPERTIES AS SHOWN BELOW:
PROPERTIES SETTING
NAME cmdok
CAPTION OK
FONT 12,BOLD
8)PLACE ANOTHER COMMAND BUTTON ON THE FORM AND
CHANGE ITS PROPERTIES AS SHOWN BELOW:
PROPERTIES CONTROLS
NAME cmdEXIT
CAPTION EXIT
FONT 12 ,BOLD
9)TO WRITE THE CODE,DOUBLE-CLICK ON THE OK
COMMAND BUTTON TO GET THE CODE [Link]
THE CODE AS SHOWN IN FIG 1.26
FIG 1.26 VB CODE
10)CLICK ON THE VIEW OBJECT BUTTON IN THE PROJECT
EXPLORER WINDOW TO RETURN TO THE FORM.
11)DOUBLE-CLICK ON THE EXIT COMAND BUTTON TO GET
CODE [Link] THE CODE AS SHOWN IN
FIG.1.27
FIG 1.27 VB CODE
12) TO SAVE THIS VB APPLICATION,SELECT FILE
SAVE PROJECT [Link] FIRST SAVES THE FORM AND
THEN THE PROJECT.
13)TO RUN THIS APPLICATION,PRESS F5 OR CLICK THE
START BUTTON ON THE TOOLBAR.
TRICKY TERMS
GUI-(GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE)IT ENABLES THE USER TO
INTERACT WITH AN APPLICATIONTHROUGH THE USE OF
ICONS,BUTTONS,MENUS,DIALOG BOXES AND WINDOWS.
EVENT-DRIVEN PROGRAMMING-A PROGRAMMING BASED ON
THE EVENT(ACTION)PERFORMED.
INTEGRTED DEVLOPMENT ENVIRONMENT-INTEGRATING MANY
DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS SUCH AS DESIGNING,EDITING,COMPILING,
DEBUGGING IN A SINFGLE WINDOW.
THANK YOU