Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 2012 in 24 Hours

by James Foxall

Overview

In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, you’ll learn how to build  complete, reliable, and modern applications with Visual Basic 2012. Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll master the entire process, from navigating VB 2012 to deploying finished solutions. You’ll learn how to write efficient object-oriented code; build superior user interfaces; work with graphics, text, and databases; and even control external applications. Each lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a strong, practical foundation for success!

 

Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Visual Basic 2012 tasks.

Quizzes and Exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge.

By the Way notes present interesting information related to the discussion.

Did You Know? tips offer advice or show you easier ways to perform tasks.

Watch Out! cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them.

 

Learn how to…

 

• Navigate the VB 2012 environment and use VB’s powerful new tools
• Work with objects, collections, and events
• Build attractive, highly functional user interfaces
• Make the most of VB 2012’s advanced controls
• Create efficient modules and reusable procedures
• Store data, make decisions in code, and use loops to improve efficiency
• Use powerful object-oriented programming techniques
• Interact effectively with users
• Work with graphics, text files, and databases
• Debug and troubleshoot applications
• Manipulate external applications, file systems, and the Windows Registry
• Distribute the software you’ve created

 

On the Web:

 

• Access code examples from the book, as well as updates, and corrections as they become available at informit.com/title/9780672336294
• Download Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows Desktop from www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/downloads

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780133255737
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	10/04/2012
Series:	Sams Teach Yourself
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	528
File size:	47 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James Foxall is president of Tigerpaw Software, Inc. (www.tigerpawsoftware.com), a Bellevue, Nebraska, Microsoft Certified Partner specializing in software solutions for technology providers. Tigerpaw’s award-winning business automation solution is designed to automate contact management, marketing, service and repair, proposal generation, inventory control, and purchasing. At the start of 2012, the current release of Tigerpaw had more than 35,000 licensed users. Foxall’s experience in creating certified Office-compatible software has made him an authority on application interface and behavior standards of applications for the Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office environments.

 

Foxall has been writing commercial production Visual Basic code for more than 14 years. He’s the author of numerous books, including Practical Standards for Microsoft Visual Basic and MCSD in a Nutshell: The Visual Basic Exams. He also has written articles for Access-Office-VBA Advisor and Visual Basic Programmer’s Journal. Foxall has a bachelor’s degree in management of information systems (MIS) and a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). He is a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer and an international speaker on programming technologies as well as business process improvements. James enjoys spending time with his family, playing guitar, listening to amazing bands, and playing computer games. You can reach him at www.jamesfoxall.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

PART I: The Visual Basic 2012 Environment

HOUR 1: Jumping in with Both Feet: A Visual Basic 2012 Programming Tour 5

    Starting Visual Basic 2012 . . . . . . . . . 6

    Creating a New Project . . . . . . . . . . 7

    Understanding the Visual Studio 2012 Environment . . . . . 10

    Changing the Characteristics of Objects . . . . . . . 11

    Adding Controls to a Form. . . . . . . . . 16

    Designing an Interface . . . . . . . . . 17

    Writing the Code Behind an Interface . . . . . . . 21

    Running a Project . . . . . . . . . . 25

HOUR 2: Navigating Visual Basic 2012 29

    Using the Visual Basic 2012 Start Page . . . . . . . 30

    Navigating and Customizing the Visual Basic Environment. . . 32

    Working with Toolbars. . . . . . . . . . 37

    Adding Controls to a Form Using the Toolbox . . . . . . 38

    Setting Object Properties Using the Properties Window . . . . 39

    Managing Projects . . . . . . . . . . 45

    A Quick-and-Dirty Programming Primer . . . . . . 51

    Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . 53

HOUR 3: Understanding Objects and Collections 57

    Understanding Objects. . . . . . . . . . 58

    Understanding Properties . . . . . . . . . 58

    Understanding Methods. . . . . . . . . 65

    Building a Simple Object Example Project. . . . . . 67

    Understanding Collections . . . . . . . . . 72

    Using the Object Browser . . . . . . . . . 75

HOUR 4: Understanding Events 79

    Understanding Event-Driven Programming . . . . . . 79

    Building an Event Example Project . . . . . . . 87

    Keeping Event Names Current . . . . . . . . 92

PART II: Building a User Interface

HOUR 5: Building Forms: The Basics 95

    Changing a Form’s Name . . . . . . . . . 96

    Changing a Form’s Appearance . . . . . . . . 97

    Showing and Hiding Forms. . . . . . . . . 107

HOUR 6: Building Forms: Advanced Techniques 117

    Working with Controls . . . . . . . . . 117

    Creating Topmost Nonmodal Windows. . . . . . . 134

    Creating Transparent Forms . . . . . . . . 135

    Creating Scrollable Forms. . . . . . . . . 135

    Creating MDI Forms . . . . . . . . . . 137

    Setting the Startup Form. . . . . . . . . 140

HOUR 7: Working with Traditional Controls 145