Visual Basic 2005 For Dummies

by Sempf, Bill

• ISBN13: 9780764577284
• ISBN10: 076457728X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-11-07
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Visual Basic is Microsoft's premier programming language, used by more than three million developers and in 50 million Windows applications Programming pro and veteran Wrox author Bill Sempf has thoroughly overhauled the book's organization and content, making it even more accessible to programming beginners Highlights new VB features and functions, including important advances in compatibility with older VB versions Offers plain-English explanations of variables, constants, loops, VB syntax, forms, controls, objects, and other fundamentals The CD-ROM includes all source code and third-party software tools

Author Biography

I am Bill Sempf, and you’ll notice that I don’t write in third person. I have spent an inordinate amount of time in the last several years writing about, thinking about, and coding in VB.NET. I am a coauthor of Pro Visual Studio.NET, Effective Visual Studio.NET, Professional ASP.NET Web Services and Professional VB.NET (among others), and a frequent contributor to the Microsoft Developer Network, Builder.com, Hardcore Web Services, Inside Web Development Journal, and Intranet Journal.
I have recently been an invited speaker for DevEssentials, the International XML Web Services Expo, and the Association of Information Technology Professionals. As a graduate of Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Microsoft Certified Professional, Certified Internet Business Strategist, and Certified Internet Webmaster, I have developed over one hundred Web applications for startups and Fortune 500 companies alike.
I began my career in 1985 by helping my father (also named Bill) manage Apple IIe systems for the local library. Since then, I have built applications for the likes of Lucent Technologies, Bank One, the State of Ohio, Nationwide Insurance, and Sears, Roebuck and Co. I specialized in data-driven Web applications of all types, both public and private. Currently, I am the Senior Technology Consultant at Products of Innovative New Technology in Grove City, Ohio, a Microsoft Certified Partner. I can be reached at [e-mail].

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	2	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	2	(1)
What You're Not to Read	3	(1)
Foolish Assumptions	3	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	4	(1)
Part I: Getting to Know .NET Using VB	4	(1)
Part II: Building Applications with VB 2005	4	(1)
Part III: Making Your Programs Work	5	(1)
Part IV: Digging into the Framework	5	(1)
Part V: The Part of Tens	5	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	5	(1)
Where to Go from Here	6	(3)
Part I: Getting to Know .NET Using VB	9	(52)
Wading into Visual Basic	11	(12)
Visual Basic's Role in the Framework	11	(3)
Saying Hello to VB 2005!	14	(6)
Setting up Visual Studio	14	(1)
Starting a Windows Forms project	15	(2)
Adding functionality to the form with VB code	17	(1)
Running and operating your Windows form	18	(2)
Finding More Power in Visual Studio	20	(3)
Visual Studio doesn't just do Windows!	20	(1)
Visual Basic goes mobile	21	(1)
VB as your one-stop development shop	21	(2)
Using Visual Studio 2005	23	(20)
Understanding Visual Studio Tools	23	(12)
Touring the Design View	24	(2)
Accessing controls with the Toolbox	26	(1)
Changing details with the Properties window	27	(2)
Organizing your project with the Solution Explorer	29	(1)
Accessing outside resources with the Server Explorer	30	(3)
Dynamically editing data with the Data Sources window	33	(2)
Moving a Tool Window	35	(2)
Working with Code	37	(3)
Getting to Code View	37	(1)
Using IntelliSense	37	(1)
Reading the documentation	38	(2)
Customizing with Options	40	(1)
Increasing Efficiency with Third-Party Tools	41	(2)
Designing Applications in VB 2005	43	(18)
Making Software Simple Using the .NET Framework	44	(4)
Getting to the operating system	45	(2)
Integrating servers and services	47	(1)
Interacting with the user	48	(1)
Comparing Abstract Concepts with the Real World	48	(1)
Classes	49	(1)
Objects	49	(1)
Planning for a Project Using the Project Lifecycle	49	(4)
Scoping out the system	51	(1)
Gathering requirements	52	(1)
Designing the Date Calculator	53	(8)
Storing data	53	(1)
Designing screens	54	(2)
Defining logic	56	(2)
Writing a test plan	58	(1)
Sticking to the plan	58	(3)
Part II: Building Applications with VB 2005	61	(96)
Building Windows Applications	63	(20)
A Quick Look Back at Visual Basic	63	(2)
Discovering Windows Controls	65	(2)
Making a Windows Application	67	(3)
Adding Functionality to a Windows Form	70	(2)
Adding Features to Windows Forms	72	(11)
Managing text input with the TextBox	72	(2)
Communicating with the user using the status bar	74	(3)
Giving hints with the ToolTip control	77	(1)
Navigating with the MenuStrip control	78	(3)
Activating the right-click with the ContextMenuStrip	81	(2)
Building Web Applications	83	(26)
Seeing How ASP.NET Works with Your Web App	84	(2)
PostBack: Not a returned package	85	(1)
A matter of State	85	(1)
Discovering the Web Controls	86	(3)
Building Your First Web Application	89	(9)
Viewing the extras in Web Forms	89	(2)
Constructing the Web Forms application	91	(2)
Viewing the results in Source View	93	(3)
Running your Web application	96	(2)
Looking Below the Surface of Web Forms	98	(5)
Validating user input	98	(3)
Dealing with State	101	(2)
Checking Out Some Cool Web Tricks	103	(6)
Getting from one page to another	103	(1)
Adding pretties	104	(1)
Getting information about the user	105	(4)
Building Class Libraries	109	(16)
Past to Present: DLLs Defined	110	(1)
Designing a Library	111	(4)
Objects and classes	112	(1)
The parts of a class library	112	(2)
Coding a class library	114	(1)
Creating a Class Library	115	(6)
Getting started	115	(1)
Building the Date Calculator	116	(2)
Running a DLL file	118	(3)
Delving Deeper into DLLs	121	(4)
Telling between friends and foes	121	(1)
Be nice and share	122	(1)
Getting more out of less	123	(2)
Building Web Services	125	(16)
Getting to Know XML Web Services	125	(3)
Web services: Characteristics	127	(1)
Web services: Quirks	127	(1)
Designing for Web Services	128	(1)
Planning the design strategy	128	(1)
Getting a grip on the tactics	129	(1)
Building a Web Service	129	(5)
Building the DateCalc Web service	131	(1)
Viewing the DateCalc service in action	132	(2)
Consuming a Web Service	134	(3)
Web Services in More Depth	137	(4)
Debugging in VB 2005	141	(16)
Cool Visual Tools for Debugging	141	(6)
Breakpoints	142	(3)
The Watch window	145	(1)
The Immediate Window	146	(1)
Using the Debugging Tools in the .NET Framework	147	(3)
The Debug class	147	(1)
Error handling	148	(2)
Debugging the Projects	150	(7)
Windows Forms	150	(1)
Web Forms	151	(2)
Class libraries	153	(1)
Web services	154	(3)
Part III: Making Your Programs Work	157	(80)
Interpreting Strings and Things	159	(18)
Types of Information in Visual Basic	160	(5)
Understanding types in Visual Basic	161	(1)
Changing types with CType	162	(2)
Controlling types with validation	164	(1)
Making Words Work with the String Type	165	(2)
The fantastic tools built into strings	165	(1)
Emptiness --- handling nulls	166	(1)
Finding Tools for Managing User Input	167	(4)
Constructing strings with the StringBuilder class	168	(1)
Manipulating strings with regular expressions	169	(2)
Things That Aren't Strings --- Numbers and Dates	171	(3)
Integers and reals and imaginaries, oh my!	171	(1)
Working with dates and date math	172	(2)
Changing Types with Parse and TryParse	174	(3)
Making Decisions in Code	177	(12)
Designing Business Logic	177	(1)
Depicting Logic with Flowchart Components	178	(4)
Communicating with the user	179	(1)
Defining the process	180	(1)
Making a decision	181	(1)
Implementing These Processes in Visual Basic	182	(7)
Single process	182	(2)
Multiple choice	184	(2)
Exception	186	(3)
Getting Loopy	189	(10)
Dealing with Zero	190	(2)
Starting at zero	190	(1)
Comparing specific loops and indefinite loops	190	(2)
Writing Loops with For-Next	192	(1)
Using the For-Each Listing with Collections	193	(2)
Writing Indefinite Loops with Do-Loop	195	(3)
Do-While loop, checked at start	196	(1)
Do-While loop, checked at end	196	(1)
Do-Until loop, checked at start	197	(1)
Do-Until loop, checked at end	198	(1)
Checking at the Beginning with While	198	(1)
Reusing Code	199	(22)
Reusing Code to Build Software	200	(5)
Building functions with reuse in mind	201	(2)
Extending reusability with class files	203	(2)
Avoiding the Code-Complexity Trap	205	(4)
Protecting the values of parameters	206	(1)
Handling errors effectively in an abstract environment	207	(2)
Finding Other Ways to Reuse Code	209	(4)
Creating custom controls	209	(2)
Adding user controls	211	(1)
Making master pages	212	(1)
Reusing Programs Outside of the Framework	213	(5)
Referencing the old Component Object Model	214	(1)
Calling methods in COM objects	215	(1)
Using other programs with the Process class	215	(3)
Accessing DOS: But Only as a Last Resort	218	(3)
Running command line programs with Shell	218	(1)
Getting focus with AppActivate	219	(2)
Making Arguments, Earning Returns	221	(16)
Using Classes Effectively	222	(2)
Making and destroying objects	222	(1)
Resource utilization	223	(1)
With and Using	224	(1)
Using Event Handlers	224	(3)
Event handling using the Properties window	225	(1)
Event Handlers using IntelliSense	226	(1)
Making Sensible Procedures with Overloading	227	(4)
Reusing your procedure names	227	(1)
Changing built-in functions with operator overloading	228	(1)
Designing for overloading	229	(1)
Optional parameters	230	(1)
Flexible Objects with Generics	231	(2)
Building generics	231	(2)
Designing for generics	233	(1)
Controlling Objects with Threading	233	(4)
Designing for threading	233	(1)
Implementing threading	234	(3)
Part IV: Digging into the Framework	237	(72)
Writing Secure Code	239	(14)
Designing Secure Software	240	(3)
Determining what to protect	240	(1)
Documenting the components of the program	240	(1)
Decomposing the components into functions	241	(1)
Identifying potential threats in those functions	241	(1)
Rating the risk	242	(1)
Building Secure Windows Forms Applications	243	(4)
Authentication using Windows login	243	(2)
Encrypting information	245	(1)
Deployment security	246	(1)
Building Secure Web Forms Applications	247	(4)
SQL Injection attacks	247	(1)
Script exploits	248	(2)
Best practices for securing your Web Forms applications	250	(1)
Using System.Security	251	(2)
Accessing Data	253	(18)
Getting to Know System.Data	254	(2)
How the Data Classes Fit into the Framework	256	(1)
Getting to Your Data	256	(1)
Using the System.Data Namespace	257	(14)
Connecting to a data source	257	(6)
Working with the visual tools	263	(3)
Writing data code	266	(5)
Working with the File System	271	(12)
Getting to Know System.IO	272	(2)
Using the System.IO Namespace	274	(9)
Opening a file	274	(3)
Changing the contents of a file	277	(1)
Saving a file	277	(2)
Listing directories and files	279	(1)
Viewing file information	279	(1)
Keeping an eye on files	280	(3)
Accessing the Internet	283	(16)
Getting to Know System.Net	284	(1)
How the Net Classes Fit into the Framework	285	(1)
Using the System.Net Namespace	286	(13)
Checking the network status	287	(1)
Downloading a file from the Internet	288	(2)
E-mailing a status report	290	(3)
Logging network activity	293	(6)
Creating Images	299	(10)
Getting to Know System.Drawing	300	(2)
Graphics	300	(1)
Pens	301	(1)
Brushes	301	(1)
Text	302	(1)
How the Drawing Classes Fit into the Framework	302	(1)
Using the System.Drawing Namespace	303	(6)
Getting started	304	(1)
Setting up the project	305	(2)
Drawing the board	307	(2)
Part V: The Part of Tens	309	(30)
Ten Tips for Using the VB User Interface	311	(12)
Generating Event Handlers from the Properties Window	311	(2)
Generating Event Handlers from the Code View	313	(1)
Pasting Text as HTML	314	(1)
Customizing Your Toolbars for Every File Type	315	(1)
Adding Extender Providers	316	(1)
Using Visual Components That Are Not So Visual	317	(1)
Recording Macros	318	(2)
Using the Task List	320	(1)
Inserting Snippets in Your Code	321	(2)
Ten Ideas for Taking Your Next Programming Step	323	(12)
Get Visual Basic 2005 for Home Use	323	(1)
Build Your Own Tools	324	(1)
Join In an Online Competition at TopCoder	325	(1)
Participate in an Open Source Project	326	(1)
Use Third-Party Tools in Your Projects	327	(1)
Integrate a Public Web Service	328	(2)
Try Out CodeRush and Other Code Generators	330	(1)
Write a Web Part	331	(1)
Use the DTE	332	(1)
Write an Article about What You Have Discovered	333	(2)
Ten Resources on the Internet	335	(4)
MSDN Library	335	(1)
VBForDummies.net	336	(1)
GotDotNet.com	336	(1)
ASP.NET Web	336	(1)
The Microsoft Public Newsgroups	337	(1)
.NET 247	337	(1)
Search IRC	337	(1)
kbAlertz	337	(1)
CodeSwap	338	(1)
<Microsoft> Google for Code Snarfing	338	(1)
Index	339