Introduction to Visual Basic .NET Programming with Microsoft .NET
(Microsoft Training Course: 2559) - 5 days - £2095 exc VAT

This course is intended for both novice and experienced programmers who have a minimum of three months programming experience and have basic Microsoft Windows navigation skills.

1. Getting Started
2. Working with Forms and Controls
3. Using Variables and Arrays
4. Working with Procedures
5. Decision Structures and Loops
6. Handling Errors and Exceptions
7. Validating User Input
8. Enhancing the User Interface
9. Web Forms and XML Web Services
10. Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming Concepts
11. Using ADO.NET
12. Working with Forms and Controls 2

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Module 1: Getting Started

• Basic .NET Concepts
• Exploring the Development Environment
• Creating a Visual Basic .NET Project
• Lab: Creating Your First Application in Visual Basic .NET

Skills

• Begin a Visual Basic .NET project 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.
  

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Module 2: Working with Forms and Controls

• Understanding Programming Concepts
• Working with Windows Forms
• Working with Controls
• Styling Your Code
• Lab: Creating the Main Form

Skills

• 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 your code.
  

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Module 3: Using Variables and Arrays

• Introduction to Data Types
• Using Variables
• Variable Scope
• Creating and Using Structures
• Converting Data Types
• Storing Data in Arrays
• Lab: Using Static Variables
• Lab: Creating, Using, and Converting Variables
• Lab: Creating a Structure Variable
• Lab: Creating and Using Arrays

Skills

• Describe the various data types you can use to declare variables.
  
• Name, declare, initialize, and use variables and constants.
  
• Declare variables with different levels of scope.
  
• Create user-defined data structures.
  
• Convert variable values from one data type to another.
  
• Store data in arrays.
  

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Module 4: Working with Procedures

• Creating Procedures
• Using Procedures
• Using Predefined Functions
• Lab: Creating Functions in a Module
• Lab: Working with the Main Form

Skills

• Differentiate between a Sub procedure and a Function procedure.
  
• Create and call Sub and Function procedures.
  
• Write procedures in modules to enable code reuse.
  
• Pass arguments by value and by reference.
  
• Use predefined functions in application code.
  

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Module 5: Decision Structures and Loops

• Using Conditional Expressions
• Using Decision Structures
• Using Conditional Loop Structures
• Lab: Checking User Input
• Lab: Confirming Application Close

Skills

• 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's flow accordingly.
  
• Use Select Case structures to test different values of the same expression and then run corresponding statements.
  
• Use Do…Loop structures to execute statements until a specific condition is met or while a specific condition is true.
  
• Use For…Next structures to execute statements a set number of times.
  
• Choose the appropriate decision structure or loop based on the requirements of the application.
  

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Module 6: Handling Errors and Exceptions

• Types of Errors
• Using the Debugger
• Handling Exceptions
• Lab: Using Try…Catch Blocks
• Lab: Using Try…Catch…Finally Blocks

Skills

• 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.
  

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Module 7: Validating User Input

• Restricting User Input
• Validating Field Data
• Validating Form Data
• Lab: Validating Field Data
• Lab: Validating Form Data

Skills

• 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.
  

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Module 8: Enhancing the User Interface

• Creating Menus
• Creating Status Bars
• Creating Toolbars

Skills

• 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 for the user to access key functions of your application.
  

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Module 9: Web Forms and XML Web Services

• Working with Web Forms
• Using XML Web Services
• Lab: Creating the User Interface
• Lab: Using XML Web Services

Skills

• Create a basic Web Form.
  
• Discover an XML Web service, and invoke the XML Web service from a browser and from a Web Form
  

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Module 10: Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming Concepts

• Basic Concepts
• Working with Classes
• Using Shared Members
• Polymorphism, Inheritance, and Namespaces
• Lab: Creating a Derived Form Class

Skills

• Explain object-oriented programming concepts, including abstraction, encapsulation, class, and object.
  
• 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.
  

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Module 11: Using ADO.NET

• Database Concepts
• Overview of ADO.NET
• Working with Data
• Lab: Using the Data Form Wizard

Skills

• 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.
  

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Module 12: Working with Forms and Controls 2

• Assembly Overview
• Choosing a Deployment Option
• Deploying Windows-based Applications
• Lab: Using the Setup Wizard
• Lab: Installing the Loan Application

Skills

• Describe an assembly.
  
• List the different types of application deployment.
  
• Create a Setup program for a Windows-based application by using the Setup wizard.
  

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Before attending this course, students must have the following pre-requisites:

• Windows navigation skills.
• Understanding of the basics of structured programming, including concepts such as flow control, variables and parameters, and function calls.
• Experience (at least 3 months) with developing applications in either a graphical or non-graphical environment.
• Completion of one of the following:
• Course 2667 - Introduction to Programming;
  
• Course1303 - Mastering Visual Basic Fundamentals;
  
• Course 1587 - Introduction to Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 6.
  

After completing this course, students will be able 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, Function, and Property procedures; implement decision structures and loops by using conditional expressions; resolve syntax, run-time, and logic errors by using the debugger and structured exception handling; validate user input for fields, controls, and forms; 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; apply object-oriented programming techniques to create classes, add methods, and add properties