Over the next sixteen weeks we will become partners in learning Visual Basic.Net (VB). The class will use a new learning format called hybrid. The course will be managed over the Internet with two tools. We will use BlackBoard to present course materials along with being our official grade book. We will also have three class meetings where you will get the opportunity to address questions to me directly and interact with other students.
I will provide the foundation (via lectures, assignments and tests) and each of you will read the lectures, textbook, and complete the exercises, assignments and tests. The content delivered to you on the Internet via BlackBoard is the same as the content is delivered in my traditional classrooms. However, instead of me being able to call on you with questions, we will be learning asynchronously where the timing of our communication will no longer be real-time. Our communication and discussion may take place the same day or maybe the next day or later in the week. We will need to keep this in mind as we communicate with others.
The sequence of topics covered in class is the same sequence in the textbook. For that matter, the textbook will drive a lot of what is discussed in class. I will not repeat the book in my lecture but may elaborate or expand on key topics. I will refer to the book in my examples and identify key sections in the book that cover class topics. The textbook is an integral part of hybrid learning.
An update: Please note that this class will be using Visual Basic Express 2005 and Visual Web Developer Express 2005. These version was released in the fall of 2005 and require Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows NT to be loaded on a home computer. The computers on campus in the High Tech Center are equipped with both the correct operating system and Visual Basic.Net Express 2005.
I have taught on-line classes for several years using several on-line educational tools (WebCT, Web BlackBoard, home grown (with HTML/JavaScript/Java applets), Midas, etc.). I have also been an on-line student myself. On-line learning is the same and is different from traditional classes. They are the same in that both on-line and traditional class formats use a textbook and lectures along with tests and labs to teach you Visual Basic.Net. They are different in that on-line classes require the motivation to work at readings and assignments daily. Many believe that on-line classes are easier and require less effort. This is a fallacy. There is more flexibility with on-line classes but not less work. One of the primary success factors for any programming class is to stay up with the reading and lab assignments. This is critical. You will have weekly quizzes to test your comprehension of the chapter and give me feedback on your progress.
One requirement to participate on-line classes is that you need to know how to use the tools. During our first on campus class meeting at GCC, we will review much of this information together as a group. At that time, we will go over the Week One Checklist which will review the tools used in class. I have also created a Camtasia Video Lesson to walk you through the tools (Click here to launch). You can access the BlackBoard class web site at http://www.gc.maricoa.edu/blackboard .
From BlackBoard, please look at the syllabus and Lesson One and let me know if you have any questions. Note: This information can also be found in BlackBoard.
The goal of this class is to give you an introductory understanding of the Visual Basic programming language. The topics covered come from a set of core competencies developed by the Maricopa Community College District to insure that all CIS159 students finish the course having covered the base topics (the competencies document can be accessed via the on-line class schedule on a link in the top right section of the course listing. VB is a fun language and since it is a very mature language it has many tools and design aids to make programming in this environment easier than with other programming languages. Keep in mind, as easy as it seems, VB can do all of the complex programming needed for today's Windows and Internet client/server component based development environments
I am going to start with a review of the pre-requisite knowledge, or general computer knowledge and basic Microsoft Windows operating system skills that everyone should have coming into this class. All of you should have this knowledge via CIS105 or a waiver. Even though this section should be review, please don't be afraid to ask questions.
Some say to really understand how technology works you need to understand its history and how it was designed (this seems to make sense to me also). Microsoft's Visual Basic (VB) didn't start off in 1991 without a little help. Visual Basic is an ancestor of the BASIC programming language. BASICwas created in the 1960's by two professors at DartmouthCollege. John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz developed BASIC for use by their students at a time when there were few programming options available. The original versions of BASIC used an interpreter that accepted BASIC source code and converted it at run-time into the appropriate machine code commands for the Operating System executing the program. This process is slower than traditional executable files (.EXE file extension) but since the interpreter for BASIC runs until completion or until it finds an error, it is a great programming language for students who get immediate feedback on their errors (VB programs take advantage of this and can be developed using the interpreter but can later be converted into .EXE files).
The BASIC programming language is a survivor. It has managed to evolve itself (just as the shark and alligator) and remain vital when many Information Systems (I/S) technologies have become obsolete after just a few years. What started as an unstructured interpreted language has with .NET moved to a full fledged Object Orientated Programming environment and one of the foundations of the new Microsoft .NET technology. With the addition of VB.NET, Visual Basic is on par with Microsoft C++ in both power and performance. In fact, with .NET, C++, C# and VB all share the same class libraries so therefore have the same building blocks used in executing the program. In CIS259 (Adv. Visual Basic), we will spend more time understanding the implications of .NET and .NET Framework class libraries.
BASIC did have one factor in its favor. It was always rumored that Bill Gates preferred BASIC to other programming languages (the BASIC interpreter was Microsoft's first product - even before MS-DOS) and has made sure it was shipped with all of the Microsoft Operating Systems prior to Windows 98 (it has gone under the names BASICA, GWBASIC, Quick BASIC). With the introduction of the .NET environment, Microsoft hopes to re-revolutionize programming (especially on the Internet) and it is no secret that VB is there again to introduce another new Microsoft architecture. With the introduction of the personal computer, BASIC had widely been accepted as an easy to use programming language for the personal computing public. With the introduction of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft needed to bring the "peoples" programming language to the new Operating System. They did this with VB and got the unexpected consequences of it also becoming a favorite of corporate America. Today, Visual Basic continues to be one of the most popular programming languages (a lot of this is helped by the fact it runs on the worlds most popular Operating System). VB is designed to provide the programmer an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that provides a program source code editor, a toolbox with common windows controls (textboxes, command buttons, list boxes, etc.) a complier to create a standalone executable .exe file, a debugger to help find logic errors and other assorted tools to make the programmer more productive. With .NET Microsoft took the best features of the VB, C++ IDE's and combined them into one IDE called Visual Studio IDE. We will be using this IDE to develop our programs. Familiarize yourself with the IDE and the toolbar and menus.
We will be using Visual Studio.NET Express 2005 Edition in class. This edition was especially designed to include Visual Basic.NET 2005 only and was designed specifically for new VB programmers. You may also use Visual Studio.NET 20035 Professional or Academic version also. If you have problems with your install, please let me know. You can also do all of the assignments in one of the High Tech Centers on the GCC campus. Note: Visual Basic.Net only runs on the Windows Operating system. A program you create in class will not run on the Apple Mac OS or Linux operating systems.
VB (as does most other programming languages that create applications that use the Windows GUI (Graphical User Interface)), rely on the process of events to control the flow of the program. An event may be the click of a button or icon or dragging or dropping a screen object from one area to another. As we move into weeks two and three, we will begin assigning VB source code (instructions for our computer) to various events performed by our graphical user interface. Event processing makes VB a very different programming language than its distant relatives (DOS BASIC) and when coupled with the screen graphical objects we will use in our VB programs (textboxes, command buttons, list boxes, etc.), you will create state of the art applications for the Windows Operating System. You can think of event driven programs as a program that is running waiting for the user to do something on the interface. Once a button is clicked or a menu option taken, code is executed behind the scenes to perform the requested option. Questions?
Like any quality process, programming should include a staged methodology, which will help insure that we create programs to the requirement and at high quality. One set of stages suggested by the textbook author included the following five steps. Many of you may recognize these steps from SDLC (System Development Life Cycle), which is the basis for many of the methodologies used to develop software and systems.
When you build (create and update) your project it is done in what is called design time. This is important because you will find that different features are available at design time and other features may be available at run time (when you are running your application) and break time (when you pause your program’s execution). I do not want to repeat the book so I want you to focus on pages 13-46 and see how projects are started and changed. See how you add graphical controls to a form and then program events trigger by those controls to give the program the ability to interact with the user and process program logic. When you start the Visual Studio.Net the IDE should bring up the Start Page first. Click on New. Make sure Visual Basic is selected on the left and on the right side of the dialog box, look for Windows Application. If any of this part of the text is confusing, ask a question in the BlackBoard - VB Assignment Help Discussion or send me an email.
When it comes to VB objects/controls we need to define a few terms and start to create a vocabulary for future class discussions. Objects (as you will learn in Chapter 6) are created by languages that support Object Orientated Programming techniques (OOP). We will not get into the details now, but VB does support OOP. We can also refer to (and I will) these objects as controls and components (all these words are interchangeable in this class). For whatever we are going to call them, these objects are graphical objects that will be placed on VB forms. We will be using these graphical controls to activate events that will cause sections of source code (source code is the actual VB statements) to execute and run our program (i.e. adding numbers, changing text, etc.). I would suggest that you read this chapter very slowly and go step by step through the walkthroughs for textboxes, command buttons etc. .
Every object has properties, methods and events. You will be manipulating properties by changing the settings (background color is a property common to almost all controls) calling methods (a method is a built-in programs associated with that control) and supplying code for associated events (the click event is common to most controls). You can investigate properties by clicking on the control and then looking through the Properties Window and look at events by clicking on the Code Window icon (located in the Project Explorer window) and then clicking on the combo box located in the top right corner of the Code Window dialog box). Methods are best reviewed with the on-line help and doing a search on the control name and the keyword method. We will cover methods and event extensively in the following chapters. For chapter one, we will just get into the basics.
Yes, you will have errors. You will have syntax errors (associated with creating invalid VB source code statements) , run time errors with the programs are written correctly but have server error that prevents them from running in Windows (maybe a file can not be found) and logic errors which are the hardest to fine. Logic errors don't display errors but instead are errors in program logic that don't fail but also do not come up with the correct answer. This is caused from errors in your programming logic. More on all of these errors as we get into class and start writing our own programs.
There is lots of help in Visual Basic. This is largely due to the fact that the language has been around for so long and the help tools are very mature. I find the Search Help option to be the most helpful because once it is clicked it remains as a tab in the Solution Explorer and you can simply type the keyword which identifies what you are looking for and it will display all relevant topics in the output window. You can also highlight any programming keyword and hit F1 and it will take you to the help topic for that keyword. Beyond that you can also search the MSDN (Microsoft Developers Network) files that come with VB and find white papers and articles about various VB programming techniques.
We have been using the Bradley - Millspaugh books for several years (we used them for the VB 6.0 version also). We also use the Advanced VB Bradley Millspaugh text for the CIS259 class. Before each chapter, read the summary at the end of the chapter and the table of topics in the beginning of the chapter. This will help you to focus on the important points. I will also let you know which parts of the chapter are the most important. For the first few chapters, the entire chapter is very important so read this chapter carefully.