Chapter 2: The Visual
Studio .NET Development
Environment
Visual Basic .NET Programming:
From Problem Analysis to Program Design
Objectives
• Explore the Visual Studio .NET development
environment
• Create a project using Visual Basic .NET
• Compile and execute a Visual Basic .NET
program
• Use the visual form designer
• Explore the debugging tool
• Explore the help facility
Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Exploring the Visual Studio .NET
Development Environment
• Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
– Set of software tools used for programming
• Visual Studio .NET can be used for
– Visual Basic
– Other programming languages
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Getting Started with VB .NET
• Install Visual Studio .NET
• Start application
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Exploring the Microsoft
Development Environment
• MDE includes
– Menu bar
– Various toolbars
– Several windows
• Context-sensitive
– Toolbars are displayed to support the task you are
performing
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Exploring the Microsoft
Development Environment
(continued)
• Hidden windows
– Enable you to keep frequently needed tools
available without cluttering IDE
– Reveal hidden window by moving mouse pointer
over its tab
• Configure environment to match Figure 2-2
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Understanding the Start Page
• Start Page
– Automatically loads in document window
– Contains three tabs named:
• Projects
• Online Resources
• My Profile
• Project
– Collection of files related to a VB .NET application
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Creating a Project Using Visual
Basic .NET
• When creating a new project:
– Must identify type of project as Visual Basic
– Identify template
– Specify project name and location
• Template:
– Pattern for creating a specific type of application
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Creating a Project Using Visual
Basic .NET
• After creating project using New Project dialog
box, displayed components are:
– Module1.vb document
• VB .NET automatically generates some code
– Solution Explorer window
– Properties window
• Contains information about file properties
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Understanding How VB .NET
Organizes Your Programs
• Solution Explorer window
– Shows hierarchical arrangement of items
• File names:
– Use .vb extension
– Named Module1.vb by default
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Understanding How VB .NET
Organizes Your Programs
(continued)
• Solution
– Container for one or more projects
– Must designate startup project
• When solution contains more than one project
• Project that runs first
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Using the Text Editor
• Provides standard text-editing capabilities
• Also provides:
– Color-coding
– Code indentation
– Code completion
• Comment
– Statement included for documentation purposes
only
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Using the Text Editor
(continued)
• IntelliSense
– Helps you complete lines of code by matching
words
– Recognizes partial class and method names
• Suggests possible matches for name you are typing
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Modifying the Text Editor
Settings
• Can change:
– Font type
– Font size
– Color of text in code editor window
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Renaming Module1.vb
• Assign descriptive names to programs you write
– Should rename from default names
• Use Properties window to change name
– Also rename module in source code
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Setting the Startup Object
• Startup object
– Module where execution begins when VB .NET
runs application
• If module renamed:
– Must modify startup object
– Using Property Pages dialog box
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Compiling And Executing a
Visual Basic .NET Program
• Several ways to compile and execute:
– Options on Build and Debug menus or toolbars
– Shortcut key combinations
– Matter or preference
• Select Debug on menu bar
– Click Start Without Debugging
– If there are errors:
• Message box displayed
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Using the Visual Form
Designer
• Windows application
– Runs in Windows environment
• Visual form editor:
– Windows Form Designer
– Can select icons representing various components
– Place and arrange components on window
– Code is automatically written to match visual form
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Creating a Windows
Application
• Use Windows Application template
• Use Layout toolbar
– To control appearance and position of components
• Form grid
– Helps to layout components
– Not visible when applications runs
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Creating a Windows
Application (continued)
• Handle
– Use to resize objects
– Pointer changes to double arrow
– Resize form by clicking and dragging handle
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Customizing the Appearance of
a Form
• Modify form elements:
– Size
– Background color
– Title
– Name
– Position
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Adding Components to a Form
• Use Toolbox
– Hidden window on left side of main window
– Double-click toolbox items to add to form
• When adding buttons
– Must identify action that will take place when
button pressed
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Exploring the Debugging Tool
• Debugger
– Helps you isolate errors
• Breakpoint
– Flag that tells debugger to temporarily suspend
execution of program at a particular point
– Can view information about program
• May help determine source of problem
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Getting Started with the
Debugger
• Debugger
– Intended to help identify errors in program that
occur while program is running
– Cannot help to find coding errors that prevent
program from being built successfully
• Syntax errors
– Helps find logic errors
• HOWEVER does not fix them for you
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Setting Breakpoints
• Position cursor in code window
• Right-click
– Select Insert Breakpoint from popup menu
• Program execution is suspended just before line of
code where breakpoint is set
• Execute program in debug mode
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Exploring the Help Facility
• Help features:
– Search for help on specific item
– Browse table of contents
– Scroll through alphabetized index of topics
– Dynamic help
– Context-sensitive help
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Accessing Help
• Use Help menu
• Contents option:
– List of help topics in table of contents format
– Organizes help topics in hierarchical fashion
• Index option:
– Displays list of help topics in alphabetical order
• Search option:
– Search database of help pages
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Accessing Help (continued)
• Dynamic Help option:
– Identifies help topics in response to actions
– Displays topics depending on currently selected
window or item
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Exploring Context-Sensitive
Help
• Invoke by pressing F1 key
• Obtain help on virtually any
– Keyword
– Component
– Window
– Other element of VB .NET
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Summary
• Visual Studio .NET
– Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
– Set of software tools that helps you code, debug,
and test a system as you develop it
– Provides many options that allow you to customize
appearance of screen and the tools
– Uses hierarchical arrangement of solutions and
projects to organize programs
Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Summary (continued)
• The VB .NET text editor
– Supports color-coding, indentation, and code
completion features
• Compile and execute VB .NET program
– Using options on Build and Debug menus
• Visual form editor
– Visual development tool
– Generates code from forms
Visual Basic .NET Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design
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Summary (continued)
• Debugger
– Tool that helps identify problems
• Help facility of VB .NET provides many options
for accessing help
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