Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 step by step [multimedia] / Michael Halvorson.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 525-529) and index.

Introduction -- What is Visual Basic 2008? -- Finding your best starting point in this book -- Visual Studio 2008 system requirements -- Prerelease software -- Installing and using the practice files -- Uninstalling the practice files -- Conventions and features in this book -- Helpful support links -- part I. Getting started with Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 -- 1. Exploring the Visual Studio integrated development environment -- The Visual Studio development environment -- The Visual Studio tools -- The properties window -- Moving and resizing the programming tools -- Switching among open files and tools by using the IDE navigator -- Opening a Web browser within Visual Studio -- Getting help -- Customizing IDE settings to match step-by-step exercises -- One step further : exiting Visual Studio -- Chapter 1 quick reference -- 2. Writing your first program -- Lucky seven : your first Visual Basic program -- Programming steps -- Creating the user interface -- Setting the properties -- The picture box properties -- Writing the code -- A look at the Button1_click procedure -- Running Visual Basic applications -- Sample projects on disk -- Building an executable file -- Deploying your application -- One step further : adding to a program -- Chapter 2 quick reference -- 3. Working with Toolbox controls -- The basic use of controls : the hello world program -- Using the DateTimePicker control -- Controls for gathering input -- One step further : using the LinkLabel control -- Chapter 3 quick reference -- 4. Working with menus, toolbars, and dialog boxes -- Adding menus by using the MenuStrip control -- Adding access keys to menu commands -- Processing menu choices -- Adding toolbars with the ToolStrip control -- Using dialog box controls -- Event procedures that manage common dialog boxes -- One step further : assigning shortcut keys to menus -- Chapter 4 quick reference --

part II. Programming fundamentals -- 5. Visual Basic variables and formulas, and the .NET Framework -- The anatomy of a Visual basic program statement -- Using variables to store information -- Using variables in a program -- Using a variable to store input -- Using a variable for output -- Working with specific data types -- Working with Visual Basic operators -- Working with methods in the Microsoft .NET Framework -- One step further : establishing order of precedence -- Chapter 5 quick reference -- 6. Using decision structures -- Event-driven programming -- Using conditional expressions -- If...Then decision structures -- Select Case decision structures -- One step further : detecting mouse events -- Chapter 6 quick reference -- 7. Using loops and timers -- Writing For...Next loops -- Displaying a counter variable in a TextBox control -- Creating complex For...Next loops -- Writing Do loops -- Avoiding an endless loop -- The Timer control -- Creating a digital clock by using a Timer control -- Using a timer object to set a time limit -- One step further : inserting code snippets -- Chapter 7 quick reference -- 8. Debugging Visual Basic programs -- Finding and correcting errors -- Three types of errors -- Identifying logic errors -- Debugging 101 : using debugging mode -- Tracking variables by using a watch window -- Visualizers : debugging tools that display data -- Using the immediate and command windows -- Switching to the command window -- One step further : removing breakpoints -- Chapter 8 quick reference -- 9. Trapping errors by using structured error handling -- Processing errors by using the Try...Catch statement -- Writing a disc drive error handler -- Using the Finally clause to perform cleanup tasks -- More complex Try...Catch error handlers -- Comparing error handlers with defensive programming techniques -- One step further : the Exit Try statement -- Chapter 9 quick reference -- 10. Creating modules and procedures -- Working with modules -- Working with public variables -- Creating procedures -- Writing function procedures -- Writing sub procedures -- One step further : passing arguments by value and by reference -- Chapter 10 quick reference -- 11. Using arrays to manage numeric and string data -- Working with arrays of variables -- Preserving array contents by using ReDim Preserve -- One step further : processing large arrays by using methods in the Array class -- Chapter 11 quick reference -- 12. Working with collections and the System.Collections namespace -- Working with object collections -- Creating your own collections -- One step further : VBA collections -- Chapter 12 quick reference -- 13. Exploring text files and string processing -- Displaying text files by using a text box object -- Using the StreamReader class and My.Computer.FileSystem to open text files -- Creating a new text file on disk -- Processing text strings with program code -- One step further : examining the sort text program code -- Chapter 13 quick reference --

part III. Designing the user interface -- 14. Managing Windows forms and controls at run time -- Adding new forms to a program -- How forms are used -- Working with multiple forms -- Positioning forms on the Windows Desktop -- Adding controls to a form at run time -- Organizing controls on a form -- One step further : specifying the startup object -- Chapter 14 quick reference -- 15. Adding graphics and animation effects -- Adding artwork by using the System.Drawing namespsace -- Adding animation to your programs -- Expanding and shrinking objects while a program is running -- One step further : changing form transparency -- Chapter 15 quick reference -- 16. Inheriting forms and creating base classes -- Inheriting a form by using the inheritance picker -- Creating your own base classes -- One step further : inheriting a base class -- Chapter 16 quick reference -- 17. Working with printers -- Using the PrintDocument class -- Printing multipage text files -- One step further : adding print preview and page setup dialog boxes -- Chapter 17 quick reference --

part IV. Database and Web programming -- 18. Getting started with ADO.NET -- Database programming with ADO.NET -- Using bound controls to display database information -- One step further : SQL statements, LINQ, and filtering data -- Chapter 18 quick reference -- 19. Data presentation using the DataGridView control -- Using DataGridView to display database records -- Formatting DataGridView cells -- Datacentric focus : adding a second grid and navigation control -- One step further : updating the original database -- Chapter 19 quick reference -- 20. Creating Web sites and Web pages by using Visual Web developer and ASP.NET -- Inside ASP.NET -- Building a Web site by using Visual Web developer -- Using the Web page designer -- Adding server controls to a Web site -- Adding additional Web pages and resources to a Web site -- Displaying database records on a Web page -- One step further : setting the Web title in Internet Explore -- Chapter 20 quick reference -- Appendix -- Where to go for more information -- Visual Basic Web sites -- Books about Visual Basic and Visual Studio programming.

System requirements: Windows Vista, or Windows XP with Service Pack 2, or Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1; Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 (Standard Edition, Professional Edition, or Team Suite); Minimum hardware requirement: 1.6 GHz CPU, 384 MB RAM, 1024x768 display, 5400 RPM hard disk drive; 1.22 GB of available hard disk space for the minimum installation; 2 GB of available disk space for the full installation; CD or DVD drive; Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device.

Recommended hardware requirement: 2.2 GHz or higher CPU, 1024 MB or more RAM, 1280x1024 display, 7200 RPM or higher hard disk drive; Windows Vista, 2.4 GHz CPU and 786 MB RAM