
Learn Visual Basic .NET
Trial Version

(c) KIDware (206) 721-2556



We welcome your comments on this trial version.  Just visit our website at:

http://www.kidwaresoftware.com

and click the E-mail button on any page.



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Course Description

Learn Visual Basic .NET is a 10-week, self-paced overview of the Visual Basic .NET programming environment.  Upon completion of the course, you will:

1. Understand the benefits of using Microsoft Visual Basic .NET as a Windows application development tool. 
2. Understand the Visual Basic .NET event-driven programming concepts, terminology, and available controls.
3. Learn the fundamentals of designing, implementing, and distributing a wide variety of Visual Basic .NET Windows applications.

Learn Visual Basic .NET is presented using a combination of course notes (written in Microsoft Word format) and over 100 Visual Basic .NET examples and applications.



Course Prerequisites

To grasp the concepts presented in Learn Visual Basic .NET, you should possess a working knowledge of the Windows operating system.  You should know how to use Windows Explorer to locate, copy, move and delete files.  You should be familiar with the simple tasks of using menus, toolbars, resizing windows, and moving windows around.  

You should have had some exposure to programming concepts (perhaps with Visual Basic).  If you have never programmed a computer before, you'll have to put in a little more effort - perhaps, find a book in your local library on programming using Visual Basic, QBasic or some other dialect of the BASIC computer language.  You might also consider our companion course, Beginning Visual Basic .NET, which is aimed at the person who has never programmed.  

You will also need the ability to view and print documents saved in Microsoft Word format.  This can be accomplished in one of two ways.  The first, and easiest, is that you already have Microsoft Word on your computer.  The second way, and a bit more difficult, is that you can download the Microsoft Word Viewer.  This is a free Microsoft product that allows viewing Word documents - it is available for download at KIDware's website for Learn Visual Basic .NET:

http://www.kidwaresoftware.com/lrnvbn.htm

Finally, and most obvious, you need to have Microsoft Visual Basic .NET.  This is a separate product that must be purchased - check out on-line software stores like Amazon.Com.  This course can be completed with either the stand-alone Visual Basic .NET product (the cheaper alternative) or the Visual Basic .NET that is part of the Visual Studio .NET suite.  Although it costs more, we would recommend acquiring Visual Studio .NET, rather than Visual Basic .NET.  The stand-alone Visual Basic .NET product is adequate, but has limitations.  Both Visual Basic .NET and Visual Studio .NET allow you to:
* Create interactive desktop and web applications
* Build XML-based data-driven applications

The stand-alone product does not include the ability to:
* Use the Setup Wizard for project deployment
* Develop mobile web applications
* Create XML documents
* Design SQL Server databases using database tools
* Incorporate server-side application components
* Automatically upgrade Visual Basic 6 applications to Visual Basic .NET
* Create Web controls, Windows controls, class libraries

You need to decide which product is best for your needs.  If you are (or want to be) a serious Visual Basic .NET programmer, get Visual Studio .NET.  And, if you are a college student, look for academic versions at your bookstore.

As of this writing, the latest version of Visual Basic .NET is referred to as Visual Basic .NET 2003 (part of Visual Studio .NET 2003).  This version is an update to the original product.  You can use either Visual Basic .NET or Visual Basic .NET 2003 with this course.  The course notes and all code examples were developed with Visual Basic .NET.  If you are using Visual Basic .NET 2003, the code examples will be automatically updated to the new version as they are opened.

Using Learn Visual Basic .NET

The course notes and code for Learn Visual Basic .NET are included in one or more ZIP file(s).  Use your favorite 'unzipping' application to write all files to your computer.  (If you've received the course on CD-ROM, the files are not zipped and no unzipping is needed.)  The course is included in the folder entitled LearnVBN.  This folder contains two other folders:  VBN Notes and VBN Code. There's a chance when you copy the files to your computer, they will be written as 'Read-Only.'  To correct this (in Windows Explorer or My Computer), right-click the LearnVBN folder and remove the check next to Read only.  Make sure to choose the option to apply this change to all sub-folders and files.

The VB Notes folder includes all the notes needed for the class.  Each file in this folder has a DOC extension and is in Word format.  The files are:

Start Here.doc	This file in Word format
Contents.doc	Course Table of Contents
Class 1.doc	Class 1. Introduction to the Visual Basic .NET Environment
Class 2.doc	Class 2. The Visual Basic .NET Language
Class 3.doc	Class 3. Exploring the Visual Basic .NET Toolbox
Class 4.doc	Class 4. More Exploration of the Visual Basic .NET Toolbox
Class 5.doc*	Class 5. Windows Application Design and Distribution
Class 6.doc*	Class 6. Sequential Files, Error Handling, and Debugging 
Class 7.doc*	Class 7. Graphics Techniques with Visual Basic .NET
Class 8.doc*	Class 8. More Graphics Methods and Multimedia Effects
Class 9.doc*	Class 9. Other Visual Basic .NET Topics
Class 10.doc*	Class 10. Visual Basic .NET Database and Web Applications
Problems.doc*	Practice Problems Solutions
Exercises.doc*	Exercise Solutions
Appendix I.doc*	Visual Basic .NET for Visual Basic Programmers
Appendix II.doc*	General Purpose Procedures and functions


Documents marked with an asterisk (*) are not included with the trial version.  To obtain these files, you must purchase the complete course.  Purchase information can be found at the KIDware website:

http://www.kidwaresoftware.com

The VBN Code folder includes all the Visual Basic .NET applications developed during the course.  The applications are further divided into Class folders.  Each class folder contains the Visual Basic .NET project folders.  As an example, to open the project named Example 1-1 discussed in Class 1, you would go to this directory:

C:\LearnVBN\VBN Code\Class 1\Example 1-1\


How To Take the Course

Learn Visual Basic .NET is a self-paced course.  The suggested approach is to do one class a week for ten weeks.  Each week's class should require about 4 to 10 hours of your time to grasp the concepts completely.  Prior to doing a particular week's work, open the class notes file for that week and print it out.  Then, work through the notes at your own pace.  Try to do each example as they are encountered in the notes.  If you need any help, all solved examples are included in the VBN Code folder.  

After completing each week's notes, practice problems and homework exercise (sometimes, two) is given; covering many of the topics taught that in that class.  Like the examples, try to work through the practice problems and homework exercise, or some variation thereof, on your own.  Refer to the completed exercise in the VBN Code folder, if necessary.  This is where you will learn to be a Visual Basic .NET programmer.  You only learn how to build applications and write code by doing lots of it.  The problems and exercises give you that opportunity.  And, you learn coding by seeing lots of code.  Programmers learn to program by seeing how other people do things.  Feel free to 'borrow' code from the examples that you can adapt to your needs.  I think you see my philosophy here.  I don't think you can teach programming.  I do, however, think you can teach people how to become programmers.  This course includes numerous examples, problems, and exercises to help you toward that goal.  We show you how to do lots of different things in the code examples.  You will learn from the examples!



What If You Have Questions?

It is recognized there may be times when you need clarification on some point about the notes, examples, or Visual Basic .NET.  We will gladly help.  The preferred method of relaying your questions to us is via E-Mail.  The E-Mail address is:

support@kidwaresoftware.com

Please include a clearly defined subject for all questions to get past our anti-spamming filters.  All questions should be sent to the attention of Lou.

Who Produces Learn Visual Basic .NET?

This course has been developed and written by Lou Tylee, a principal partner in KIDware, a producer of quality children's educational programs since 1982.  The course notes have evolved based on Lou's experience in writing children's software and in teaching a similar course at the university level for over six years.  

Lou has been programming computers since 1969 when he took his first Fortran course in college (yes, Lou is getting old!).  He has written software to control suspensions for high speed ground vehicles, monitor nuclear power plants, lower noise levels in commercial jetliners, compute takeoff speeds for jetliners, locate and identify air and ground traffic and to let kids count bunnies, learn how to spell and do math problems.  His wide breadth of practical experience is demonstrated in Learn Visual Basic .NET.  He has been praised for his clear, reassuring teaching style.  Thousands of people have learned to program using similar notes written by Lou.

During all his programming and writing efforts, Lou is accompanied by Clara, the KIDware dog.  She is always under Lou's desk directing his every keystroke.  She is a primary contributor to this product.



Trial Version of Learn Visual Basic .NET

This trial version of Learn Visual Basic .NET gives you the first four chapters of the course for free.  This allows you to evaluate the course and see if it meets your needs.  The complete course (just $24.95) includes 10 chapters, two appendices and code for all examples, problems, and exercises.  See the Table of Contents for a description of what topics the entire course covers.  Purchase information can be found at our website:

http://www.kidwaresoftware.com

At the website, you can purchase the course and download it to your computer in minutes.  Or, if preferred, you can place an on-line order to receive the course on CD-ROM, floppy disks or via E-mailed files.  And, lastly, we accept mail, FAX and phone orders.



Contacting KIDware

By Mail:
KIDware
PO Box 28234
Seattle, WA 98118

By Phone:
(206) 721-2556
By FAX:
(508) 464-0455

By E-Mail:
support@kidwaresoftware.com

Our Web Site:
http://www.kidwaresoftware.com




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	Learn Visual Basic .NET	

