Visual Basic.NET Programming

VB.NET Getting Started

By Hafeez Mohammed

Installing VB.NET

So how do you install this new version of Visual Basic onto your machine? It's a relatively simple, if not slightly buggy process.

Your best bet is to grab one of the many copies of Visual Studio.NET Beta CDs. This comprises of one Windows Update CD and the core Visual Studio.NET application.

If you can't find yourself a copy, click here msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/nextgen/beta.asp

First off, a couple of notes – at present, you cannot create .NET applications on a Windows 95 machine. You can however zap it onto Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT4, Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Professional.

Even though you can't create .NET applications in Windows 95, you can run them so long as you've installed the framework.

If you're running Windows 2000 or Windows NT, make sure you have Internet Information Server installed before starting the setup. Do the 'Add/Remove Programs' thing if you need to add it. If you don't, you'll not be able to run Web Form features we'll be looking at later.

If possible, install VB.NET Beta CD on a machine that isn't being used for anything else. Remember – conflicts and problems are possible, so back up all important files!

So, you're ready to install? Great!

First off, you need to run the Windows Component Update, which installs essentials such as the .NET Framework we were discussing about earlier. To do this, insert the first disc of Visual Studio.NET setup. A screen should popup a little similar to this:

The only option here is to install the Windows Component Update. Click the hyperlink and you'll be prompted to insert the third disc. Simply follow the wizard through and hope for the best.

If you face difficulties, Pls remember that this is a beta tutorial about a beta product installed by a beta setup program. It's all a little trial-and-error at present, don't worry if the install is not that perfect.

After couple of reboots, you'll be presented with a congratulations screen that confirms all the required components have been installed:

Next, it's on to actually installing Visual Studio.NET.

Insert the first CD back into your drive. That same menu will crop up once again, this time bearing a second option – 'Install Visual Studio.NET'. The rest is simple.

Click the hyperlink and follow through the wizard. If possible go with the full install to avoid problems (and trust me, you'll have fun - BIG TIME!!!).

On my machine, the install crashed approximately five times. So remember the 'mantra', just keep smiling :)

Now, when the Visual Studio.NET setup finishes, it's time to open the _________ and shout 'hurrah and hooreh!' (or something of that) – you've passed the first stage. Visual Studio.NET has been successfully installed on your machine.

This is where the fun begins...

Getting It Up

So you've installed VB.NET, Excellent!

Let's briefly explore the new Visual Basic development environment, plus create a program.

First off, fire up Visual Basic.NET:

• Click Start, Programs, Microsoft Visual Studio.NET 7.0, Microsoft Visual Studio.NET 7.0

After a little wait – ok, a lot of waiting – you'll be presented with a 'Start' page.

Beta versions of Visual Studio.NET has been in no way optimised. This essentially means it's incredibly slow.

This is your 'Profile' page. It allows you to tell Visual Studio what sort of a person you are.

What sort of keyboard layout you have.

Click the 'Profile' combo box and select 'Visual Basic Developer'

This tells the development environment that you are used to VB, so enjoy seeing a Properties window and pressing F5 to start your application.

• Hit the 'Get Started' link at the bottom of the page

So, let's create a new project:

• Select the 'Create New Project' link

This will present you with a list of possible project types.

Notice how you can also create Visual C++, Visual C# and Visual FoxPro projects from this dialog? All of these tools use the one singular development environment – there's no longer a separate program for each language. You can even debug programs created in two separate languages together using this one interface!

Now, quickly take a peek at all those options in the 'Templates' window. The 'Windows Application' is what you used to call a Standard EXE. The 'Class Library' is essentially an ActiveX DLL/EXE.

Moving on and the 'Windows Control Library' allows you to effectively create ActiveX controls. This is similar to the 'Web Control Library', which allows you to create an ActiveX control that can be used on a Web site, though is spewed out in HTML code and requires no extra downloads.

You'll also see a 'Web Application' – which essentially allows you to build a fully HTML-based Web site as you would a regular Visual Basic application – no extra knowledge required. You'll also find a 'Web Service' option there, which is effectively DCOM on a longer wire.

The 'Windows Service' allows you to create a service for Windows. And finally, 'Console Application' lets you create your own DOS-style text display/input application with ease – also something that was very difficult in VB6.

And we'll be exploring many of these new types in greater detail later in this course.

• Select 'Windows Application'
• Change the Name and Location
• Click OK

Let's explore the new development environment...