Visual Basic.Net

WHAT IS ‘MICROSOFT.NET’?

Microsoft explains the concept of .NET in these words:

“Microsoft® .NET is a set of Microsoft software technologies for connecting information, people, systems, and devices. It enables a high level of software integration through the use of Web services—small, discrete, building-block applications that connect to each other as well as to other, larger applications over the Internet.”

Microsoft’s ‘.NET’ platform was released in 2001 as a new feature to their Windows family of products. This affects many aspects of Information Technology because Windows products are responsible for a major share of home and office computers systems and website servers on the Internet. The technology behind .NET allows programmers (often called ‘developers’) to create software programs or applications that utilise the wide spectrum of information technology resources used every day by people around the world.

A NEW APPROACH TO BUILDING WINDOWS SOFTWARE

The .NET Framework simplifies Windows software development. It provides developers with a single approach to build both desktop applications - sometimes called ‘smart client applications’ - and Web-based applications. It also enables developers to use the same tools and skills to develop software for a variety of systems ranging from handheld smart phones to large server installations.

Software built on the .NET Framework can be easier to deploy and maintain than conventional software. Applications can be designed to automatically upgrade themselves to the latest version. The .NET Framework can also minimize conflicts between applications by helping incompatible software components coexist.

Lesson Structure

There are 12 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Understanding the basic concept of computer programming and how it fits in with the .NET framework.
2. Variables
   • Understanding how computer programs store values and how they are accessed.
3. Understanding conditional statements
   • Understanding how conditional statements are used to effect the flow of a program.
4. I/O handling
   • Learn how to create, read and write files used by your VB.NET application. Also understand how to send information to a printer
5. Controls and Objects - An Introduction
   • Understanding the basics of controls and objects.
6. Structured Programming using Modules
   • Understanding the benefits of using modules to structure your program.
7. Properties, methods, events & classes
   • Understanding properties, methods and events and how they are used in classes.
8. Inheritance
   • Understanding how inheritance is used in VB.NET to re-use code.
9. Polymorphism
   • Understanding how to use polymorphism to perform the same functions in different ways.
10. Using controls
    • Understanding the different controls in VB.NET and how to use them.
11. Debugging
    • Understanding how to identify, trap and fix errors in your program.
12. Developing a complete VB.NET application
    • Understanding how to put all your skills together to create a stand alone program.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Understanding of the basic concept of computer programming and how it fits in with the .NET framework.
• Understanding how computer programs store values and how they are accessed.
• Understanding how conditional statements are used to affect the flow of a program.
• Learn how to create, read and write files used by your VB.NET application. Also understand how to send information to a printer.
• Understanding the basics of controls and objects.
• Understanding the benefits of using modules to structure your program.
• Understanding properties, methods and events and how they are used in classes.
• Understanding how inheritance is used in VB.NET to re-use code.
• Understanding how to use polymorphism to perform the same functions in different ways.