VB.NET from beginner to advanced programmer Part 1 - Introduction and Installation

[Vswe]

Welcome to the VB.NET tutorial series: "VB.NET from beginner to advanced programmer" which will take you from the very beginning to be a good programmer. VB.NET is a good first language for new programmers so this 21 part long series is written for completely beginners but it will also works perfectly fine if you already know another programming language.



VB.NET from beginner to advanced programmer

1. Introduction and Installation
2. Objects and Events
3. Variables
4. The basic data types
5. Logical Operators
6. Relational Operators
7. If statements Then
8. Arithmetical Operators
9. Loops Part 1
10. Arrays
11. Loops Part 2
12. Try Catch statements
13. Subs and Functions
14. Difference between Scopes
15. Select Statements
16. Multidimensional arrays
17. Structures
18. Classes
19. Enumerations
20. Advanced Comments
21. Compiling Directives

It's time to get started. VB.Net is a very good language for a beginner, it looks like English and is easy to use.

First you will need to download Visual Basic. It's where you'll write and compile your programs, you can download it here: Downloads.



After you have downloaded and installed Visual Basic and then started it, you will now see the Start Page. Click File in the menu and select New Project... or you can just press Ctrl+N on your keyboard for the same function.



Now you will see a new window asking which template you want to use for your program.
We'll use "Windows Forms Application", make sure it's selected. Then you will need to select a name for the project.
Note: This is not the name of the program, just the project's name.
I name mine "TestApplication". Then Press OK.




Now you will automatically be showed to the design view of our project. As default you have the layout of the program in the middle of the screen. This is how the program will look like. In the design view it's WYSIWYG editing, if you don't change the look with your code too.




But before we continue we'll need to rename our form. It's good to learn this right from the beginning: "The name of an object should tell what it is and what it is for."
So we want to rename Form1 (this is the form you can see in the middle, a program can be made of more then on form) to frmMain. This is so you (by only seeing the name) will know it's a form and that it is our main one.


To change the name of the form click on Form1.vb in the menu in the upper-right corner. In this menu you can see everything in your project (and even the whole solution, but you don't need to think about that).
Then go to the menu below the other menu and change File Name from "Form1.vb" to "frmMain.vb". In this other menu you can change the properties of the selected object.





You maybe have noticed that it still stands Form1 on the form in the middle. Thats because the text of the form is still "Form1". Click on the form in the middle.
Now you will see a long list in the properties menu. Now we're going to change some values here. Change Text to "My First Program".




If you want to see your program you can press F5 to start debugging. It's not anything to see really since it's just an empty form with the title "My First Program".
Save your project by clicking save all under file in the top menu. The first time you'll need to choose a name for it, but it's just to press ok since we already have chosen the name.



This was Part number 1, see you in the next part.

[John]

Would you mind providing links to the 21 tutorials rather than just:

Introduction and Installation
Objects and Events
Variables
The basic data types
Logical Operators
Relational Operators
If statements
Arithmetical Operators
Loops Part 1
Arrays
Loops Part 2
Try Catch statements
Subs and Functions
Difference between Scopes
Select Case Statements
Multidimensional arrays
Structures
Classes
Enumerations
Advanced Comments
Compiling Directives

That way in a few months, all the tutorials will be easy to reference at the top of the tutorial, rather than having to search through the forum for the next tutorial in the series.

[Vswe]

Of course I will and of course I planned that too, but I had to submit them first so they got an URL


EDIT: Now it's done.

[Jordan]

Holy crow, I'm going to have to spend half my day reading these. Nice starting point. +rep

[debtboy]

Awesome Tutorials!! + rep

[WingedPanther]

Nice job... Now to plow through them all. +rep

[Vswe]

Download link fixed.

[Lillian]

Hi! Difference Between .NET & VB.NET...?

[WingedPanther]

.NET is a technology. VB.NET, C#, F#, Delphi.NET, and others are programming languages that leverage that technology.