Beginning Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition - From Novice To Professional (2006)

500 C H A P T E R 1 9 ■ W H E R E T O N O W ?

Figure 19-3. The Express products home page

By the way, notice on the left-hand navigation bar in Figure 19-3 that there’s a Coding4Fun link. This is a great link for finding some neat snippets of code, articles, and challenges to improve your coding skills, and it’s a wonderful resource for new developers.

You can find the starter kits simply by pointing at the product of your choice (our choice will naturally be Visual Basic ) and then choosing Starter Kits from the menu that appears. As soon as you click the mouse, you’ll be whizzed off to the Starter Kits page shown in Figure 19-4.

C H A P T E R 1 9 ■ W H E R E T O N O W ?

501

Figure 19-4. The Starter Kits page for Visual Basic 2005 Express

At the time of this writing, five starter kits are available for VB Express: the two that ship with the product, the Black Jack Card Game starter kit, the Skype Wrapper (which lets you build Voice over IP functionality into your applications), and an interface for the LEGO Mindstorms kits. Microsoft is promising more in the future, so keep a regular eye on this page.

The page does have links to download each of the starter kits, along with instructions on how to install them onto your machine. As I mentioned at the start, each kit comes with full instructions detailing not only what it does but also how to customize it, so why not dive in and have fun.

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The Other Express Tools

Visiting the Express products home page in the preceding section brings us nicely onto the other Express products: SQL Server Express, Visual C++ Express, Visual J# Express, Visual C# Express, and Visual Web Developer Express.

If by now you are a die-hard Visual Basic 2005 fan, you may be wondering why I’m even bothering to mention the others. Well, two of them in particular should still be of interest to you. As you saw in Chapter 16, Visual Basic 2005 Express ships with SQL Server Express, so it’s useful to know where that product lives should you want to explore SQL Server and databases in more detail.

Far more interesting, though, is Visual Web Developer Express. Of all the Express products, Visual Web Developer is the only one that supports more than one programming language (C# and Visual Basic). This tool is designed to let you build functional web-based applications with .NET, so now that you have cut your teeth on Visual Basic and Windows programming, Visual Web Developer Express is definitely the next tool that you should take a look at to turn your burgeoning Visual Basic coding skills toward the world of online application development.

Like Visual Basic 2005 Express, Visual Web Developer Express is a free download.

MSDN

All the Express products live within a section of Microsoft’s website known as the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN). This place should become your home away from home. The home page for MSDN is http://msdn.microsoft.com, and it’s updated daily with new articles, video clips, code samples, and much more for .NET developers of all levels. You can access the full .NET Framework reference on the site; search for articles, code, and reference material on pretty much anything to do with programming; and even get involved in the community newsgroups and forums that Microsoft runs.

Now, I can’t recommend these things highly enough. When I want to learn a new language fast, I turn to the forums. You’ll find people there asking questions about almost everything that can be done with the language and tools, and you can use those questions either to guide your own study (I try to answer every unanswered question myself to further my own knowledge) or as a reference to find out the sorts of things that you can do. The MSDN community page can be found at http://msdn.microsoft.com/community/.

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Blogs

Today, more and more people are getting involved in publishing blogs. In case you’ve never come across them before, a blog (it’s short for web log) is an online journal in which people can write pretty much anything they want. There are blogs that cover people’s daily lives, blogs targeted at products, and of course thousands of them targeted at programming and .NET.

You can read blogs just by visiting each one’s web page, but a much better way to do things is to download a tool such as RSS Bandit. You see, blogs have things called feeds associated with them, and RSS Bandit can keep track of those feeds and automatically download new articles as they get posted. What’s best is that RSS Bandit is actually written in .NET and grew out of a series of articles talking about how to develop such an application on MSDN. You can download RSS Bandit from its homepage at http://www.rssbandit.org.

As for the blogs themselves, you’ll find a great selection at the Apress Ablog site at http://blogs.apress.com/ (see Figure 19-5).

n

Figure 19-5. The Ablog site, home to the blogs of Apress authors and staff

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The cool thing about blogs is that most blog authors also link to other people’s blogs, so after you start reading one or two, you’ll find links you’ll want to follow even more. It then becomes even more important that you use a tool like RSS Bandit to keep track of everything.

There are also a ton of blogs listed at http://msdn.microsoft.com/blogs. These are blogs written by people employed by or very close to Microsoft. It’s the word from the horse’s mouth as far as .NET technical information is concerned.

I have a blog on the Ablog site, and I also have another less .NET-focused one at http://peterwright.blogspot.com.

Summary

I hope you’ve had fun working through this book. It was a lot of fun writing it. In this chapter I wanted to give you some pointers to online resources that can help you with the next step in your journey: creating your own applications.

Starter kits are a great stepping-stone to bigger things, giving you a working framework that you can tweak and play around with, but also giving you a full set of working code that you can explore and learn from. In addition, there are some great articles available on MSDN and through the world’s newest publishing phenomenon, blogs.

Above all else, though, remember that you aren’t alone. The community forums are there to serve not only as a reference but also as an interactive help line. Don’t be afraid to post questions to the forums when you get stuck and you’ll soon be on your way again.

Good luck, and be sure to drop me a line and let me know how you’re doing.

Index

■Special Characters

| (Boolean OR) operator, 362

+(plus symbol), 6

+sign, 71

+= operator, 68

<> (angle brackets), 331

<character, 461

<? tag, 388 = symbol, 81

== operator, 84

■A

abstract methods and classes, 134–136, 138 AcceptButton property, 253 AcceptChanges( ) method, 436

Activated event, 238

ActiveMdiChild property, 308

Add( ) method, 106, 282, 332, 347

Add New Item dialog box, 424

Add New Stored Procedure, 429

Add Web Reference, 476

AddBooksToListBox( ) method, 467, 470–471 AddEmployeeRow( ) method, 438 AddHandler, 325–326

Advanced Binding dialog box, 446 Advanced Options button, 440 Adventure Works data source, 443 Adventure Works database, 418

AdventureWorks_DataDataSet

namespace, 431

AdventureWorks_DataDataSetTableAdapters

namespace, 430

AdventureWorksDB.msi file, 416 aligning controls, 176–178

Allow Nulls check box, 427 AllowAddNew property, 444 Anchor property, 29, 191 anchors, 8

angle brackets ( < >), 331

AnnualBoldedDates property, MonthCalendar control, 222

app.config file, 420 Application class, 234 ApplicationException, 169 arrays, 77–80

AsyncCompletedEventArgs event, 466 attributes, 169, 383

■B

Back button, 32

BackColor property, 190, 222, 307 background color, 300 BackgroundWorker control, 485–495 BackgroundWorker DoEvents handler, 492 backgroundWorker1, 488

BackgroundWorker.DoWork event handler, 489

BeginEdit( ) method, 435 BindingContextChanged event, 238 BindingSource control, 443 BlogPosts table, 428

blogs, 503–504

BoldedDates property, MonthCalendar control, 222, 225

Book class, 460

Books button, 458

Boolean data type, 73

Boolean OR (|) operator, 362

505

506■I N D E X

Boolean properties, 285 Boolean values, 73, 83 boxing, 156

bubbling exceptions, 165 Button control, 177, 192, 457 button1 member, 175

buttons, in Windows applications, 192–197

■C

C# counterparts, 2 C++ .NET, 2

calc object, 109 calcButton_click event, 493

Calculate button, 104, 109, 487, 492 Calculator class, 106, 108, 110 Calculator.vb class, 105 CancelAsync( ) method, 466, 494 CancelButton property, 253 CancelEdit( ) method, 435 CancelEventArgs object, 207 CancellationPending flag, 495 CancellationPending property, 492 capital letters, 145

Case statements, 86 casting types

checking object types, 154–155 overview, 150–151

reference types and value types, 153–155 CausesValidation property, Text Box, 198 changesList list box, 363

<channel> tags, 391 Char keyword, 73

characters and text, 73–74

check boxes, in Windows applications, 215–221

CheckBox, Microsoft Word, 215

Checked property, 217, 220

CheckedChanged event, 217

CheckedChanged property, 220

CheckedIndices property, 279

CheckedItems property, 279 CheckedListBox control, 261, 278–279 CheckOnClick property, 279

child window, 308 ChildForm object, 308

ChildNodes collection, 384, 387 ChildNodes property, XmlDocument, 387 chooseButton button, 363

class members, 125 class methods, 114 classes, 46

abstract, 134–138 creating and using, 47–50 partial, 147–149

classes and objects creating classes, 94, 96 overview, 94

using constructors and destructors, 103 using constructors and finalizers, 96–103

CleanUp method, 103

Clear( ) method, 332

Click event, 467

Click event code, 203

Click event handler, 196, 289

Click event, .NET, 191

Close( ) method, 229, 411

Close icon, 6, 236

code snippets, 182 Code window, 15 Color property, 256 Colors menu, 301 Column Properties, 427

ComboBox control, 279–281

Common Code Patterns category, 24, 183 CompareEmployees( ) function, 345 CompareTo( ) function, 345 concatenating text, 71

conditional operators, 81 conditional statements, 57–61

ConnectToSpeaker( ) method, 125 console application, 19, 90, 390 Console class, 21, 50, 102 constructors, 52, 96–103

Contains( ) method, 74, 333–336, 354 ContainsKey( ) method, 292, 348, 356 ContainsValue( ) method, 348 context menu control, 311–312 ContextMenuStrip control, 295, 311 ContextmenuStrip property, 312 control structures, 57

ControlBox property, 236 controls, aligning, 176–178 ConversionRate( ) method, 479 Copy( ) method, 367

Create( ) method, 379, 401, 408

CreateDirectory( ) method, 367

CType, 72

CurrencyConvertor, 479

Current.Value property, XPathNodeIterator, 397

cursor based, 400

custom exceptions, 168–169 Customer tags, 409

■D

data adapters, 422, 430

Data Source Configuration Wizard, 416, 424 DataAdapter class, 422, 433

Database Explorer window, 15, 425 database programming

data binding overview, 442–448 database creation tools, 424–429 overview, 415–416

tools overview, 416–424 writing database code, 429–442

DatabaseStuff class, 125 DataGridView control, 175, 422, 424 DataMember property, 443 DataSet container, 421

■I N D E X 507

	DataSource property, 443
	DataTable object, 422
	date pickers, in Windows applications, 221–226
	Date variable, 88
	DateChanged event, MonthCalendar
	control, 223
	DateRangeEventArgs object, MonthCalendar
	control, 225
	DateSelected event, MonthCalendar
	control, 223
	DateTime objects, 226
	DateTimePicker control, 221, 223, 446
	Deactivate event, 238
	deadlocks, 495–496	Find
	decimal variables, 72
	Decrypt( ) method, 368	it
		at faster
	delegate class, EventHandler type, 320
	delegates, 320–326
	Delete( ) method, 435	com.apress.http://superindex
	Department property, 338
	Depth32Bit, 288
	dequeuing, 357
	Description element, 398
	Designer window, 15
	destructors, 103
	DialogResult properties, 254, 269
	dialogs
	common, 255–257
	creating own dialog box, 251–255
	using simple message box, 248–250
	dictionaries, 346–356
	Dictionary collection,
	System.Collections.Generics
	namespace, 331
	Dim keyword, 49
	Director object, 150
	Directory class, 366
	DirectoryInfo class, 366
	Divide button, Windows GUI, 158
	divisorBox, 68

508■I N D E X

Dock in Parent Container, 423 Dock property, 10

Document Outline window, 15 DocumentCompleted event, 453 Double class, 108

double parameters, 106 double variables, 72, 158 DoubleClick event, 462

Double.Parse( ), Windows GUI, 158 Do.Until loops, 61 DownloadComplete( ) method, 470

DownloadData( ) method, System.Net.WebClient, 465

DownloadDataAsync( ) method, WebClient object, 465

DownloadDataCompleted event, 466

DownloadDataCompletedEventArgs subclass, AsyncCompletedEventArgs, 466

DownloadFile( ) method, System.Net.WebClient, 465

DownloadFileAsync( ) method, 466 DownloadFileCompleted event, 466 downloadProgress progress bar, 470 DownloadProgressChanged( ) method, 466

DownloadString( ) method, WebClient class, 459, 463, 465, 469

DownloadStringAsync( ) method, 466, 469 DownloadStringCompleted event, 466

DownloadStringCompletedEventArgs class, 466, 471

DoWork event, 492 Draw( ) method, 135 Drive( ) methods, 128

DriveOffRoad( ) method, 131 drop-down button, 195 DropDown style, 281 DropDownButton, tool strip, 313 DropDownOpened event, 309 DropDownOpening event, 309

DropDownStyle property, 105, 280 dropping controls, 176

■E

Edit Colors, 301 editors, 16–26 elements, 383 ellipsis button (.), 262 Employee class, 333

Employee class , HelloFunctionDelegate delegate, 321–322

EmployeeAddress tables, 429 EmployeeDataTable( ) method, 431 EmployeeID property, 432 EmployeeName property, 338 _employeeNumber property, 338 EmployeeRow object, 434 employees object, 434 employeeTableAdapter, 424

Enabled properties, ToolTip control, 212 Enabled property, 482 EnableRaisingEvents property, 361, 364 Encrypt( ) method, 368

End Sub method, 21 EndEdit( ) method, 435 EndsWith( ) method, 74 endTime variable, Date, 88 e.Node, 292

enqueuing, 357

Enter event, Text Box, 198

Equals( ) method, 84, 354

Error List window, 15

ErrorProvider control, .NET, 213 Evaluate( ) method, 395

Even node, 289

Even Numbers node, 290 evenNumbersTimer, 483 event handlers, 189 event parameter, 453

EventArgs parameter, 197 EventHandler type, 319 events, 31, 188

custom, creating, 319–321 hooking by hand, 315–318

in Windows applications, 190–192 Events button, 452

Exception class, .NET Framework, 167 Exception object, 167, 466

exceptions custom, 168–169 handling

bubbling exceptions, 165 overview, 161–164

throwing exceptions, 165–168 overview, 157–161

Execute Query button, 440

Exists( ) method, 340, 367

eXtensible Markup Language. See XML

■F

factory method, 401 feeds, 503

fields, 114

File and Directory classes, 366–370 File class, 366, 374

File menu, 12

file streams, 372–378 FileInfo class, 366–367

FileMode.Append value, FileMode enumeration, 372

FileMode.Create value, FileMode enumeration, 372

FileMode.CreateNew value, FileMode enumeration, 372

FileMode.Open value, FileMode enumeration, 372

FileMode.OpenOrCreate value, FileMode enumeration, 373

FileMode.Truncate value, FileMode enumeration, 373

■I N D E X 509

	FileName property, 256
	File.ReadAllLines( ) method, 369, 373, 376
	files
	File and Directory classes, 366–370
	FileSystemWatcher class, 360–366
	overview, 360
	FileSystemWatcher class, 360–366
	Fill( ) method, 422, 432
	Filter property, 256, 361
	finalizers, 96–103
	Find( ) method, 289, 292, 336
	Find( ) methods, Lists and SortedLists,
	336–338, 340, 342–343	Find
	Find Results window, 16
	FindAnEmployee( ) function, 339	it
	function, 336
		faster
	FindEmployeeByNamePredicate( )
	FindStaffInDepartment( ) method, 339	at
		com.apress.http://superindex
	FinishUp method, 103
	FireEmployee( ) method, HRActionDelegate
	delegate, 324
	FirstDayOfWeek property, MonthCalendar
	control, 222
	floating point, 66
	Flush( ) method, 375, 411
	FolderBrowserDialog, FileSystemWatcher,
	363
	folderDialog folder browser, 363
	folderLabel label, 363
	Font property, 191, 256
	for loop, 61, 90–91, 487
	ForEach command, 79
	ForEach loop, 80
	foreach loop, 367
	ForeColor property, 190, 222
	_forename member, 121
	forename value, 119
	form editor, 13
	Format( ) command, String class, 200
	FormatException exceptions, 163