In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, you’ll learn how to build  complete, reliable, and modern applications with Visual Basic 2012. Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll master the entire process, from navigating VB 2012 to deploying finished solutions. You’ll learn how to write efficient object-oriented code; build superior user interfaces; work with graphics, text, and databases; and even control external applications. Each lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a strong, practical foundation for success!   Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Visual Basic 2012 tasks. Quizzes and Exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge. By the Way notes present interesting information related to the discussion. Did You Know? tips offer advice or show you easier ways to perform tasks. Watch Out! cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them.   Learn how to…   Navigate the VB 2012 environment and use VB’s powerful new tools Work with objects, collections, and events Build attractive, highly functional user interfaces Make the most of VB 2012’s advanced controls Create efficient modules and reusable procedures Store data, make decisions in code, and use loops to improve efficiency Use powerful object-oriented programming techniques Interact effectively with users Work with graphics, text files, and databases Debug and troubleshoot applications Manipulate external applications, file systems, and the Windows Registry Distribute the software you’ve created   On the Web:   Access code examples from the book, as well as updates, and corrections as they become available at informit.com/title/9780672336294 Download Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows Desktop from www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/downloads  

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 PART I: The Visual Basic 2012 Environment HOUR 1: Jumping in with Both Feet: A Visual Basic 2012 Programming Tour 5 Starting Visual Basic 2012 . . . . . . . . . 6 Creating a New Project . . . . . . . . . . 7 Understanding the Visual Studio 2012 Environment . . . . . 10 Changing the Characteristics of Objects . . . . . . . 11 Adding Controls to a Form. . . . . . . . . 16 Designing an Interface . . . . . . . . . 17 Writing the Code Behind an Interface . . . . . . . 21 Running a Project . . . . . . . . . . 25 HOUR 2: Navigating Visual Basic 2012 29 Using the Visual Basic 2012 Start Page . . . . . . . 30 Navigating and Customizing the Visual Basic Environment. . . 32 Working with Toolbars. . . . . . . . . . 37 Adding Controls to a Form Using the Toolbox . . . . . . 38 Setting Object Properties Using the Properties Window . . . . 39 Managing Projects . . . . . . . . . . 45 A Quick-and-Dirty Programming Primer . . . . . . 51 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . 53 HOUR 3: Understanding Objects and Collections 57 Understanding Objects. . . . . . . . . . 58 Understanding Properties . . . . . . . . . 58     Understanding Methods. . . . . . . . . 65 Building a Simple Object Example Project. . . . . . 67 Understanding Collections . . . . . . . . . 72 Using the Object Browser . . . . . . . . . 75 HOUR 4: Understanding Events 79 Understanding Event-Driven Programming . . . . . . 79 Building an Event Example Project . . . . . . . 87 Keeping Event Names Current . . . . . . . . 92 PART II: Building a User Interface HOUR 5: Building Forms: The Basics 95 Changing a Form’s Name . . . . . . . . . 96 Changing a Form’s Appearance . . . . . . . . 97 Showing and Hiding Forms. . . . . . . . . 107 HOUR 6: Building Forms: Advanced Techniques 117 Working with Controls . . . . . . . . . 117 Creating Topmost Nonmodal Windows. . . . . . . 134 Creating Transparent Forms . . . . . . . . 135 Creating Scrollable Forms. . . . . . . . . 135 Creating MDI Forms . . . . . . . . . . 137 Setting the Startup Form. . . . . . . . . 140 HOUR 7: Working with Traditional Controls 145 Displaying Static Text with the Label Control . . . . . 145 Allowing Users to Enter Text Using a Text Box . . . . . 146 Creating Buttons. . . . . . . . . . 153 Creating Containers and Groups of Option Buttons . . . . 157 Displaying a List with the List Box . . . . . . . 161 Creating Drop-Down Lists Using the Combo Box . . . . . 168 HOUR 8: Using Advanced Controls 173 Creating Timers . . . . . . . . . . 174 Creating Tabbed Dialog Boxes. . . . . . . . 177 Storing Pictures in an Image List Control. . . . . . 180 Building Enhanced Lists Using the List View Control . . . . 182 Creating Hierarchical Lists Using the Tree View Control. . . . . . . . . . 187 HOUR 9: Adding Menus and Toolbars to Forms 195 Building Menus . . . . . . . . . . 196 Using the Toolbar Control. . . . . . . . . 207 Creating a Status Bar. . . . . . . . . . 213 PART III: Making Things Happen–Programming HOUR 10: Creating and Calling Code Procedures 217 Creating Visual Basic Code Modules. . . . . . . 217 Writing Code Procedures . . . . . . . . . 219 Calling Code Procedures. . . . . . . . . 225 Exiting Procedures. . . . . . . . . . 231 Avoiding Infinite Recursion. . . . . . . . . 232 HOUR 11: Using Constants, Data Types, Variables, and Arrays 237 Understanding Data Types . . . . . . . . . 238 Defining and Using Constants. . . . . . . . 242 Declaring and Referencing Variables . . . . . . . 244 Working with Arrays . . . . . . . . . . 250 Determining Scope . . . . . . . . . . 254 Declaring Variables of Static Scope. . . . . . . 258 Naming Conventions. . . . . . . . . . 259 Using Variables in Your Picture Viewer Project . . . . . 261 HOUR 12: Performing Arithmetic, String Manipulation, and Date/Time Adjustments 269 Performing Basic Arithmetic Operations with Visual Basic . . . 270 Comparing Equalities . . . . . . . . . 274 Understanding Boolean Logic . . . . . . . . 274 Manipulating Strings . . . . . . . . . . 278 Working with Dates and Times . . . . . . . . 283 HOUR 13: Making Decisions in Visual Basic Code 293 Making Decisions Using If...Then . . . . . . . 293 Branching Within a Procedure Using GoTo . . . . . . 304 HOUR 14: Looping for Efficiency 309 Looping a Specific Number of Times Using For...Next . . . . 309 Using Do...Loop to Loop an Indeterminate Number of Times . . . 315 HOUR 15: Debugging Your Code 323 Adding Comments to Your Code . . . . . . . . 324 Identifying the Two Basic Types of Errors. . . . . . 326 Using Visual Basic’s Debugging Tools . . . . . . . 328 Writing an Error Handler Using Try...Catch...Finally . . . 336 HOUR 16: Designing Objects Using Classes 347 Understanding Classes . . . . . . . . . 348 Instantiating Objects from Classes . . . . . . . 357 HOUR 17: Interacting with Users 367 Displaying Messages Using the MessageBox.Show() Function . . . 367 Creating Custom Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . 373 Using InputBox() to Get Information from a User . . . . . 377 Interacting with the Keyboard . . . . . . . . 379 Using the Common Mouse Events . . . . . . . 382 HOUR 18: Working with Graphics 389 Understanding the Graphics Object. . . . . . . 389 Working with Pens . . . . . . . . . . 392 Using System Colors . . . . . . . . . . 393 Working with Rectangles . . . . . . . . . 396 Drawing Shapes . . . . . . . . . . 397 Drawing Text . . . . . . . . . . . 399 Persisting Graphics on a Form. . . . . . . . 400 Building a Graphics Project Example . . . . . . . 400 PART IV: Working with Data HOUR 19: Performing File Operations 409 Using the OpenFileDialog and SaveFileDialog Controls . . . 409 Manipulating Files with the File Object. . . . . . 415 Manipulating Directories with the Directory Object . . . . 424 HOUR 20: Working with the Registry and Text Files 427 Working with the Registry . . . . . . . . . 427 Reading and Writing Text Files . . . . . . . . 439 HOUR 21: Working with a Database 451 Introducing ADO.NET . . . . . . . . . 452 Manipulating Data . . . . . . . . . . 456 HOUR 22: Controlling Other Applications Using Automation 469 Automating Microsoft Excel . . . . . . . . 470 Automating Microsoft Word . . . . . . . . 476 PART V: Deploying Solutions and Beyond HOUR 23: Deploying Applications 481 Understanding ClickOnce Technology. . . . . . . 481 Using the Publish Wizard to Create a ClickOnce Application . . . 482 Testing Your Picture Viewer ClickOnce Install Program . . . . 486 Uninstalling an Application You’ve Distributed . . . . . 486 Setting Advanced Options for Creating ClickOnce Programs . . . 488 HOUR 24: The 10,000-Foot View 491 The .NET Framework . . . . . . . . . . 491 Common Language Runtime . . . . . . . . 492 Microsoft Intermediate Language . . . . . . . 493 Namespaces . . . . . . . . . . . 494 Common Type System . . . . . . . . . 496 Garbage Collection . . . . . . . . . . 496 Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . 497 9780672336294, 9/17/2012