Microsoft Visual Basic is powerful development platform developed by Microsoft that can be used to create various applications for windows operating system. It is based on event driven programming model. Visual basic provides rapid application development environment and easy to use set of debugging tools.
Visual basic application is created by designing the forms that make up the interface. The interface can be used to add the code in the form and objects such as buttons and text boxes required to support the code in additional modules. Visual basic consists of two parts "Visual" and "Basic". The Visual part refers to the method used to create the Graphical User Interface, rather than writing number of lines of code. The "BASIC" part refers to the "Beginers All purpose symbolic Instruction code".
Visual basic is not just a language, it is an Integrated Development environment. It consists of several statements, functions and keywords.
Controls in Visual Basic:
Controls in visual basic perform various programming tasks, Visual basic control fall into three categories. Intrinsic, ActiveX controls, Insertable objects.
Intrinsic Controls are available from the toolbox. ActiveX controls are separate files with OCX extension. These controls can be added later on to the tool box. The Insertable objects are OLE objects, such as Microsoft Excel worksheet object.
Form Designer: Every window created in Visual Basic is a unique form. It is present in the middle of the screen between all the tool boxes and other windows. The form designer is placed where we actually design the layout of the form. Visual Basic provides form designer window at design time that contains the form that has all the necessary controls that we place on the form. These include the Form designer window, form window and the default form. The default form contains the minimum elements used by most forms which comprises of the title bar, maximize, minimize and close buttons of the window.
Important Tool: Picture Box.
It also displays graphical images as container that receives output from graphical methods. A picture box is versatile and can display images from bitmap (.bmp), icon (.ico), metafile (.wmf), JPEG (.jpg) and GIF (.gif).
Importance of Visual Basic.
The visual basic learning edition allows programmers to create powerful applications for Microsoft Operating system. It includes all built in controls, grid, tab and data bound controls.
The professional edition provides the computer professional with full featured set of tools for developing solution for other application. It includes all the features of the learning edition and additional ActiveX controls, which includes Internet controls and Crystal Report Writer.
The enterprise edition allows the professional to create robust distributed applications in team setting. It includes all the features of the professional edition plus Automation manager, Component manager, Database management tools, Microsoft Visual Source safe project oriented version controls system.
It is a wonderful tool for the programmers and so it is still being used and learnt by many programmers in spite of the many advancement in the field of computers.
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