Module 1: Introducing Visual Basic and the .NET Framework
This module describes the purpose of the .NET Framework 4 and how you can build applications by using Visual Studio 2010.
Lessons
Introduction to the .NET Framework 4
Creating Projects Within Visual Studio 2010
Writing a Visual Basic Application
Building a Graphical Application
Documenting an Application
Debugging Applications by Using Visual Studio 2010
Lab: Introducing Visual Basic and the .NET Framework
Creating a Simple Console Application
Creating a WPF Application
Verifying the Application
Generating Documentation for an Application
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Explain the purpose of the .NET Framework 4.
- Create Visual Basic projects by using Visual Studio 2010.
- Explain the structure of a Visual Basic application.
- Use the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) Application template to build a simple graphical application.
- Use XML comments to document an application.
- Use the debugger to step through a program.
Module 2: Using Visual Basic Programming Constructs
This module introduces many of the basic Visual Basic language data types and programming constructs, and describes the syntax and semantics of these constructs.Lessons
Declaring Variables and Assigning Values
Using Expressions and Operators
Creating and Using Arrays
Using Decision Statements
Using Iteration Statements
Lab: Using Visual Basic Programming Constructs
Calculating Square Roots with Improved Accuracy
Converting Integer Numeric Data to Binary
Multiplying Matrices
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Explain how to declare variables and assign values.
- Use operators to construct expressions.
- Create and use arrays.
- Use decision statements.
- Use iteration statements.
Module 3: Declaring and Calling Methods
A key part of developing any application is dividing the solution into logical components. In object-oriented languages such as Microsoft Visual Basic, a method is a unit of code that is designed to perform a discrete piece of work. This module introduces methods and describes how to define and use them.Lessons
Defining and Invoking Methods
Specifying Optional Parameters and ByRef Parameters
Lab: Declaring and Calling Methods
Calculating the Greatest Common Divisor of Two Integers by Using Euclid's Algorithm
Calculating the GCD of Three, Four, or Five Integers
Comparing the Efficiency of Two Algorithms
Displaying Results Graphically
Solving Simultaneous Equations (optional)
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe how to create and invoke methods.
- Define and call methods that can take optional parameters and ByRef parameters.
Module 4: Handling Exceptions
Exception handling is an important concept and your applications should be designed with exception handling in mind. This module explains how you can implement effective exception handling in your applications, and how you can use exceptions in your methods to elegantly indicate an error condition to the code that calls your methods.Lessons
Handling Exceptions
Raising Exceptions
Lab: Handling Exceptions
Making a Method Fail-Safe
Detecting an Exceptional Condition
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe how to catch and handle exceptions.
- Describe how to create and raise exceptions.
Module 5: Reading and Writing Files
The ability to access and manipulate the files on the file system is a common requirement for many applications. This module shows how to read and write to files by using the classes in the Microsoft .NET Framework. This module also describes the different approaches that you can take, and how to read and write different formats of data.Lessons
Accessing the File System
Reading and Writing Files by Using Streams
Lab: Reading and Writing Files
Building a Simple File Editor
Making the Editor XML Aware
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe how to access the file system by using the classes that the .NET Framework provides.
- Describe how to read and write files by using streams.
- Describe how to use the My namespace for reading and writing files.
Module 6: Creating New Types
The Microsoft.NET Framework base class library consists of many types that you can use in your applications. However, in all applications, you must also build your own types that implement the logic for your solution.This module explains how to create your own modules and types and describes the differences between reference types and value types.Lessons
Creating and Using Modules and Enumerations
Creating and Using Classes
Creating and Using Structures
Comparing References to Values
Lab: Creating New Types
Using Enumerations to Specify Domains
Using a Structure to Model a Simple Type
Using a Class to Model a More Complex Type
Using a Nullable Structure
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe how to create and use modules.
- Describe how to create and use enumerations.
- Describe how to create and use classes.
- Describe how to create and use structures.
- Explain the differences between reference and value types.
Module 7: Encapsulating Data and Methods
This module describes how to use some of the access modifiers that Visual Basic provides to enable you to implement encapsulation. This module also introduces the Shared modifier, which enables you to define members that can be shared over multiple instances of the same type.Lessons
Controlling Visibility of Type Members
Sharing Methods and Data
Lab: Encapsulating Data and Methods
Hiding Data Members
Using Shared Members to Share Data
Implementing an Extension Method
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe how to control the visibility of type members.
- Describe how to share methods and data.
Module 8: Inheriting from Classes and Implementing Interfaces
This module introduces inheritance and interfaces in the Microsoft .NET Framework, and how you can use them to simplify complex problems, reduce code duplication, and speed up development.Inheritance is a key concept in an object-oriented language. You can use inheritance, interfaces, and abstract classes to develop object hierarchies in your code. These object hierarchies can help reduce bugs by defining clear contracts for what a class will expose and by providing default implementations where you can sensibly abstract code into a base type.Lessons
Using Inheritance to Define New Reference Types
Defining and Implementing Interfaces
Defining Abstract Classes
Lab: Inheriting from Classes and Implementing Interfaces
Defining an Interface
Implementing an Interface
Creating an Abstract Class
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Use inheritance to define new reference types.
- Define and implement interfaces.
- Define abstract classes.
Module 9: Managing the Lifetime of Objects and Controlling Resources
All applications use resources. When you build a Microsoft Visual Basic application, resources fall into two broad categories: managed resources that are handled by the common language runtime (CLR) and unmanaged resources that are maintained by the operating system outside the scope of the CLR. A managed resource is typically an object based on a class defined by using a managed language, such as Visual Basic. Examples of unmanaged resources include items implemented outside the Microsoft .NET Framework, such as Component Object Model (COM) components, file handles, database connections, and network connections.Resource management is important in any applications that you develop. The NET Framework simplifies resource management by automatically reclaiming the resources by a managed object when it is no longer referenced by an application. Managed resources are handled by the .NET Framework garbage collector. However, unmanaged resources are not controlled by the garbage collector; you must take special steps to dispose them properly and prevent them from being held longer than necessary.Lessons
Introduction to Garbage Collection
Managing Resources
Lab: Managing the Lifetime of Objects and Controlling Resources
Implementing the IDisposable Interface
Managing Resources Used by an Object
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe how garbage collection works in the .NET Framework.
- Manage resources effectively in an application.
Module 10: Encapsulating Data and Defining Overloaded Operators
Many operators have well-defined behavior for the built-in Visual Basic types, but you can also define operators for your own types. This module describes how to implement operators for your types by using overloading.Lessons
Creating and Using Properties
Creating and Using Indexers
Overloading Operators
Lab: Creating and Using Properties
Defining Properties in an Interface
Implementing Properties in a Class
Using Properties Exposed by a Class
Lab: Creating and Using Indexers
Implementing a Default Property to Access Bits in a Control Register
Using an Indexer Exposed by a Class
Lab: Overloading Operators
Defining the Matrix and MatrixNotCompatibleException Types
Implementing Operators for the Matrix Type
Testing the Operators for the Matrix Type
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Explain how properties work and use them to encapsulate data.
- Describe how to use default properties to provide access to data through an array-like syntax.
- Describe how to use operator overloading to define operators for your own types.
Module 11: Decoupling Methods and Handling Events
This module explains how to decouple an operation from the method that implements it and how to use anonymous methods to implement decoupled operations. This module also explains how to use events to inform consuming applications of a change or notable occurrence in a type.Lessons
Declaring and Using Delegates
Using Lambda Expressions
Handling Events
Lab: Decoupling Methods and Handling Events
Raising and Handling Events
Using Lambda Expressions to Specify Code
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe the purpose of delegates and explain how to use a delegate to decouple an operation from the implementing method.
- Explain the purpose of lambda expressions and describe how to use a lambda expression to define an anonymous method.
- Explain the purpose of events and describe how to use events to report that something significant has happened in a type that other parts of the application need to be aware of.
Module 12: Using Collections and Building Generic Types
The basic collection classes introduce a new problem. Classes that act on other types are often not type-safe. For example, many collection classes frequently use the Object type to store items, and must then be cast or converted back to their original type before they can be used. It is the programmer's responsibility to ensure that the correct casts or conversions are performed, and it is easy to introduce errors by casting or converting an item to the wrong type. This module introduces generics and how you can use generic classes to maintain type-integrity and avoid issues that are associated with a lack of type safety.Lessons
Using Collections
Creating and Using Generic Types
Defining Generic Interfaces and Understanding Variance
Using Generic Methods and Delegates
Lab: Using Collections
Optimizing a Method by Caching Data
Lab: Building Generic Types
Defining a Generic Interface
Implementing a Generic Interface
Implementing a Test Harness for the BinaryTree Project
Implementing a Generic Method
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Use collection classes.
- Define and use generic types.
- Define generic interfaces and explain the concepts of covariance and contravariance.
- Define and use generic methods and delegates.
Module 13: Building and Enumerating Custom Collection Classes
When you develop applications, you often need to store collections of objects. In many circumstances, you can use the collection classes that the Microsoft .NET Framework includes; however, sometimes these collection classes do not provide the functionality that you require. For example, you may need to store objects in a sorted order that is based on a custom sorting algorithm.This module introduces you to custom collection classes. It also explains how you can develop collection classes that support the language constructs that Visual Basic provides, such as enumeration and collection initialization.Lessons
Implementing a Custom Collection Class
Adding an Enumerator to a Custom Collection Class
Lab: Building and Enumerating Custom Collection Classes
Implementing the IList(Of TItem) Interface
Implementing an Enumerator by Writing Code
Implementing an Enumerator by Using an Iterator
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Implement a custom collection class.
- Define an enumerator in a custom collection class
Module 14: Using LINQ to Query Data
This module introduces you to Language-Integrated Query (LINQ) queries and explains how you can use them to process data in your Microsoft .NET Framework applications. This module also explains the difference between shared and dynamic LINQ queries, and describes how you can use dynamic LINQ to create highly flexible queries that you build at run time.Lessons
Using the LINQ Extension Methods and Query Operators
Building Dynamic LINQ Queries and Expressions
Lab: Using LINQ to Query Data
Using the LINQ Query Operators
Building Dynamic LINQ Queries
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe how to use the LINQ extension methods and query operators.
- Describe how to build dynamic LINQ queries and expressions.
Module 15: Integrating Visual Basic Code with Dynamic Languages and COM Components
Integration with other technologies is a key feature of the Microsoft.NET Framework. Previous versions of the .NET Framework enabled you to combine components that were developed by using different languages that have compilers that the .NET Framework supports. The .NET Framework 4 now supports integration of components built by using dynamic languages. This enables you to re-use items built by using a wide range of scripting languages that are not easily accessible from Microsoft Visual Basic code.In addition, previous versions of the .NET Framework have always enabled you to integrate Component Object Model (COM) services and components into your managed applications. The integration did however, require a good understanding of the differences between the way in which the common language runtime (CLR) and the COM environment operated. The new features of Visual Basic 2010 have simplified the way in which you can invoke COM components, so it is easier for you to re-use these items in a Visual Basic application.This module describes how to integrate code written by using a dynamic language such as Ruby and Python, or technologies such as COM, into a Visual Basic application.Lessons
Integrating Visual Basic Code with Ruby and Python
Accessing COM Components from Visual Basic
Lab: Integrating Visual Basic Code with Dynamic Languages and COM Components
Integrating Code Written by Using a Dynamic Language into a Visual Basic Application
Using a COM Component from a Visual Basic Application
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Integrate Ruby and Python code into a Visual Basic application.
- Invoke COM components and services from a Visual Basic application.