CS 3041 - Using Visual Basic .NET

The CS 3041 programming project may be programmed using Visual Basic .NET. Visual Basic is an "easy to use" tool for programming that treats building interfaces as a key part of the process. As such it is good way to quickly build interfaces. It is also a marketable skill: i.e., very good resume fodder.

A description of the language and its associated interface can be found in the Supplementary VB text, and in other similar texts.

Facilities: You may use any PC running Windows which has a license to run Visual Basic, such as can be found in the PC labs around campus. Those labs currently run 'Visual Basic .NET'. Please use any of the CCC labs.

Software Utilities: WPI makes VB available via a CCC server, or from the library. Note that "Visual Studio 200?" and "Visual Studio .NET 200?" are synonymous.

If you registered for the class a week or more before the start of term then you should have been given access to the VB debugger in those labs. If you are unable to debug programs please contact the CCC helpdesk so that you can be added to the access list. Please specify that you are in CS3041 this term when you contact the helpdesk.

Visual Basic as a standalone application was rolled into Microsoft Visual Studio .Net 2003 with VB7.   CCC is currently supporting and recommending Visual Studio 2010 which utilizes the .Net 4 framework. Visual Studio 2010 is also what is installed in the labs. Students can download Visual Studio 2010 from

\\storage\software\Microsoft\Windows\

Instructions for connecting to the appropriate shared drive can be found at the following page:

http://wiki.wpi.edu/helpdesk/Microsoft_Software

Supplemental Material: Additional information about Visual Basic can be found on the web:

• VB Net
• MSDN
• Microsoft VB Technical Resources
• VB at Yahoo
• VB.NET Programming Tutorial
• Visual Basic and the XML DOM: An Annotated Example
• How to read XML from a file by using Visual Basic .NET
• XML File Parsing in VB.NET
• VB.NET ListBox Control

One or more of the course Assistants (TAs) will be prepared to offer some assistance with Visual Basic during office hours. Ask your technical questions early, otherwise the responses may be slow.