Mastering Microsoft Visual Basic 6 Fundamentals

At Course Completion

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

    Build custom, multiple-form applications.
    Incorporate dynamic menus, pop-up menus, status bars, and custom toolbars into applications.
    Implement form-level and field-level input validation.
    Debug applications using debugging tools provided in Visual Basic 6.
    Use standard controls, control arrays, and create controls dynamically.
    Execute centralized error-handling in applications.
    Use the data control for database access.
    Implement drag and drop in Visual Basic-based applications.
    Use Microsoft ActiveX® controls in Visual Basic-based applications.
    Create setup programs to distribute applications.

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Application Development Using Visual Basic

    Identify the elements in the Visual Basic development environment.
    Explain the difference between design time and run time.
    Explain the concept of event-driven programming.
    Describe the purpose of a project file.
    List the file types that can be included in a project.

Module 2: Visual Basic Fundamentals

    Create a simple application using Visual Basic.
    Define and provide examples of each of the following: object, property, method, and event.
    Describe some of the properties and events associated with a form.
    Set properties for command buttons, text boxes, and labels.
    Use the With…End With statement to set multiple property values for a single object.
    Assign code to a control to respond to the Click event.

Module 3: Working with Code and Forms

    Use the editing tools in the Visual Basic Code Editor window to write organized and well-documented code.
    Control the Visual Basic environment and customize it to their needs.
    Display message boxes.
    Use Visual Basic constants and named arguments.
    Differentiate between the Load/Unload statements and use the Show/Hide methods.
    Set the startup form for an application.
    Control a program's closing routine.

Module 4: Variables and Procedures

    Explain the various data types used when declaring variables.
    Declare private and public variables.
    Use public variables to use data in multiple forms.
    Describe the difference between a variable and a constant.
    Differentiate between a Sub procedure and a Function procedure.
    Create a Function procedure that accepts arguments and returns a value.
    Describe how a Standard module differs from a Form module.
    Add a Standard module to a project to store general procedures and variables.
    Use Visual Basic functions to manipulate text strings and return the current date and time.

Module 5: Controlling Program Execution

    List techniques for comparing variables and object properties using Visual Basic code.
    Explain the difference between If…Then and Select Case statements and describe the circumstances in which you use each statement.
    Explain the difference between the For…Next and Do…Loop statements.
    Choose the appropriate conditional or looping structure to control program flow.

Module 6: Debugging

    Stop program execution using breakpoints and watch expressions.
    Monitor variable values in the Watch window.
    Test data and a procedure's results in the Immediate window.
    Evaluate variable values in the Locals window. Distinguish among Run, Design, and Debug modes in Visual Basic.
    Trace the program execution sequence using the Call Stack.

Module 7: Working with Controls

    Identify and use the standard controls in Visual Basic.
    Define how an ActiveX control differs from a standard control.
    Add ActiveX controls to a project and use these controls in a program.

Module 8: Data Access Using the ADO Data Control

    Define the following terms: database, table, field, record, and key.
    Use the ADO Data control to view records in a database.
    Use the ADO Data control to find, modify, delete, and add records.
    List the standard bound controls.
    Define Structured Query Language (SQL).
    Describe the purpose of the SELECT statement in SQL.
    Use Data Form Wizard to design a simple data-entry form.

Module 9: Input Validation

    Create an application that validates user data at the field level and at the form level.
    Create an application that uses the Masked Edit control.
    Create an application that enables or disables controls based on field values.

Module 10: Error Trapping

    Trap run-time errors.
    Create error handlers.
    See how errors are handled in the calling chain.
    Handle errors in an error-handling routine.
    Handle inline errors.
    Describe some common error-handling styles.
    Describe error-trapping options in the Visual Basic development environment.

Module 11: Enhancing the User Interface

    Create and edit custom menu bars, menus, submenus, and menu items using the Menu Editor.
    Identify the menu properties that can be set in the Menu Editor dialog box.
    Create a pop-up menu using the Menu Editor.
    Assign code to menu items that respond to the Click event.
    Create a status bar on a form that provides users with feedback.
    Create a toolbar using the Toolbar control.

Module 12: Drag and Drop

    Describe the role of mouse events in implementing drag-and-drop features.
    Perform the steps required to add drag-and-drop features to an application.
    Identify the source control and target form or control in a drag-and-drop operation.
    Implement OLE drag-and-drop features.

Module 13: More About Controls

    Define and describe the use of control arrays.
    Create an array of controls.
    Build an application for Visual Basic that dynamically adds and deletes controls.
    Use the Visual Basic Controls collection.
    Create and use object variables.


Module 14: Finishing Touches

    Create applications that incorporate basic principles of user interface design.
    Create a setup program for an application by using Package and Deployment Wizard.
    Create custom projects.