Overview

Understandingprogrammingandprogramsrequiresthatwealsounderstandhow
computerswork.Asyouknow,hardwarereferstothephysicalcomponentsthat,
workingtogether,allowthecomputertoperformfunctions.TheCPU,RAM,
storage,input,andoutputdevicesformacompletesystemcapableofdoingagreat
manythings.Liketheinformationsuperhighwayoftenreferredto,Individual
computersystemsarelinkedtogetherinavastnetworkthatspanstheglobe.
Usingprograms,aCPUisabletoperformtasks.Programsprovidetheinstructions
necessarytogetusersfrompointAtopointBaroadmap,ifyouwill.Thescope
ofthatroadmapisdeterminedbytheneedsoftheuserofaparticularprogramit
canbelocal(asinglesystem),countywide(somethinglikeanintranet),oracross
thecountryoreventheworld(worldwideweb).
Theprogramsthatrunonacomputerarecalledsoftware.Theoperatingsystem
(OS)isasetofprogramsthatworktogethertoallowtheOStocontrolprocessesis
ahardwaretofunctionasaunit.Windows,MacOS,iOS,android,andLinuxare
examplesofoperatingsystems.Byloadingapplications(programs)intothesystem,
specializedfunctionscanbeperformedbyusers.Everythingfromwriting
documentstoplayingmusicisperformedusingapplications.Throughoutthis
coursewewillbelookingatapplicationsfromtheplanningstagestofunctioning
applicationsbuilttoperformspecifictasks.
VisualBasicisoneofmanylanguagesthatexiststowriteaprogramacomputeris
abletoprocesstoyieldparticularresults.TheCPUconvertstheinstructionswritten
intheselanguagesintomachinelanguageorbinarynumbers(aseriesofonesand

zeros)andfollowsthecommandsgiven.C#,C++,Python,Java,JavaScript,and
PHPalongwithVisualBasicaresomeofthemostusedlanguagesandeachhas
particularadvantages.
Alllanguageshavecommonelementsincludingkeyword/reservedwords,
operators,variables,syntax,statements,procedures,andcommenting.Wewillbe
exploringalltheseelementsinVisualBasicthroughouttheclass.
Inorderforaprogramtobeaccessibletousers,thereshouldbeaninterfaceorGUI
(graphicaluserinterface)thatallowstheusertoprovideinputandgeneratea
desiredoutcome.InVisualBasicwhendesigningaprogram,theGUIshouldbe
plantedinFrancetoensureuserswillbeabletointeractintuitivelywiththe
application.AswedesignandVisualBasiccodeorVisualBasicstudio,youwill
noticethereisadesignmodeaswellasarunmode.Indesignmodethecodeislaid
outandrefinedbeforedebuggingthenrunningtotestfunctionality.
Avarietyofcontrolsareavailabletoprovideuserswiththetoolstheyneedto
performtasks.Usingbuttons,forms,checkboxes,radiobuttons,pictureboxes,and
listboxes,programmerscanprovideawidevarietyofmethodstoefficientlygather
input.

TheSoftwareDevelopmentLifeCycle

Gettingtheprogramfromanideatoaworkingapplicationrequirescertainsteps,
sometimescalledthesoftwaredevelopmentlifecycle:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Define
Plan
Design
Build

5. Test
6. Display
7. Document
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/sdlc/index.htm
Thesearegeneralrulesthathelpensureaminimumoferrorsearlyinthe
developmentcycle.
Inourtextbook,Gaddis(2017)provides11stepsspecifictoVisualBasic.
1. Definepurpose
2. visualizeanddesigninterface
3. determinenecessarycontrols
4. definevaluesofcontrols
5. determineeventhandlersandothercodeforeachcontrol
6. createflowchartorpseudocode
7. checkforerrors
8. startVisualStudioorVisualBasicCodeandcreateformsandcontrols
9. useflowchart/pseudocodetowritecode
10. test,correcterrors,testagain.Repeatasmuchasnecessary.
11. Runwithtestdata/input.Correctlogicerrors.Repeat.
Gaddis,Tony.(2017).StartingOutwithVisualBasic,7thEdition.
[VitalSourceBookshelfOnline].Retrievedfrom
https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780134292373/
Asyoucansee,bothlistshavecommonelementsgearedtowardmakingthe
processassmoothaspossible.Byplanninganddefiningaheadofcodewriting,the
programmerisfarmorelikelytotakepotentialproblemsintoaccountearlysothe
finishedapplicationwillneedonlyminimaladjustment.Thisisnotonlyatimesaver
butalsosavescostsforboththeprogrammerandtheclient.