Web-Enabled Decision Support Systems

Web-Enabled Decision Support Systems Introduction to Visual Studio Prof. Name name@email.com Position (123) 456-7890 University Name

Overview • 10.1 Introduction • 10.2 Exploring Visual Studio IDE • 10.3 Visual Studio IDE Windows • 10.4 Object-Naming Conventions • 10.5 A Look at the VB .NET’s Code Window • 10.6 The Object Browser • 10.7 In-Class Assignment • 10.8 Summary

Introduction • Visual Studio is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) • Used to develop, debug, and deploy various applications • We will use it with the Visual Basic .NET (VB .NET) programming language • Database applications are computer programs that allow users to manipulate the data in a DBMS through a user-friendly interface • Broadens perception of information • Enhances the efficiency of data editing, processing, and printing operations • Application platforms: • Windows based (for a single user) • Web based (for multiple users)

Exploring Visual Studio IDE • Visual Studio is Microsoft’s development tool for Windows-based and web-based applications • Facilitates the process of design, development, debugging, and deployment • Package includes: • Component-based development tools: Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual C#, J# • Other supporting technologies • The Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a powerful and sophisticated tool with a wealth of features for application development • Integrates and manages development tools under one single window or environment

The Start Page • On start up, Visual Studio displays the tabbed Start Page: Visual Studio Start Page

Project Selection • To open an existing project: • Choose File | Open Project from the Main menu. • To create a new project: • Choose File | New Project from the Main menu. • We now start developing our first Windows application: • A single-form that greets the user by displaying a welcome message accompanied by a graphic image

Creating a New Application • How-to: Create a New Visual Basic Windows Application • From the Start Page, click Create | Project. Select the Visual Basic option under the Projects types, and then choose the Windows Application icon under the Templates area. Name the project “FirstProgram” and click OK. The New Project Dialog Box

Visual Studio IDE • At this point, the screen should resemble below: Visual Studio IDE

The Design Window • The Design Window consists of tabbed documents • Each form is displayed as a separate tab • Example: Form1.vb [Design] • The active tab is always positioned in front of all other tabs and is displayed with a boldface name • The tab system saves a lot of space and allows easy access to multiple documents

The Main Menu • Main Menu features: • File: Creates, opens, saves, and closes projects • View: Allows us to quickly open various IDE windows • Project: Facilitates addition of new items to the current project • Build: Compiles, builds, and runs the project • Debug: Allows us to debug the current project • Tools: Used to configure the Visual Studio IDE Visual Studio Main Menu

The Toolbar • Toolbar features: • Solution Explorer • Opens the Solution Explorer Window • Property Window • Opens the Property Window • ToolBox • Opens the ToolBox Visual Studio Toolbar

Visual Studio IDE Windows • The Visual Studio IDE consists of various windows that assist in the application development process: • Solution Explorer Window • ToolBox • Property Window • Server Explorer • Window Properties: • Accessible from the View menu and toolbar buttons • May be docked along the edges of the Visual Studio Window • Auto-hide feature: • Balances the design space and the availability of IDE tools • Use the “small-pin” icon to enable

The Solution Explorer Window • The Solution Explorer Window gives us a hierarchical view of all the files that belong to the current project • Provides access to all the files and components of the project The Solution Explorer Window for the “FirstProgram” Application

The Toolbox • The ToolBox contains a set of reusable components called controls • Groups the controls together and arranges them by group name • Examples: All Windows Forms, Common Controls, Data, Crystal Reports • Visual Programming is a programming paradigm in which we add visual components to build applications without writing much code • An object is any element that can be named and has some specific purpose • Windows forms, ToolBox controls, Toolbars, the Main Menu, etc.

Adding Controls to a Form • How-to: Add a Windows Control from the ToolBox to a Form • Click the desired control in the ToolBox. Place the mouse pointer on the form at the desired control position. • Drag the pointer to designate the desired size of the control. Adding a Control Object to the Form

The Properties Window • Properties are attributes of an object • The Property Window displays a list of properties for a selected object • Used to manipulate the appearance and behavior of an object • Top box: • Name of the selected object (“lblTitle”) • Middle Icons: • Controls to sort by category or alphabetical order • Lower box: • Property names and values

Adding and Modifying a Label Control • The following is a continuation of the How-to, “Create a New Visual Basic Windows Application”: • Add a Label control to Form1. • Use the Properties Window to change the Label control properties as listed below: • Name: lblTitle • Text: Welcome to the World of Programming • Text Align: Middle Center • Fore Color: Navy • Font: Georgia, Bold, 14 • Use the drop-down button to select the property values for Text Align and Fore Color, and use the ellipsis button at the end to open the Font dialog box. Set the Font, Font Style, and Size values.

Visually Modifying Label Properties Properties Window Forecolor Text Align Font

Modifying Form Properties • Select the form itself so that we can view its properties. Change its properties as listed below: • Text: First Form • BackColor: 255,128,0 (Orange)

Adding a PictureBox Control • Add the PictureBox control to the form. Select and manipulate the PictureBox properties using the guidelines below: • Cursor: Hand • Image: System.Drawing.Bitmap • Name: imgSample PictureBox Properties Adding PictureBox Control

Running the Application • Visual Studio compiles and runs an application to produce its output • How-to: Run an Application • From the Main menu, choose Debug | Start Without Debugging. • Run the application. Close the running form to return to the Design Window. Running an Application Using the Debug Menu

The Running Form The Running “FirstProgram” Application

The Server Explorer Window • The Server Explorer Window gives access to the available servers • A server is a piece of software that provides some service • Example: • An Access database The Server Explorer Window

The Help Menu • Visual Studio has an excellent online help feature that provides assistance to developers • The Help menu has four main menus: • Content • Displays articles that are categorized by topic • Index • Displays help topics organized alphabetically • Search • Finds and displays help topics based on the search keyword • Dynamic Help • Offers a list of help topics specific to the user’s current tasks and needs in the IDE The Help Menu

Object-Naming Conventions • We follow naming conventions in order to manage an application that features an increasing number of objects • Naming should be logical • Names should start with a capital letter • While names can include any number of digits, they cannot start with a digit • Every object name should have a prefix (three lower case letters) indicating the type of object: Naming Standards

The File Extensions • The table below gives brief summary of the most common file extensions used by a Visual Basic application: A Few Commonly Encountered File Extensions

A Look at the VB .NET’s Code Window • The Code Window is Visual Basic’s programming environment • Invoke by double-clicking anywhere on a form The Code Window

VB .NET Programming • Visual Basic program’s control flow is designed around a user’s actions • Examples: • Loading of a form • Clicking of a button • Entering of text • Visual Basic events are triggered by actions • Event-driven programming involves writing code designed to handle these events • Visual Basic provides a rich set of events associated with each Windows control

Adding Event Code • How-to: Add Event Code to the PictureBox Control • Open the Code Window for the PictureBox control, “imgSample”, and associate the following code with its Click event. • Run the application and verify the output by clicking on the image. Code for the Click Event of the PictureBox Control

Understanding the Code • The keyword sub marks the beginning of an event subroutine • The name of an event subroutine is a combination of the control name and the type of the event • Example: imgSample_Click • Each subroutine has a fixed syntax: • Starts with: Private Sub <name> • Ends with: End Sub • Visual Basic automatically executes the code inside the event subroutine every time the event is triggered • The property manipulation in the Code Window is visible only at the run-time • The property manipulation in the Property Window is visible at the design-time as well as at run-time (until changed)

Additional Features of the Code Window • The Code Window makes it easy to add an event other than a default event for an object • The top portion of the Code Window has two drop-down boxes: • The left box lists the available objects • The right box lists all possible methods and events for the object in the left box Class and Method Selection in the Code Window

IntelliSense and Code Tips • IDE provides two forms of help to assist the code-writing process: • IntelliSense • When we use the “dot” (.) operator immediately after an object name, the IDE displays a list of properties and methods associated with that object • Code Tips • When a property or method for an object has been selected, IDE displays the exact syntax (command structure) of a selected method/event Code Tip IntelliSense

Saving the Work • Each unsaved tab in the IDE shows an asterisk (*) • To save work, choose the File | Save Project or File | Save All option from the Main menu. Saving the Work

The Object Browser • The Object Browser serves as a dictionary of .NET objects • Allows us to quickly access information about various objects • Lists all possible classes, built-in objects, methods, events, and more • Appears as a separate tab in the IDE window Object Browser Window

In-Class Assignment • This in-class assignment further extends the application developed in this chapter • The simple extension is as follows: • We would like to close the form (running application) on the click of the Close button.

Summary • Visual Studio .NET integrates its development tools under one environment known as Integrated Development Environment (IDE) • The IDE is a powerful tool that provides a wealth of features for the application development process • The Design Window is one part of the IDE • Allows the user to graphically manipulate the design of a form and other controls

Summary (cont.) • Visual Studio .NET IDE is made up of various windows that assist in the process of application development: • The Solution Explorer Window displays a hierarchical view of the solution • The ToolBox is the container for reusable components called controls • The Properties Window displays the property list for a selected object • The Server Explorer Window provides access to the available servers • The Dynamic Help Window provides a list of help topics related to the current content of the IDE • The Object Browser is a dictionary of .NET objects

Web-Enabled Decision Support Systems