Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6 in 24 Hours

By Greg Perry

• Table of Contents
  • Copyright
  • About the Author
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • Who Should Read This Book
  • What This Book Will Do for You
  • Can This Book Really Teach Visual Basic in 24 Hours?
  • What You Need
  • Files on the Visual Basic Distribution CD-ROM
  • Conventions Used in This Book
  • Enough! Time Is Ticking!
  • Part I: Introducing Visual Basic
  • Hour 1. Visual Basic at Work
  • Hour 2.Analyzing Visual Basic Programs
  • Hour 3.Controls and Properties
    • Creating New Applications
    • Controls Provide the Interface
    • Giving Your Users Help
    • Named Literals
    • Take a Break!
    • Summary
    • Q&A
    • Workshop
  • Hour 4.Examining Labels, Buttons, and Text Boxes
  • Part II: Coding the Details
  • Hour 5.Putting Code into Visual Basic
  • Hour 6.Message and Input Boxes
  • Hour 7.Making Decisions
  • Hour 8.Visual Basic Looping
  • Part III:Putting Code to Work
  • Hour 9.Combining Code and Controls
  • Hour 10.List Boxes and Data Lists
  • Hour 11.Additional Controls
  • Hour 12.Dialog Box Basics
  • Part IV:Programming with Data
  • Hour 13.Modular Programming
  • Hour 14.Built-In Functions Save Time
  • Hour 15.Visual Basic Database Basics
  • Hour 16.Printing with Visual Basic
  • Part V:Sprucing Up Programs
  • Hour 17.Menus and Visual Basic
  • Hour 18.The Graphic Image Controls
  • Hour 19.Toolbars and More Graphics
  • Hour 20.Writing Correct Applications
  • Part VI:Advancing Visual Basic Applications
  • Hour 21.Visual Basic and ActiveX
  • Hour 22.Object Basics
  • Hour 23.Distributing Your Applications
  • Hour 24.Online Visual Basic
  • Part VII:Appendixes
  • Appendix A.Operator Precedence
  • Appendix B.Answers
  • Appendix C.Using the CD-ROM

Creating New Applications

When you create an application from scratch instead of using the VB Application Wizard to generate the program shell, you control every aspect of the application's design and you place all the program's controls on the form yourself. When you place those controls, you must name the controls, position the controls, set control properties, adjust the control sizes, and hook up all the event procedure code that goes with each control.

All this may sound daunting, but Visual Basic simplifies things as much as possible. Although the task isn't quite as simple as running the wizard, you have the power to create the exact application you need. Newcomers need to learn how to create applications without the wizard so they can fully master all the ins and outs of Visual Basic.

To create a new application from scratch, start Visual Basic and double-click the Standard EXE icon. The blank Form window appears in the work area's upper-left corner next to the toolbox, ready for you to begin creating the application by placing the controls.

If you double-click the Form window's title, Visual Basic expands the Form window to full screen. However, with your toolbox and other windows on the screen, you'll have to use the scrollbars to access various parts of the form. Of course, if your application is full screen, you'll need to work with the scrollbars to add controls to the full form.

Share This