Free VB.NET Programming Tutorials in PDF

VB.NET, or Visual Basic .NET, is a popular programming language used to develop Windows applications. It is a multi-paradigm language that supports object-oriented, imperative, and declarative programming styles. VB.NET is case-insensitive, statically typed, and compiled.

VB.NET is a successor to the original Visual Basic language, and it was introduced by Microsoft in 2002 as part of the .NET Framework. It is designed to be easy to use and to provide rapid application development capabilities to developers.

History of VB.NET

Visual Basic (VB) is a popular programming language that has been around since the early 1990s. Developed by Microsoft, VB was designed to be an easy-to-learn language that could be used to create Windows applications quickly. VB is based on the BASIC programming language and was initially released in 1991.

VB became a popular language for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for Windows applications, and it quickly became the most popular programming language for Windows development. VB was particularly popular in the business world, where it was used to create custom applications for various industries.

VB was first released for use with Windows 3.0, and it was designed to be a more user-friendly alternative to other programming languages of the time. VB allowed developers to create applications quickly and easily using a drag-and-drop interface, and it included a large library of pre-built components that could be used to create common user interface elements like buttons, menus, and text boxes.

Over time, Microsoft continued to update and improve VB, adding support for more advanced programming features like object-oriented programming (OOP) and multithreading. VB6, released in 1998, was the last version of the language before the introduction of VB.NET.

VB.NET, released in 2002, was a major departure from the earlier versions of VB. While it was still based on the BASIC programming language, VB.NET was designed to be a more powerful and versatile language that could be used to create more complex applications. VB.NET introduced a new syntax and was built on the .NET Framework, which provided a number of new features and capabilities for developers.

VB.NET also introduced a number of changes to the way that VB applications were created and compiled. Instead of using an interpreter, VB.NET applications were compiled into executable files that could be run on any Windows machine. VB.NET also introduced support for web application development, making it possible to create web applications using VB.

Despite the changes introduced with VB.NET, the language has remained a popular choice for Windows development, particularly in the business world. VB continues to be used to create custom applications for a variety of industries, including finance, healthcare, and manufacturing.

In recent years, Microsoft has shifted its focus to other languages and development platforms, but VB remains a popular language for Windows developers. Microsoft has stated that it will continue to support VB, but new development efforts will be focused on other languages like C# and JavaScript.

Object-Oriented Programming

VB.NET is fully object-oriented, and it supports the four pillars of object-oriented programming: encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction. It allows developers to create classes, objects, and interfaces to build complex applications with reusable code.

Integrated Development Environment

VB.NET has a powerful Integrated Development Environment (IDE) called Visual Studio, which makes it easier to develop, debug, and test applications. The IDE provides tools such as code editor, debugger, visual designer, and profiler.

.NET Framework

VB.NET runs on the .NET Framework, which is a software framework developed by Microsoft for building Windows applications. The framework provides a wide range of libraries and tools that simplify the development of Windows applications. The .NET Framework also includes a Common Language Runtime (CLR), which manages the execution of code written in VB.NET and other .NET languages.

Windows Forms

VB.NET uses Windows Forms to create graphical user interfaces (GUI) for Windows applications. Windows Forms provide a set of controls such as buttons, labels, text boxes, and menus that can be easily added to a form. Developers can use drag-and-drop tools to create forms and controls, and then write code to handle events such as button clicks and form loads.

Web Applications

VB.NET can also be used to develop web applications using ASP.NET. ASP.NET is a web application framework developed by Microsoft for building dynamic web pages and web services. Developers can use VB.NET to write server-side code to handle web requests and generate dynamic HTML pages.

Database Access

VB.NET supports database access using ADO.NET, which is a set of classes and interfaces that allow developers to access data from various data sources such as SQL Server, Oracle, and Access. Developers can use ADO.NET to write code to query, insert, update, and delete data from databases.

VB.NET and Mobile

Visual Basic (VB) is a popular programming language that was initially designed for desktop applications running on Windows operating systems. While VB was not originally intended for mobile app development, it is still possible to use VB to create mobile applications for Windows devices.

VB is a part of the .NET framework, which includes a variety of programming languages that are used to build Windows applications, web applications, and mobile apps. Microsoft has made an effort to make it easy to create mobile apps using VB by providing a range of tools and resources to help developers get started.

One of the main tools for VB mobile app development is Xamarin, which is a cross-platform development framework that allows developers to build mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows using a single codebase. Xamarin is integrated into Microsoft's Visual Studio IDE, which is the primary development environment for VB.

Xamarin includes a range of features and tools to help developers create mobile apps using VB, including access to native APIs, a visual designer for creating user interfaces, and support for testing and debugging apps.

VB developers can also use Windows App Studio, which is a free, online tool that allows users to create mobile apps without any coding. While this tool is primarily intended for creating Windows apps, it can also be used to create simple mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Conclusion VB.NET is a powerful and versatile programming language that can be used to develop a wide range of Windows applications, including desktop applications, web applications, and database applications. Its object-oriented capabilities, rich set of libraries, and easy-to-use IDE make it a popular choice among developers. If you are looking to develop Windows applications, VB.NET is definitely worth considering.