book

Mastering Microsoft® Visual Basic® 2008

Name: Mastering Microsoft® Visual Basic® 2008
Author: Evangelos Petroutsos
ISBN: 9780470187425

by Evangelos Petroutsos

March 2008

Beginner

1152 pages

33h 45m

English

Sybex

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Copyright
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
The Mastering SeriesWho Should Read This Book?How about the Advanced Topics?The Structure of the BookDownloading This Book's Code
1. Getting Started with Visual Basic 2008
1.1. Exploring the Integrated Development Environment1.1.1. The Start Page1.1.2. Starting a New Project1.1.3. Using the Windows Form Designer1.2. Creating Your First VB Application1.3. Making the Application More User-Friendly1.4. Understanding the IDE Components1.4.1. The IDE Menu1.4.1.1. File Menu1.4.1.2. Edit Menu1.4.1.3. View Menu1.4.1.4. Project Menu1.4.1.5. Build Menu1.4.1.6. Debug Menu1.4.1.7. Data Menu1.4.1.8. Format Menu1.4.1.9. Tools Menu1.4.1.10. Window Menu1.4.1.11. Help Menu1.4.2. Toolbox Window1.4.3. Solution Explorer Window1.4.4. Properties Window1.4.5. Output Window1.4.6. Command and Immediate Windows1.4.7. Error List Window1.5. Setting Environment Options1.6. Building a Console Application1.7. Using Code Snippets1.8. Using the My Object1.9. The Bottom Line
2. Variables and Data Types
2.1. Variables2.1.1. Declaring Variables2.1.1.1. Variable-Naming Conventions2.1.1.2. Variable Initialization2.1.1.3. Type Inference2.1.2. Types of Variables2.1.2.1. Numeric Variables2.1.2.2. Infinity and Other Oddities2.1.2.3. Byte Variables2.1.2.4. Boolean Variables2.1.2.5. String Variables2.1.2.6. Character Variables2.1.2.7. Date Variables2.1.2.8. Data Type Identifiers2.1.3. The Strict, Explicit, and Infer Options2.2. Object Variables2.3. Variables as Objects2.3.1. Converting Variable Types2.3.1.1. Widening and Narrowing Conversions2.3.2. Formatting Numbers2.3.2.1. Standard Numeric Format Strings2.3.2.2. Picture Numeric Format Strings2.3.3. User-Defined Data Types2.3.3.1. The Nothing Value2.3.4. Examining Variable Types2.3.4.1. Is It A Number, String, Or Date?2.3.5. Why Declare Variables?2.3.6. A Variable's Scope2.3.7. A Variable's Lifetime2.4. Constants2.5. Arrays2.5.1. Declaring Arrays2.5.2. Initializing Arrays2.5.3. Array Limits2.5.4. Multidimensional Arrays2.5.5. Dynamic Arrays2.5.5.1. The Preserve Keyword2.6. The Bottom Line
3. Programming Fundamentals
3.1. Flow-Control Statements3.1.1. Decision Statements3.1.1.1. If...Then3.1.1.2. If...Then...Else3.1.1.3. Select Case3.1.1.4. Short-Circuiting Expression Evaluation3.1.2. Loop Statements3.1.2.1. For...Next3.1.2.2. Do...Loop3.1.2.3. While...End While3.1.3. Nested Control Structures3.1.4. The Exit Statement3.2. Writing and Using Procedures3.2.1. Subroutines3.2.2. Functions3.3. Arguments3.3.1. Argument-Passing Mechanisms3.3.1.1. By Value versus by Reference3.3.1.2. Returning Multiple Values3.3.1.3. Passing Objects as Arguments3.3.2. Built-in Functions3.3.3. Custom Functions3.3.4. Passing Arguments and Returning Values3.3.4.1. Passing an Unknown Number of Arguments3.3.4.2. Named Arguments3.3.5. More Types of Function Return Values3.3.5.1. Functions Returning Structures3.3.5.2. VB 2008 at Work: The Types Project3.3.5.3. Functions Returning Arrays3.3.5.4. VB 2008 at Work: The Statistics Project3.3.6. Overloading Functions3.4. The Bottom Line
4. GUI Design and Event-Driven Programming
4.1. On Designing Windows Applications4.2. Building a Loan Calculator4.2.1. Understanding How the Loan Calculator Application Works4.2.2. Designing the User Interface4.2.2.1. Aligning the Controls4.2.3. Programming the Loan Application4.2.4. Validating the Data4.3. Building a Calculator4.3.1. Designing the User Interface4.3.2. Programming the MathCalculator4.3.2.1. Coding the Math Operations4.3.3. Using Simple Debugging Tools4.3.4. Exception Handling4.4. The Bottom Line
5. The Vista Interface
5.1. Introducing XAML5.2. Introducing the WPF Controls5.2.1. Simple "Hello World" WPF Application5.2.2. Simple Drawing Program5.3. Data-Binding WPF Controls5.3.1. Data-Binding Example 1: Binding to an Array and a Data Template5.3.2. Data-Binding Example 2: Binding to a Database5.4. Creating a WPF Browser Application5.5. Expression Blend Overview5.6. The Bottom Line

6. Basic Windows Controls
6.1. The TextBox Control6.1.1. Basic Properties6.1.1.1. TextAlign6.1.1.2. MultiLine6.1.1.3. MaxLength6.1.1.4. ScrollBars6.1.1.5. WordWrap6.1.1.6. AcceptsReturn, AcceptsTab6.1.1.7. CharacterCasing6.1.1.8. PasswordChar6.1.1.9. ReadOnly, Locked6.1.2. Text-Manipulation Properties6.1.2.1. Text6.1.2.2. Lines6.1.3. Text-Selection Properties6.1.3.1. SelectedText6.1.3.2. SelectionStart, SelectionLength6.1.3.3. HideSelection6.1.4. Text-Selection Methods6.1.5. Undoing Edits6.1.6. VB 2008 at Work: The TextPad Project6.1.6.1. The Editing Commands6.1.6.2. The Process and Format Menus6.1.6.3. Search and Replace Operations6.1.6.4. The Undo/Redo Commands6.1.7. Capturing Keystrokes6.1.7.1. Capturing Function Keys6.1.8. Auto-complete Properties6.2. The ListBox, CheckedListBox, and ComboBox Controls6.2.1. Basic Properties6.2.1.1. IntegralHeight6.2.1.2. Items6.2.1.3. MultiColumn6.2.1.4. SelectionMode6.2.1.5. Sorted6.2.1.6. Text6.2.2. Manipulating the Items Collection6.2.2.1. The Add Method6.2.2.2. The Insert Method6.2.2.3. The Clear Method6.2.2.4. The Count Property6.2.2.5. The Copyto Method6.2.2.6. The Remove and RemoveAt Methods6.2.2.7. The Contains Method6.2.3. Selecting Items6.2.4. VB 2008 at Work: The ListBox Demo Project6.2.4.1. The Add Item Buttons6.2.4.2. Removing Items from the Two Lists6.2.4.3. Moving Items between Lists6.2.5. Searching the ListBox6.2.5.1. VB 2008 at Work: The ListBoxFind Application6.2.6. The ComboBox Control6.2.6.1. Adding Items to a ComboBox at Runtime6.2.6.2. VB 2008 At Work: The FlexCombo Project6.3. The ScrollBar and TrackBar Controls6.3.1. The ScrollBar Control6.3.1.1. VB 2008 At Work: The Colors Project6.3.1.2. The ScrollBar Control'S Events6.3.1.3. Handling the Events in the Colors Application6.3.2. The TrackBar Control6.3.2.1. VB 2008 at Work: The Inches Project6.4. The Bottom Line
7. Working with Forms
7.1. The Appearance of Forms7.1.1. Properties of the Form Object7.1.1.1. AcceptButton, CancelButton7.1.1.2. AutoScaleMode7.1.1.3. AutoScroll7.1.1.4. AutoScrollPosition7.1.1.5. AutoScrollMargin7.1.1.6. AutoScrollMinSize7.1.1.7. FormBorderStyle7.1.1.8. ControlBox7.1.1.9. MinimizeBox, MaximizeBox7.1.1.10. MinimumSize, MaximumSize7.1.1.11. KeyPreview7.1.1.12. SizeGripStyle7.1.1.13. StartPosition, Location7.1.1.14. TopMost7.1.1.15. Size7.1.2. Placing Controls on Forms7.1.3. Setting the TabOrder Property7.1.4. VB 2008 at Work: The Contacts Project7.1.4.1. Handling Keystrokes7.1.5. Anchoring and Docking7.1.5.1. Anchoring Controls7.1.5.2. Docking Controls7.1.6. Splitting Forms into Multiple Panes7.1.7. The Form's Events7.1.7.1. The Activated and Deactivate Events7.1.7.2. The FormClosing and FormClosed Events7.1.7.3. The Resize, ResizeBegin, and ResizeEnd Events7.1.7.4. The Scroll Event7.1.7.5. The Paint Event7.2. Loading and Showing Forms7.2.1. The Startup Form7.2.2. Controlling One Form from within Another7.2.2.1. Sharing Variables between Forms7.2.3. Forms versus Dialog Boxes7.2.3.1. VB 2008 at Work: The MultipleForms Project7.3. Building Dynamic Forms at Runtime7.3.1. The Form's Controls Collection7.3.1.1. VB 2008 at Work: The ShowControls Project7.3.1.2. VB 2008 at Work: The DynamicForm Project7.3.2. Creating Event Handlers at Runtime7.4. Designing Menus7.4.1. The Menu Editor7.4.2. The ToolStripMenuItem Properties7.4.2.1. Programming Menu Commands7.4.2.2. Using Access and Shortcut Keys7.4.3. Manipulating Menus at Runtime7.4.3.1. Creating Short and Long Menus7.4.3.2. Adding and Removing Commands at Runtime7.4.3.3. Creating Context Menus7.4.4. Iterating a Menu's Items7.4.4.1. VB 2008 at Work: The MapMenu Project7.5. The Bottom Line
8. More Windows Controls
8.1. The Common Dialog Controls8.1.1. Using the Common Dialog Controls8.1.2. The ColorDialog Control8.1.2.1. AllowFullOpen8.1.2.2. AnyColor8.1.2.3. Color8.1.2.4. CustomColors8.1.2.5. SolidColorOnly8.1.3. The FontDialog Control8.1.3.1. AllowScriptChange8.1.3.2. AllowVerticalFonts8.1.3.3. Color, ShowColor8.1.3.4. FixedPitchOnly8.1.3.5. Font8.1.3.6. FontMustExist8.1.3.7. MaxSize, MinSize8.1.3.8. ShowApply8.1.3.9. ShowEffects8.1.4. The OpenDialog and SaveDialog Controls8.1.4.1. AddExtension8.1.4.2. CheckFileExists8.1.4.3. CheckPathExists8.1.4.4. DefaultExt8.1.4.5. DereferenceLinks8.1.4.6. FileName8.1.4.7. Filter8.1.4.8. FilterIndex8.1.4.9. InitialDirectory8.1.4.10. RestoreDirectory8.1.4.11. FileNames8.1.4.12. MultiSelect8.1.4.13. ReadOnlyChecked, ShowReadOnly8.1.4.14. The OpenFile and SaveFile Methods8.1.4.15. VB 2008 at Work: Multiple File Selection8.1.5. The FolderBrowserDialog Control8.1.5.1. RootFolder8.1.5.2. SelectedFolder8.1.5.3. ShowNewFolderButton8.1.5.4. VB 2008 at Work: Folder Browsing Demo Project8.2. The RichTextBox Control8.2.1. The RTF Language8.2.2. Text Manipulation and Formatting Properties8.2.2.1. SelectedText8.2.2.2. SelectionStart, SelectionLength8.2.2.3. SelectionAlignment8.2.2.4. SelectionIndent, SelectionRightIndent, SelectionHangingIndent8.2.2.5. SelectionBullet, BulletIndent8.2.2.6. SelectionTabs8.2.3. Methods8.2.3.1. SaveFile8.2.3.2. LoadFile8.2.3.3. Select, SelectAll8.2.4. Advanced Editing Features8.2.4.1. CanUndo, CanRedo8.2.4.2. UndoActionName, RedoActionName8.2.4.3. Undo, Redo8.2.5. Cutting and Pasting8.2.6. Searching in a RichTextBox Control8.2.7. Handling URLs in the Document8.2.8. Displaying a Formatted Directory Listing8.2.9. VB 2008 at Work: The RTFPad Project8.2.9.1. The File Menu8.2.9.2. The Edit Menu8.2.9.3. The Format Menu8.2.9.4. The Search & Replace Dialog Box8.3. The Bottom Line
9. The TreeView and ListView Controls
9.1. Understanding the ListView, TreeView, and ImageList Controls9.1.1. Tree and List Structures9.1.2. The ImageList Control9.2. The TreeView Control9.2.1. Adding Nodes at Design Time9.2.2. Adding Nodes at Runtime9.2.2.1. Adding New Nodes9.2.2.2. The Nodes Collection Members9.2.2.3. Basic Nodes Properties9.2.3. VB 2008 at Work: The TreeViewDemo Project9.2.3.1. Inserting a Root Node9.2.3.2. Enumerating the Nodes Collection9.2.4. VB 2008 at Work: The Globe Project9.2.4.1. Adding New Nodes9.2.4.2. Retrieving the Selected Node9.2.4.3. Processing Multiple Selected Nodes9.2.4.4. Adding New Nodes9.2.4.5. Listing Continents/Countries/Cities9.2.5. Scanning the TreeView Control9.2.5.1. VB 2008 at Work: The TreeViewScan Project9.3. The ListView Control9.3.1. The Columns Collection9.3.1.1. Adding and Removing Columns at Runtime9.3.2. ListView Items and Subitems9.3.3. The Items Collection9.3.4. The SubItems Collection9.3.5. VB 2008 at Work: The ListViewDemo Project9.3.5.1. Enumerating the List9.3.6. Sorting the ListView Control9.3.7. Processing Selected Items9.3.8. VB 2008 at Work: The CustomExplorer Project9.3.8.1. Viewing a Folder'S Files9.3.9. Additional Topics9.4. The Bottom Line
10. Building Custom Classes
10.1. Classes and Objects10.2. What Is a Class?10.2.1. Classes Combine Code with Data10.3. Building the Minimal Class10.3.1. Adding Code to the Minimal Class10.3.2. Using Property Procedures10.3.2.1. Throwing Exceptions10.3.2.2. Implementing Read-Only Properties10.3.3. Customizing Default Members10.3.3.1. Customizing the ToString Method10.3.3.2. Customizing the Equals Method10.3.3.3. Know What You Are Comparing10.3.3.4. The Is Operator10.3.4. Custom Enumerations10.3.4.1. VB 2008 at Work: The Contacts Project10.3.5. Object Constructors10.3.6. Using the SimpleClass in Other Projects10.3.7. Firing Events10.3.8. Instance and Shared Methods10.4. A "Real" Class10.4.1. Parsing a Filename10.4.2. Converting Numbers to Strings10.5. Operator Overloading10.5.1. VB 2008 at Work: The LengthUnits Class10.5.1.1. Implementing Unary Operators10.5.1.2. Handling Variants10.6. The Bottom Line
11. Working with Objects
11.1. Issues in Object-Oriented Programming11.1.1. Classes versus Objects11.1.2. Objects versus Object Variables11.1.2.1. Exploring Value Types11.1.2.2. Exploring Reference Types11.1.3. Properties versus Fields11.1.4. Shared versus Instance Members11.1.5. Type Casting11.1.6. Early versus Late Binding11.1.7. Discovering a Variable's Type11.1.8. Inheritance11.1.9. How to Apply Inheritance11.1.9.1. Inheriting Existing Classes11.1.9.2. Inheriting Custom Classes11.1.10. Polymorphism11.1.11. Building the Shape Class11.1.11.1. Testing the Shape Class11.2. Who Can Inherit What?11.2.1. Parent Class Keywords11.2.2. Derived Class Keywords11.2.3. Parent Class Member Keywords11.2.4. Derived Class Member Keyword11.2.5. VB 2008 At Work: The InheritanceKeywords Project11.2.6. MyBase and MyClass11.2.7. The Class Diagram Designer11.3. The Bottom Line
12. Building Custom Windows Controls
12.1. On Designing Windows Controls12.2. Enhancing Existing Controls12.2.1. Building the FocusedTextBox Control12.2.1.1. Adding Functionality to Your Custom Control12.2.1.2. Testing The FocusedTextBox Control12.2.1.3. Classifying the Control'S Properties12.3. Building Compound Controls12.3.1. VB 2008 at Work: The ColorEdit Control12.3.1.1. Testing the ColorEdit Control12.4. Building User-Drawn Controls12.4.1. VB 2008 at Work: The Label3D Control12.4.1.1. Label3D Control Specifications12.4.1.2. Designing the Custom Control12.4.1.3. Testing Your New Control12.4.1.4. Changed Events12.4.2. Raising Custom Events12.4.3. Using the Custom Control in Other Projects12.5. Designing Irregularly Shaped Controls12.6. Customizing List Controls12.6.1. Designing Owner-Drawn ListBox Controls12.7. The Bottom Line
13. Handling Strings, Characters, and Dates
13.1. Handling Strings and Characters13.1.1. The Char Class13.1.1.1. Properties13.1.1.2. Methods13.1.2. The String Class13.1.2.1. Properties13.1.2.2. Methods13.1.3. The StringBuilder Class13.1.3.1. Properties13.1.3.2. Methods13.1.4. VB 2008 at Work: The StringReversal Project13.1.5. VB 2008 at Work: The CountWords Project13.2. Handling Dates and Times13.2.1. The DateTime Class13.2.1.1. Properties13.2.1.2. Methods13.2.1.3. Date Conversion Methods13.2.1.4. Dates as Numeric Values13.2.2. The TimeSpan Class13.2.2.1. Properties13.2.2.2. Methods13.3. The Bottom Line
14. Storing Data in Collections
14.1. AdvancedArray Topics14.1.1. Sorting Arrays14.1.2. Searching Arrays14.1.2.1. VB2008 at Work: The ArraySearch Application14.1.2.2. The Binary Search Algorithm14.1.3. Performing Other Array Operations14.1.4. Array Limitations14.2. The ArrayList Collection14.2.1. Creating an ArrayList14.2.2. Adding and Removing ArrayList Items14.2.2.1. Extracting Items From an ArrayList14.2.3. Sorting ArrayLists14.2.4. Searching ArrayLists14.2.5. Iterating an ArrayList14.3. The HashTable Collection14.3.1. VB 2008 at Work: The WordFrequencies Project14.4. The SortedList Collection14.4.1. VB 2008 at Work: The SortedList Project14.4.1.1. Working with Keys and Values14.5. Other Collections14.6. The IEnumerator and IComparer Interfaces14.6.1. Enumerating Collections14.6.2. Custom Sorting14.6.2.1. Implementing the Icomparer Interface14.6.2.2. Implementing Multiple Comparers14.6.2.3. Custom Sorting of a SortedList14.7. Generic Collections14.8. The Bottom Line
15. Accessing Folders and Files
15.1. The IO Namespace and the FileSystem Component15.2. Using the My.Computer.FileSystem Component15.3. Manipulating Folders and Fileswith the IO Namespace15.3.1. The Directory Class15.3.1.1. Methods15.3.2. The File Class15.3.2.1. Methods15.3.3. Drive, Folder, and File Properties15.3.3.1. The DriveInfo Class15.3.3.2. The DirectoryInfo Class15.3.3.3. The FileInfo Class15.3.4. The Path Class15.3.4.1. Properties15.3.4.2. Methods15.3.5. VB 2008 at Work: The CustomExplorer Project15.4. Accessing Files15.4.1. Using Streams15.4.1.1. The FileStream Class15.4.1.2. The StreamWriter Class15.4.1.3. The StreamReader Class15.4.1.4. Sending Data to a File15.4.1.5. The BinaryWriter Class15.4.1.6. The BinaryReader Class15.4.2. VB 2008 at Work: The RecordSave Project15.5. The FileSystemWatcher Component15.5.1. Properties15.5.1.1. NotifyFilter15.5.1.2. Path, IncludeSubdirectories15.5.1.3. Filter15.5.1.4. EnableRaisingEvents15.5.2. Events15.5.3. VB 2008 at Work: The FileSystemWatcher Project15.6. The Bottom Line
16. Serialization and XML
16.1. Understanding Serialization Types16.2. Using Binary and SOAP Serialization16.2.1. Serializing Individual Objects16.2.2. Deserializing Individual Objects16.2.3. Serializing Collections16.2.4. Deserializing Collections16.3. Persisting a HashTable16.4. Persisting a TreeView's Nodes16.5. Using XML Serialization16.5.1. Serializing and Deserializing Individual Objects16.5.2. Serializing Custom Objects16.5.3. Serializing ArrayLists and HashTables16.6. Working with XML Files16.6.1. Understanding XML Structure16.6.2. Editing XML Files16.7. The Bottom Line
17. Querying Collections and XML with LINQ
17.1. What Is LINQ?17.1.1. LINQ Components17.2. LINQ to Objects17.2.1. Querying Collections17.2.2. Aggregating with LINQ17.3. LINQ to XML17.3.1. Traversing XML Documents17.3.2. Adding Dynamic Content to an XML Document17.3.2.1. Transforming XML Documents17.3.2.2. Working with XML Files17.4. LINQ to SQL17.4.1. Retrieving Data with the ExecuteQuery Method17.5. The Bottom Line
18. Drawing and Painting with Visual Basic 2008
18.1. Displaying and Sizing Images18.2. Drawing with GDI+18.2.1. The Basic Drawing Objects18.2.1.1. The Graphics Object18.2.1.2. The Point Class18.2.1.3. The Rectangle Class18.2.1.4. The Size Class18.2.1.5. The Color Class18.2.1.6. The Font Class18.2.1.7. The Pen Class18.2.1.8. The Brush Class18.2.1.9. The Path Class18.2.2. Drawing Shapes18.2.2.1. Persistent Drawing18.2.3. Drawing Methods18.2.3.1. DrawLine18.2.3.2. DrawRectangle18.2.3.3. DrawEllipse18.2.3.4. DrawPie18.2.3.5. DrawPolygon18.2.3.6. DrawCurve18.2.3.7. DrawBezier18.2.3.8. DrawPath18.2.3.9. DrawString, MeasureString18.2.3.10. DrawImage18.2.4. Gradients18.2.4.1. Linear Gradients18.2.4.2. Path Gradients18.2.5. Clipping18.3. Applying Transformations18.3.1. VB 2008 at Work: The ImageCube Project18.3.2. VB 2008 at Work: Plotting Functions18.4. The Bottom Line
19. Manipulating Images and Bitmaps
19.1. Specifying Colors19.1.1. The RGB Color Cube19.1.2. Defining Colors19.1.2.1. Alpha Blending19.2. The Image Object19.2.1. Properties19.2.1.1. HorizontalResolution, VerticalResolution19.2.1.2. Width, Height19.2.1.3. PixelFormat19.2.2. Methods19.2.2.1. RotateFlip19.2.2.2. Get Thumbnail Image19.2.2.3. Save19.2.3. VB 2008 at Work: The Thumbnails Project19.2.4. Exchanging Images through the Clipboard19.3. The Bitmap Object19.3.1. Processing Bitmaps19.3.2. VB 2008 at Work: The ImageProcessing Project19.3.2.1. How the Application Works19.3.2.2. Applying Effects19.4. The Bottom Line
20. Printing with Visual Basic 2008
20.1. The Printing Components20.1.1. The PrintDocument Control20.1.2. The PrintDialog Control20.1.3. The PageSetupDialog Control20.1.4. The PrintPreviewDialog Control20.2. Printer and Page Properties20.2.1. Retrieving the Printer Names20.2.2. Page Geometry20.2.3. VB 2008 at Work: The SimplePrintout Project20.2.4. VB 2008 at Work: The PageSettings Project20.2.4.1. Setting up the Page20.2.4.2. Printing the Labels20.3. Practical Printing Examples20.3.1. Printing Tabular Data20.3.1.1. Formatting the Cells20.3.2. Printing Plain Text20.3.2.1. VB 2008 at Work: The PrintText Project20.3.3. Printing Bitmaps20.4. The Bottom Line
21. Basic Concepts of Relational Databases
21.1. What Is a Database?21.1.1. Using Relational Databases21.1.2. Obtaining the Northwind and Pubs Sample Databases21.1.3. Exploring the Northwind Database21.1.3.1. Products Table21.1.3.2. Suppliers Table21.1.3.3. Categories Table21.1.3.4. Customers Table21.1.3.5. Orders Table21.1.3.6. Order Details Table21.1.3.7. Employees Table21.1.3.8. Shippers Table21.1.4. Exploring the Pubs Database21.1.4.1. Titles Table21.1.4.2. Authors Table21.1.4.3. TitleAuthor Table21.1.4.4. Publishers Table21.1.5. Understanding Relations21.1.5.1. Referential Integrity21.1.5.2. Visual Database Tools21.2. Server Explorer21.2.1. Working with Tables21.2.1.1. Show Table Data21.2.1.2. Open Table Definition21.2.1.3. Add New Table21.2.2. Working with Relationships, Indices, and Constraints21.2.2.1. Relationships21.2.2.2. Indices/Keys21.2.2.3. Check Constraints21.3. Structured Query Language21.3.1. Executing SQL Statements21.3.1.1. Using the Sql Server Management Studio (Ssms)21.3.1.2. Using Visual Studio21.3.2. Using Selection Queries21.3.2.1. Limiting the Selection with Where21.3.2.2. Selecting Columns from Multiple Tables21.3.2.3. Aliasing Table Names21.3.2.4. Aliasing Column Names with AS21.3.2.5. Skipping Duplicates with DISTINCT21.3.2.6. The LIKE Operator21.3.2.7. Null Values and the ISNULL Function21.3.2.8. Sorting the Rows with ORDER BY21.3.2.9. Limiting the Number of Rows with TOP21.3.3. Working with Calculated Fields21.3.4. Calculating Aggregates21.3.5. Using SQL Joins21.3.5.1. Left Joins21.3.5.2. Right Joins21.3.5.3. Full Joins21.3.5.4. Inner Joins21.3.6. Grouping Rows21.3.7. Limiting Groups with HAVING21.3.8. Selecting Groups with IN and NOT IN21.3.9. Selecting Ranges with BETWEEN21.4. Action Queries21.4.1. Deleting Rows21.4.2. Inserting New Rows21.4.3. Editing Existing Rows21.5. TheQuery Builder21.5.1. The Query Builder Interface21.5.1.1. Diagram Pane21.5.1.2. Criteria Pane21.5.1.3. SQL Pane21.5.1.4. Results Pane21.5.2. SQL at Work: Calculating Sums21.5.3. SQL at Work: Counting Rows21.5.4. Parameterized Queries21.5.5. Calculated Columns21.6. Stored Procedures21.6.1. The SalesByCategory Stored Procedure21.7. The Bottom Line
22. Programming with ADO.NET
22.1. Stream- versus Set-Based Data Access22.2. The Basic Data-Access Classes22.2.1. The Connection Class22.2.2. The Command Class22.2.2.1. Executing Stored Procedures22.2.2.2. Executing Selection Queries22.2.2.3. Using Commands with Parameters22.2.2.4. Retrieving Multiple Values from a Stored Procedure22.2.2.5. Handling Special Characters22.2.2.6. Empty Strings Versus Null Values22.2.3. The DataReader Class22.2.3.1. Reading Multiple Result Sets22.3. Storing Data in DataSets22.3.1. Filling DataSets22.3.1.1. The DataAdapter Class22.3.1.2. The CommandBuilder Class22.3.2. Accessing the DataSet's Tables22.3.3. Working with Rows22.3.4. Handling Null Values22.3.5. Adding and Deleting Rows22.3.6. Navigating through a DataSet22.3.6.1. Row States and Versions22.4. Update Operations22.4.1. Updating the Database with the DataAdapter22.4.2. Handling Identity Columns22.5. VB2008 at Work: The SimpleDataSet Project22.6. The Bottom Line
23. Building Data-Bound Applications
23.1. Working with Typed DataSets23.1.1. Generating a Typed DataSet23.1.2. Exploring the Typed DataSet23.2. Data Binding23.2.1. Using the BindingSource Class23.2.1.1. Handling Identity Columns23.2.1.2. Adjusting the DataSet23.3. Designing Data-Driven Interfaces the Easy Way23.3.1. Enhancing the Navigational Tools23.3.2. Binding Hierarchical Tables23.3.2.1. Using the BindingSource as a Data Source23.3.3. Adjusting the Appearance of the DataGridView Control23.3.3.1. Displaying Lookup Columns in a DataGridView Control23.3.4. Building More-Functional Interfaces23.3.4.1. Viewing the Deleted Rows23.4. The Bottom Line
24. Advanced DataSet Operations
24.1. Working with SQL Expressions24.1.1. Selecting Rows24.2. Simple Calculated Columns24.2.1. Calculated Columns with Aggregates24.2.1.1. Computing Expressions24.3. VB2008 at Work: The SQL Expressions Project24.3.1. Selecting and Viewing an Order's Details24.3.1.1. Aggregate Functions' Return Values24.4. The Bottom Line
25. Building Web Applications
25.1. Developing for theWeb25.2. Understanding HTML and XHTML25.3. Working with HTML25.3.1. Page Construction25.3.2. Text Management25.3.3. Horizontal Rules25.3.4. Images25.3.5. Links25.3.6. Embedding Media25.3.7. Comments25.3.8. Scripts25.3.9. Lists25.3.10. Tables25.3.11. Page Formatting25.3.12. Forms and Form Elements25.4. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)25.4.1. Formatting Styles with CSS25.4.2. Page Formatting with CSS25.5. JavaScript25.5.1. AJAX25.6. Microformats25.7. Server-Side Technologies25.8. Creating a Web Application25.9. Controls25.9.1. Standard Controls25.9.2. Data Controls25.9.3. Validation Controls25.9.4. Navigation Controls25.9.5. Login Controls25.9.6. WebParts Controls25.9.7. AJAX Extensions Controls25.9.8. Reporting Controls25.9.9. HTML Controls25.10. Maintaining State25.11. Master Pages25.12. ASP.NET Objects25.12.1. Application Object25.12.2. Context Object25.12.3. Request Object25.12.4. Response Object25.12.5. Server Object25.12.6. Session Object25.12.7. Trace Object25.13. Postback25.14. The Bottom Line
26. ASP.NET 3.5
26.1. Planning the Demonstration Site26.1.1. Getting Started26.2. Building the Style Sheet for MasterPage.master26.2.1. Creating the Style Sheet26.2.2. Attaching the Style Sheet to the Master Page26.3. Creating the Content Master Page26.3.1. Creating ContentStyleSheet.css26.3.2. Completing ContentMasterPage.master26.4. Adding Elements to theMainMaster Page26.4.1. Creating the Web User Control26.4.2. Adding the Web User Control to Your Page26.4.3. Creating the Footer.ascx Web User Control26.5. Building the SiteNavigation26.5.1. Creating a SiteMap26.5.2. Configuring the Menu Control for MasterPage.master26.5.3. Creating the Navbar in ContentsMasterPage.master26.6. Adding Authentication26.6.1. Using the Login Control26.6.2. Establishing Forms-Based Authentication26.6.3. Adding an Access Rule26.6.4. Adding a LoginName Control to MasterPage.master26.6.5. Adding a LoginName Control to ContentMasterPage.master26.7. Adding Content Pages26.7.1. Adding an Entry to the SiteMap26.7.2. Updating the SiteMapDataSource Control26.7.3. Running the Application26.8. Adding Further Content Pages26.8.1. Adding Items to the SiteMap26.8.2. Using Buttons for Navigation26.8.3. Building the Password Page26.8.3.1. Writing the Code-Behind for Password.aspx26.8.4. Building the NewUser.aspx page26.9. Working with Data26.9.1. Creating the XML Database26.9.2. Working with the GridView Control26.9.3. Further Configuration of the GridView Control26.9.3.1. Working with the Select Button26.9.3.2. Creating the SQL Database26.10. Building the Computers.aspx Page26.10.1. Adding the DropDownList Control26.10.2. Adding the DetailsView Control26.10.3. Further Configuring the DetailsView Control26.11. Building the Report.aspx page26.11.1. Adding the MicrosoftReportViewer Control26.11.2. Creating the Report26.12. The Bottom Line
27. ASP.NET Web Services
27.1. Using ASP.NET Web Services and WCF27.1.1. ASP.NET Web Services27.1.2. Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)27.2. Understanding Technologies Associated with Web Services27.2.1. SOAP27.2.2. Web Services Description Language (WSDL)27.2.3. SOAP Discovery27.2.4. Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI)27.3. Creating a SimpleASP.NETWebService27.3.1. Setting Up the Web Service27.3.2. Testing the Web Service27.3.3. Consuming the Web Service27.4. Developing a Stand-AloneWebService27.4.1. Building MyWebService27.4.2. Deploying MyWebService27.4.3. Consuming MyWebService27.4.3.1. Adding a Web Reference27.4.3.2. Adding the Code-Behind27.5. Simple AJAX Implementation27.6. The Bottom Line
A. The Bottom Line
A.1. Chapter 1: Getting StartedwithVisual Basic 2008A.2. Chapter 2: Variables and Data TypesA.3. Chapter 3: Programming FundamentalsA.4. Chapter 4: GUI Design and Event-Driven ProgrammingA.5. Chapter 5: The Vista InterfaceA.6. Chapter 6: Basic Windows ControlsA.7. Chapter 7: Working with FormsA.8. Chapter 8: More Windows ControlsA.9. Chapter 9: The TreeView and ListView ControlsA.10. Chapter 10: Building Custom ClassesA.11. Chapter 11: Working with ObjectsA.12. Chapter 12: Building Custom Windows ControlsA.13. Chapter 13: Handling Strings, Characters, and DatesA.14. Chapter 14: StoringData in CollectionsA.15. Chapter 15: Accessing Folders and FilesA.16. Chapter 16: Serialization and XMLA.17. Chapter 17: Querying Collections and XML with LINQA.18. Chapter 18: Drawing and Painting with Visual Basic 2008A.19. Chapter 19: Manipulating Images and BitmapsA.20. Chapter 20: Printing with Visual Basic 2008A.21. Chapter 21: Basic Concepts of Relational DatabasesA.22. Chapter 22: Programming with ADO.NETA.23. Chapter 23: Building Data-Bound ApplicationsA.24. Chapter 24: Advanced DataSet OperationsA.25. Chapter 25: Building Web ApplicationsA.26. Chapter 26: ASP.NET 3.5A.27. Chapter 27: ASP.Net Web Services
B. Error Handling and Debugging
B.1. Understanding the Types of ErrorsB.1.1. Design-Time ErrorsB.1.2. Runtime ErrorsB.1.3. Logic ErrorsB.2. Working with Exceptions and Structured Exception HandlingB.2.1. Studying an ExceptionB.2.2. Getting a Handle on This ExceptionB.2.3. Wrapping Up with the Finally ClauseB.2.4. VB 2008 at Work: The ReadWriteFile ProjectB.2.5. Customizing Exception HandlingB.2.6. Throwing Custom ExceptionsB.2.6.1. The Exception ClassB.2.6.2. A Generic Exception HandlerB.3. DebuggingB.3.1. Setting BreakpointsB.3.2. Stepping ThroughB.3.3. Using the Local and Watch Windows

Content preview from Mastering Microsoft® Visual Basic® 2008

Acknowledgments

Many people contributed to this book, and I would like to thank them all. I first want to express my deep appreciation to Mark Ridgeway for contributing the Web-related chapters (Chapters 25, 26, and 27) and Chapter 5, "The Vista Interface," and to John Mueller for providing the technical edit of this book. I want to thank the programmers at Microsoft for their commitment to Visual Basic. Visual Basic has evolved from a small, limited programming environment to a first-class development tool for building all types of Windows and Web applications, from small hobbyist projects to enterprise scale applications.

Special thanks to the talented people at Sybex — to all of them and to each one individually. Starting with editor Toni Zuccarini ...

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Mastering Microsoft® Visual Basic® 2008

by Evangelos Petroutsos

Acknowledgments

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