Visual Basic® .NET by Example

Using the Structured Data Types

Arrays, enumerations, and structures can be grouped together under the label structured types. They are custom and/or complex data types, based on the fundamental data types.

Variables of these types can be declared and used in the same way as any fundamental type variable can be used. There are some differences that need to be understood before you proceed with your learning. One of the most important is the way the assignment works between different variables of the same type.

In the case of fundamental data types, the assignment is said to occur by value (ByVal). That means that when you assign an Integer variable i to another Integer variable j, the compiler will copy the contents of the memory location that ...