Visual Basic.NET: An Introduction to Computer Programming

Visual Basic (VB) continues to be the language of choice both in colleges and high schools for introductory programming courses. VB is a student friendly language with its forgiving syntax rules, lack of use of special characters as in Java, C++… and with its easy to use design function­ality to build graphical user interfaces. This is not a workbook nor does it have lengthy programming examples or explanations.

This textbook is welcoming to students and reinforces concepts taught in class. There are questions posed throughout the book to stimulate a student’s critical thinking skills. The books starts with a brief history of computers and computing because every student studying computer programming should be introduced to the rich history of how we have arrived at a world where computers are part of our everyday life.

The book’s ease of use will encourage students to explore more advanced concepts such as Interface Design in Chapter 9, Multimedia and Gaming in Chapter 12, Databases (Oracle and Access) in Chapter 13, and Web Applications in Chapter 14. These concepts, because of time constraints, are often missed in a one-semester course.

 

How our approach is different from other VB textbooks:

• The book is not VB.NET version specific.
• There is more emphasis on algorithms, problem solving, and critical thinking
• There are well-constructed lessons including short and commented programming examples.
• It encourages students to explore advanced topics including multimedia, gaming, and web applications.
• It works well with a flipped classroom approach, with each chapter serving as a lesson.
• The history of computers and computing is introduced to students.
• It includes Oracle database interface concepts (most books only mention Access).
• Strategies for finding program problems by using output statements, the debugger and exception handlers are addressed.
• An entire chapter is dedicated to Graphical U