Visual Basic
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Visual Basic is a programming language developed by Microsoft for their operating system Windows.
The BASIC language is generally considered easier to read than other languages. It is a widely understood high-level language, written using simple English-like words and syntax.
It is an interpreted language – i.e. you can just write code then run it immediately. Having an interpreter makes it simpler to use, as there is no need for the computer to compile your code, possibly giving you lots of errors to fix, before you can run the compiled version.
Once it is working, it can be compiled into an .exe file (File>Make.exe), so that it will run on all modern Windows computers, whether VB is installed or not.
The language allows a beginning programmer to produce professional-looking Windows applications, as it includes drawing tools to create normal Windows forms.
VB also includes advanced features - concepts and structures which allow programs to be adapted for use with the Internet.
Limitations of Visual Basic: It will not run native on operating systems other than Windows 9x onwards and on machines with non-Intel compatible processors.
[edit] Example
Dim MyInput
MyInput = InputBox("How old are you?")
If Not IsNumeric(MyInput) Then
MsgBox "That's not a number!"
ElseIf MyInput < 0 Then
MsgBox "You cannot be less than zero!"
ElseIf MyInput > 100 Then
MsgBox "That's old!"
Else
MsgBox "You're " & MyInput & " years old."
End If
[edit] Editions
Visual Basic was first released in May 1991 for Windows. Many versions have been released since then. These are listed below:
| Name | Operating System | Date Released |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Basic 1.0 | Windows | May 1991 |
| Visual Basic 1.0 | DOS | September 1992 |
| Visual Basic 2.0 | Windows | November 1992 |
| Visual Basic 3.0 | Windows | Summer 1993 |
| Visual Basic 4.0 | Windows | August 1995 |
| Visual Basic 5.0 | Windows | February 1997 |
| Visual Basic 6.0 | Windows | Mid 1998 |
[edit] Visual Basic .NET
- See also: Visual Basic .NET
Visual Basic .NET is the next series of products in Microsoft's successful Visual Basic range of products. It makes creating programs easier as you can drag-and-drop controls to the program.
It runs on the .NET Framework and features another long line of programs. For the full list of editions in the .NET series, click here.
