Mastering Visual Basic.NET

Who is it for?

If you're interested in this course, you'll most likely have a working knowledge of programming and want to upgrade your skills. You may already be familiar with Visual Basic, and need to familiarise yourself with it's most recent version. Most students will either be working in a programming-based role, or working towards a career in programming.

Where can it lead?

Expertise in Visual Basic.NET demonstrates your ability to keep up with the rapid pace of development in the field of programming. Employers actively seek programmers with up-to-date skills, and you could find new or better roles in the areas of software development and games programming.

Salary?

While entry-level software programmers with a formal qualification can expect salaries of between £20,000 and £26,000 a year, experienced developers can earn between £28,000 and £40,000. Your mastery of Visual Basic.NET will help you to access the higher ranges of these salaries.

Can I apply?

You need to have at least a basic understanding of programming for this course.

Course Code

656

Period of study

100 hours

What will I study?      

Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

• Examine the main elements of the .NET Platform. Explore the .NET Framework and its components.

Development Environment Features

• Examine the different types of Visual Basic .NET projects and their structures. Discover how to reference external applications from your project, and how to view and set the properties of a project. Discover how to debug, build and compile a simple application.

Language and Syntax Enhancements

• Learn how to work with variables and arrays. Discover how to implement functions and subroutines.

Object-oriented Design for Visual Basic .NET

• Learn the basics of object-oriented design. Explore the concepts of encapsulation, inheritance, interfaces and polymorphism. Discover how to design classes and how to use Visio.

Object-oriented Programming in Visual Basic .NET

• Discover how to create and destroy objects. Learn how to work with classes and how to create shared members.

Using Windows Forms

• Learn the benefits of Windows Forms and discover how to use them. Discover how to add and edit menus, and how to create a form that inherits from another form.

Building Web Applications

• Explore ASP.NET. Learn how to create Web Form applications. Discover how to use HTML server controls and Web server controls, and how to create and use Web Services.

Using ADO.NET

• Learn how to create applications using ADO.NET. Explore the main ADO.NET objects and their functions. Discover how to use Visual Studio .NET data designers and data binding. Explore XML integration with ADO.NET.

Developing Components in Visual Basic .NET

• Learn how to create serviced components and component classes. Discover how to create Windows Forms controls and Web user controls. Explore threading.

Deploying Applications

• Explore the different types of application deployment and learn how to deploy a component assembly, an application based on Windows, and a Web-based application.

Upgrading to Visual Basic .NET

• Learn how to make an informed decision about whether to upgrade an application. Explore the various upgrade options available. Discover how to perform the upgrade.

Assessment

The course is self-assessed throughout to give you the opportunity to monitor your progress.

If you wish to formailse your learning, you can register for the relevant Microsoft exam.

Technical requirements/Fees

Hardware/Software Requirements

• PC with a Pentium with 233 MHz or better with a minimum of 64 MB RAM.
• Microsoft Windows 98 or later.
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 with Service Pack 2 or higher; or Netscape Navigator 4.76 or higher. The browser must support cookies, Java and JavaScript.
• 800 x 600 screen resolution; 256 color.
• MPCI compliant sound card with speakers or headphones.