Microsoft Visual Basic 2010 Step by Step eBook

xx Introduction

If you are... Follow these steps

Upgrading from

Visual Basic 6.

1. Install the practice files as described in the section “Installing and Using the
   Practice Files .”


2. Read Chapters 1 through 4 carefully to learn the new features of the Visual
   Studio 2010 development environment.


3. Skim Chapters 5 through 13 to review the fundamentals of event-driven
   programming, using variables, and writing decision structures. Give special
   attention to Chapters 5, 6, 9, and 12.


4. Work sequentially from Chapters 14 through 20 to learn the new Visual
   Basic 2010 features related to user interface design, database programming,
   and Web programming.
   Referencing
   this book after
   working through
   the chapters


5. Use the index to locate information about specific topics, and use the table
   of contents to locate information about general topics.


6. Read the Quick Reference at the end of each chapter for a brief review of
   the major tasks in the chapter. The Quick Reference topics are listed in the
   same order as they’re presented in the chapter.

Hardware and Software Requirements

You’ll need the following hardware and software to complete the exercises in this book:

n Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, or Windows

Server 2008

n Visual Studio 2010 (Professional, Premium, or Ultimate) or Visual Basic 2010 Express

n 1 .6 GHz processor

n 1 GB RAM

n 3 GB of available hard drive space

n 5400 RPM hard disk drive

n DirectX 9–capable video card that runs at a display resolution of 1024 × 768 or higher

n DVD drive

You also need to have Administrator-level access to your computer.

Note This book and the practice files were tested using Visual Studio 2010 Professional and

Visual Basic 2010 Express on Windows 7. You might notice a few differences if you’re using

other editions of Visual Studio 2010. In particular, if you’re using Visual Basic 2010 Express, a few

features will be unavailable to you. In addition, all the screen shots in this book were captured

using Windows 7. If you are using another version of Windows or Windows Server, you’ll notice

a few differences in some of the screen shots.