VB 6.0 Programming

Visual Basic (VB) was evolved from the BASIC (Deitel & Deitel 1999). BASIC stands for "Beginner’s All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code". Microsoft Corporation introduced VB in the late 1980s and in early 1990s as Microsoft Graphical User Interface evolved. VB 6.0 is the sixth version of VB as the name is indicating. VB.NET is the seventh version. VB 6.0 provides an integrated development environment (IDE). IDE allows a programmer to develop rapid applications and prototypes. Programmer does not need additional programs to run, debug and develop applications using VB 6.0. IDE is built from controls. Controls are reusable predefined components. VB 6.0 is the most widely used tool to develop rapid applications. VB 6.0 is available in three editions:

1. Learning Editions.
2. Professional Editions.
3. Enterprise Editions.

Learning edition provides fundamental functionalities. It is used mostly to learn visual programming. Professional edition provides more functions as compared to learning edition. Enterprise edition is a full version and used to develop commercial applications. VB 6.0 is an event driven programming language and responds to an event such as pressing a button, or clicking a mouse. It provides all those features that a procedural programming language possesses. VB 6.0 is also partly object oriented. VB 6.0 starts with a standard executable project. Project is made of form modules. Form module is a collection of procedures. VB 6.0 provides four main types of procedures:

1. VB Procedures.
2. Event Procedures.
3. Sub Procedures.
4. Function Procedures.

VB procedures are provided by Microsoft Corporation and shipped with it by default. Event procedures respond to events, such as pressing a button. Sub and Function procedures are declared by the programmers and called into an event procedure to implement modularity. Programmers used Function procedure to return a value because Sub procedure does not support to return a value.

Integrated Development Environment of VB 6.0

A standard executable project is highlighted by default when a user clicks on an icon of Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 from the programs menu.

Standard project is a collection of various windows, such as Form, Code, Toolbox, Properties and Form Layout. Form window is used to design the interfaces by the help of various controls available in the toolbox.

Code window is used to write code. Project window contains a folder icon called toggle. It is used to hold the list of all forms added in a project to develop application. Form Layout is used to set the position of form at runtime. Properties window is used to set the properties of various controls, such as maximizing the form size, font size and color. There are three bars at the top of a standard project. Title bar is the first bar used to name a project. Menu bar is the second bar and contains standard Microsoft application’s menus, such as File, Edit and View. Toolbar is the third bar and contains various icons, such as save, toolbox and properties.

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