Multiple Forms, Timers, Text Boxes, Buttons

Welcome to Visual Basic Beginner 104. In this course you will learn how to work with multiple forms, share values between them, and manage form events such as Load, Unload, Show, and Hide. We'll discuss adjusting project properties like the startup form, using the timer control, and calculating ages based on birth dates with key functions such as Round, Date, Now, and IsDate. You will also see how to use multi-line text boxes, graphical command buttons, checkboxes, toggle buttons, and access course resources and the student forum.

Lessons

•  00. Introduction (2:23)
•  01. Multiple Forms 1 (10:11)
•  02. Multiple Forms 2 (9:53)
•  03. Label Properties (18:01)
•  04. TextBox Properties (12:07)
•  05. Command Buttons (6:13)
•  06. Check Boxes (9:03)
•  07. Review & What's Next (3:12)
• Total Runtime: 1 hour 11 minutes

Resources

• Full Course Outline
•  Video ZIP File (29 MB)
•  PDF Handbook
• Certificate of Completion
• Post-Class Survey

Lesson Summary

Welcome! Forms, Timers & Text Boxes Basics - In this lesson, we will introduce Visual Basic 104 and discuss what you will learn in this course, including working with multiple forms, sharing values between them, handling form events like load, unload, show, and hide, and adjusting project properties such as the startup form. We will talk about the timer control, calculating ages based on birth dates, and cover some key functions like Round, Date, Now, and IsDate. You will also see how to use multi-line text boxes, graphical command buttons, checkboxes, and toggle buttons, as well as where to find course resources and participate in the student forum.

Lesson 1: Multiple Forms, Modal Windows, Transparent Labels - In Lesson 1, we will learn how to start working with multiple forms in your projects. We will walk through creating a second form, using transparent labels, and managing forms using the Project Explorer window. I will show you how to use the Load and Show methods to open additional forms, explain the difference between modal and modeless forms, and demonstrate how to set form positions and backgrounds for better organization and appearance.

Lesson 2: Read Form Values & Calc Age - In Lesson 2, we continue working with multiple forms by learning how to read a value from another form, specifically retrieving a date of birth to calculate age. We will walk through using the Date and CDate functions, calculate the days and years between two dates, and discuss how the End statement works to stop your program. I will also show you how to hide or unload a form, and where to find and change the startup form in the project properties window.

Lesson 3: Label Properties: AutoSize, Wrap, Timer - In this lesson we will discuss label properties, including how to change alignment, appearance, border style, font, AutoSize, and WordWrap for labels. We will walk through how to dynamically generate and assign strings to a label's caption, demonstrate how to display multi-line or wrapped text using label properties, and show how to use a timer control to automatically update label content at regular intervals. We will also talk about the ToolTipText property and briefly review error checking for user input. This lesson covers practical ways to use and customize label properties in your projects.

Lesson 4: TextBox Properties & Validation - In this lesson, we will explore various TextBox properties, including how to create multi-line text boxes, add vertical and horizontal scrollbars, and set the MaxLength property to limit input. We will discuss the Enabled property to control whether users can interact with a TextBox, and work with validation using the Validate event, IsDate, and IsNumeric functions. I will also show you how to programmatically select text using the SelStart and SelLength properties, and briefly mention the CausesValidation property and the LEN function for determining text length.

Lesson 5: Command Button: Props & Color - In this lesson, we will explore command buttons, including how to set up default and cancel buttons so users can trigger actions with the Enter or Escape keys. I will show you how to use an ampersand in button captions to create Alt key shortcuts, and discuss handling ampersands in captions. We will review command button properties, such as Default and Cancel, and I will demonstrate how to change the background color of command buttons by switching the Style property to Graphical. We will also discuss adding pictures to buttons, a topic that will be covered further in the next lesson about check boxes.

Lesson 6: Check Boxes, Toggles, Colors, Captions, Pics - In this lesson, we are going to work with check boxes in your forms. We will walk through creating checkboxes, adjusting their BackColor, and discuss why checkboxes do not have a transparent background option. I will show you how to get the value of a check box in code using vbChecked and vbUnchecked, and demonstrate how to turn checkboxes into graphical toggle buttons, including how to add pictures and adjust the caption and color dynamically. We will also discuss the Grayed state, as well as related properties like ToolTipText and options for displaying different pictures when the check box is pressed.

Lesson 7: Forms, Timers, Events & Controls - In this course we learned about working with multiple forms, sharing values between them, using Load, Unload, Show, and Hide events, and changing the startup form. We covered the Timer control, calculating ages, and functions like Round, Date, Now, IsDate, and IsNumeric. We also worked with multi-line text boxes, graphical command buttons, check boxes, and toggle buttons. We discussed what is coming up next, including option buttons, control arrays, list boxes, combo boxes, drop-down lists, and more advanced Timer features, and reviewed resources for further questions and feedback.

Navigation

• Prev: 103
• Next: 105

Keywords