Microsoft Visual Basic 2013 Step by Step

Your hands-on guide to Visual Basic fundamentals

Expand your expertise—and teach yourself the fundamentals of Microsoft Visual Basic 2013. If you have previous programming experience but are new to Visual Basic 2013, this tutorial delivers the step-by-step guidance and coding exercises you need to master core topics and techniques.

Discover how to:

• Master essential Visual Basic programming techniques
• Begin building apps for Windows Store, Windows Phone 8, and ASP.NET
• Design apps using XAML markup, touch input, and live tiles
• Tackle advanced language concepts, such as polymorphism
• Manage data sources including XML documents and web data
• Create a Windows Phone 8 app that manages key lifecycle events

Table of Contents

Part I: Introduction to Visual Studio development
Chapter 1. Visual Basic 2013 development opportunities and the Windows Store
Chapter 2. The Visual Studio Integrated Development Environment
Chapter 3. Creating your first Windows Store application
Chapter 4. Windows desktop apps: A walkthrough using Windows Forms

Part II: Designing the user interface
Chapter 5. Working with Windows Store app controls
Chapter 6. Working with Windows Forms controls
Chapter 7. XAML markup step by step
Chapter 8. Using XAML styles
Chapter 9. Exploring Windows 8.1 design features: Command bar, flyout, tiles, and touch
Chapter 10. Creating console applications

Part III: Visual Basic programming techniques
Chapter 11. Mastering data types, operators, and string processing
Chapter 12. Creative decision structures and loops
Chapter 13. Trapping errors by using structured error handling
Chapter 14. Using arrays, collections, and generics to manage data
Chapter 15. Innovative data management with LINQ
Chapter 16. Object-oriented programming techniques

Part IV: Database and web programming
Chapter 17. Database controls for Windows desktop apps
Chapter 18. Data access for Windows Store apps
Chapter 19. Visual Studio web development with ASP.NET

Part V: Microsoft Windows Phone programming
Chapter 20. Introduction to Windows Phone 8 development
Chapter 21. Creating your first Windows Phone 8 application