VB Programming Language

VARIABLES, CONSTANTS & CALCULATIONS

BASIC (Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction)
Programs all about manipulating data
Data storage
Data manipulation
Variables and Expressions
 Variables

a programming element used to store a value in the

program while the program is running
Every variable you create has a name
A variable is analogous to a box in which you can
store information and then retrieve the same
information while the program is running.
 Variables

Unlike variables do not have properties or respond

to events.
Every variable has a date type that determines the
kind of information it can store.
 Each data type has an associated prefix
Every variable consumes a physical space in the
computer’s memory.
 Variables

is a named entity that represents some unknown

value
It has both name and contents
 Example
 y = x2 +
2x + 1 or y = x*x+2*x+1
Must begin with a letter (a-z, A-Z)
Cannot contain periods
Must be unique
Can contain up to 255 characters
 Variable Declaration

Declaration = creation
Use DIM statement to declare a variable
 Syntax:
 Dim <varname> As <Type>
 Examples:
 Dim Age As Integer
 Dim X As Double
 Dim LastName As string
 Dim Saved As Boolean
 Declaration Examples
3- 7

Dim customerNameString As String

Private totalSoldInteger As Integer
Dim temperatureSingle As Single
Dim priceDecimal As Decimal
Private priceDecimal As Decimal
 Visual Basic Data Types:

Data
DataType
Type Storage
StorageSize
Size Prefix
Prefix Possible
PossibleValues
Values
Date
Date 88Bytes
Bytes dat
dat Dates
Datesbetween
between1/1/100
1/1/100and
and12/31/9999
12/31/9999
Integer
Integer 22Bytes
Bytes int
int Positive
Positiveand
andNegative
NegativeWhole
WholeNumbers
Numbers
Long
LongInteger
Integer 44Bytes
Bytes lng
lng Positive
Positiveand
andNegative
NegativeWhole
WholeNumbers*
Numbers*
Single
Single 44Bytes
Bytes sng
sng AAnumber
numberwith
withaadecimal
decimalpoint*
point*
Double
Double 88Bytes
Bytes dbl
dbl AAnumber
numberwith
withaadecimal
decimalpoint*
point*
String
String 11Bytes
Bytes** Str
Str Up
Uptoto22billion
billioncharacter
character for
for var
var strings
strings
Boolean
Boolean 11Bytes
Bytes** Str
Str True
Trueor
or False
False
char
char
 Variable Naming Conventions

Variables
VariablesNames
NamesMust
Must Variables
VariablesNames
NamesShould
Should
Begin with a four-char prefix indicating the scope
Begin with a four-char prefix indicating the scope
Begin
Beginwith
withaaletter
letter and type of data stored in the variable, followed
and type of data stored in the variable, followed
by a descriptive name.
by a descriptive name.
Always
Alwaysuseuseaacapital
capitalletter
letterasasthe
thefirst
firstcharacter
character
Not
Notcontain
containperiod,
period, ofofeach
each word in the descriptive portion ofthe
word in the descriptive portion of the
dashes,
dashes,ororspaces.
spaces. name.
name.

Not
Notexceed
exceed255255
Characters in length.
Characters in length.

Be
Beunique
unique
 Declaring a Variable

 The process of creating a variable is known

as declaring a variable
 To declare a Visual Basic variable you may
use:
o Visual Basic Private Statement
o Visual Basic Public Statement
o Visual Basic Dim Statement
 Procedural Level Variables

Declared within a procedure

Local variables
Use the Dim keyword
Examples:
Dim MyInt As Integer
Dim Mydouble As Double
Dim MyString, YourString As String
 Form Level Variables

Available to all procedures defined within the form

Examples:
Option Explicit
Dim MyInt As Integer
Dim Mydouble As Double
Dim MyString, YourString As String
 Global Level Variables

Available to any form and modules inside the project

Must be declared in a module
Use the Global keyword instead of Dim
Examples:
Global myAge As Integer
Global myName As String
Global mySalary As Double
 Declaring Variables:
Syntax [Private][Public][Dim] Varname As Type

Definition The Private keyword declares a variable, meaning that

declared with the Private keyword, the variable
variable can
can be
be
the memory for the variable is allocated. When
used only in the module (form) in which
which itit is
is declared
declared
and by the procedures in that modules.
modules.

The Public keyword creates a variable that can be user

by multiple modules.

The Dim keyword,

keyword, depending
depending on
on where
where itit is used,
used,
creates a variable that can be used by the procedure
procedure in in
which is is declared and by other procedures
procedures
 Declaring Variables:
Syntax [Private][Public][Dim] Varname As Type

The
The Varname is the name by which the variable
variable isis
Definition
known.
known.

The
The Type is the data type of the variable.

When
When you
you use
use a Private,
Private, Public,
Public, or
or Dim
Dim statement
statement
to
to declare
declare a variable,
variable, you
you explicitly
explicitly declare the
the variable.
variable.

IfIf you
you use a variable name in a Dim statement, Visual
Basic
Basic will create
create the
the variable
variable automatically
automatically in a process
process
known
known as implicit
implicit declaration.
declaration.
 Declaring Variables:
Syntax Option Explicit

The Option
Option Explicit
Explicit statement
statement forces
forces you
you to
to declare
declare all
all
Definition
Variables
Variables explicitly
explicitly with the Private, Public or Dim
keyword
keyword in
in the module
module where
where the
the Option
Option Explicit
Explicit
statement
statement appears.
appears.

The Option explicit statement must be the first

statement
statement in
in the
the general declarations
declarations section
section of the
module
module
 Operators in VB
Operator(s) operation Order of evaluation(precedence)
^ Exponentiation Evaluated first. If there are several such operators,
they’re evaluated from left to right.

+, - Sign operations Evaluated second. If there are several such operators,

(unary) they’re evaluated from left to right.

*, / Multiplication Evaluated third. If there are several such operators,

and division they’re evaluated from left to right.

\ Integer division Evaluated fourth. If there are several such operators,

they’re evaluated from left to right.

Mod Modulus Evaluated fifth. If there are several such operators,

they’re evaluated from left to right.

+, - Addition and Evaluated sixth. If there are several such operators,

subtraction they’re evaluated from left to right.
(binary)
VB OPERATION ARITHMETIC ALGEBRAIC VB EXPRESSION
OPERATOR EXPRESSION

ADDITION + F+7 f+7

SUBTRACTION - P-c p- c
MULTIPLICATION * Bm b*m
DIVISION / X /y x/y
DIVISION \ none V\u
MODULUS MOD r mod s r mod s
EXPONENTIATION ^ qp q^p
UNARY MINUS - -e -e
UNARY PLUS + +g +g
 Mathematical Examples
3- 19

Note the use of parentheses to control order of

precedence

1. 3 + 4 * 2 = 11 Multiply then add

2. (3 + 4) * 2 = 14 Parentheses control: add then multiply
3. 8 / 4 * 2 = 4 Same level, left to right: divide then multiply
 Using Expression and Operators to Manipulate
Variables

Operators
OperatorsininOrder
Orderofof Description Example
Precedence Description Example
Precedence
Raises
RaisesaaNumber
Numbertotothe
thePower
Powerofof
^^ An
AnExponent
Exponent
22^^33isisequal
equaltoto88

*,*, // Multiplication
Multiplicationand
andDivision
Division 22**33isisequal
equaltoto66

\\ Integer
IntegerDivision
Division 10
10\\33isisequal
equaltoto33

Modulus
ModulusArithmetic;
Arithmetic;Returns
Returnsthe
theInteger
Mod
Mod Remainder
RemainderofofaaDivision
DivisionOperation
Integer
Operation
10
10mod
mod33isisequal
equaltoto11

+,
+, -- Addition
Additionand
andSubtraction
Subtraction 22++33isisequal
equaltoto55
The result of a comparison operator is a
Boolean value (T/F)

Operator Operation Meaning

NOT Logical NOT Negates an operand

AND Logical AND Returns TRUE if both

operands are TRUE else
returns FALSE
OR Logical OR Return TRUE if at least,
one of the operands is
TRUE
Operator Comparison
> Greater than
< Less than
>= Greater than or equal to
<= Less than or equal to
= Equal to
<> Not equal to
 Type Conversion Functions

Visual Basic included intrinsic functions.

 Intrinsic functions differ from event
procedure in that you must explicitly write a
Visual Basic statement to call them.
 Our Island Financial program includes the:
 Val, Format, and Future Value (FV) functions
 Solving Programming Errors
 Error are classified in three types:
 Syntax Errors
 Run-Time Errors
 Logic Errors
 Activity

Modify the previous program so that the

program can determine the following:
 Sum

 Product
 Difference

 Quotient