Introduction

Welcome to Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition Programming for the Absolute Beginner. Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition is the newest incarnation of Visual Basic. This particular version of Visual Basic has been developed for first-time programmers and computer hobbyists. It is designed to enable the development of applications that execute on computers running a Windows operating system.

Unlike other current versions of Visual Basic, Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition is limited in scope. It provides a subset of Visual Basic functionality found in other versions of Visual Basic. For example, it cannot be used to develop software for smart device applications or to develop Web-based applications.

Microsoft created Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition with the individual user in mind, intending it to provide a lightweight programming experience. Microsoft's intention is to introduce Visual Basic programming to as many people as possible. This new version of Visual Basic costs significantly less than previous versions, making it affordable to just about anyone. (In fact, just prior to the publishing of this book, Microsoft announced that it would make Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition available as a free download until November 6, 2006.) Yet Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition still packs plenty of punch, providing a powerful, yet easy to learn, programming language from which first-time programmers can quickly learn how to develop their own fully featured Windows applications.

WHY VISUAL BASIC 2005 EXPRESS EDITION?

Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition makes for an excellent first programming language. It is one of a number of programming languages supported by the Microsoft .NET Framework. The .NET Framework provides an environment that supports application development by providing everything that programmers need to test, debug, and run Windows applications. Other .NET-supported programming languages include Visual C++ .NET, Visual C# .NET, and Visual J# .NET. Of these languages, Visual Basic is the easiest to learn and use. It is certainly the most popular.

If you want to develop Windows applications, Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition will suit your needs well. Once you have mastered the basics of programming using Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition, you'll find yourself well prepared to upgrade to the full version of Visual Basic 2005, where you can then apply your programming skills to the development of Windows and Web-based applications. In addition, you'll be able to apply what this book has taught you to the development of applications that support smart devices such as the Pocket PC or PDAs (personal digital assistants).