| 1: | What is the primary purpose of the toolbox? |
| A1: | The toolbox holds a selection of objects that you can use in your programs. Throughout most of this book, you will use the Windows Forms tab of the toolbox. The Windows Forms tab contains the most-frequently used objects that you will use when you write your own programs. |
| 2: | What is the Forms window? |
| A2: | The Forms window is located in the center of the Integrated Development Environment screen and serves two purposes. First, it can display the form object upon which you place various control objects that you wish to use in your program. Second, when you double-click on the form or one of its objects, the Forms window converts to the Code Window. The Code window shows you the program statements associated with the current form. |
| 3: | What is the Properties window and how is it used? |
| A3: | The Properties window shows you the properties, or attributes, of the currently active object in the Forms Window. You can invoke the Properties window for a form object by pressing the F4 key. |
| 4: | What does a programmer mean when he refers to the state of an object? |
| A4: | In the world of object oriented programming (OOP), everything is viewed as an object. You, for example, can be viewed as an object. If you were meeting a stranger at the airport, how would you describe yourself so he would recognize you? You might say: "I'm 6' tall, weigh 200 pounds , have blonde hair, and I'll be wearing a blue suit with a yellow tie." Notice how you use properties to describe yourself. In other words, you hair color and clothing help define your current state. Several months from now you could be 20 pounds lighter, have red hair, and wear different clothes, thus changing your state. Your state, therefore, is defined by the current values of the properties that define you as an object. |
| 5: | How can you run a Visual Basic .NET program? |
| A5: | There are three basic ways. First, you can use the Debug-Start menu sequence. Second, you can press the F5 key. Third, you can click the Start icon on the toolbar. |
