Chapter 1 -- Introduction to Design Patterns

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Chapter 1

It is often said by programmers, managers, and end users alike that most applications written in Microsoft Visual Basic are easy to start but hard to finish. The truth is that this problem crops up in all programming languages if the design of the system is an afterthought to the implementation. What motivates this approach is that with practically no programming experience, you could build a Microsoft Windows application in Visual Basic by making use of its vast feature set, such as the Form window, Menu Editor, data-aware controls, and so forth. Using the mouse more than using the keyboard, you could build a Windows application that interacts with a database, which is amazing. As a result, many Visual Basic applications start out as prototypes with a heavy emphasis on the user interface. Many of these prototypes evolve into production systems as functionality is added. The line between prototype and polished application becomes fuzzy. Production systems created from prototypes in this fashion usually do not scale to acceptable production quality.

Novice programmers tend to concentrate on the features of Visual Basic, such as the visual aspects, third-party controls, or the language itself. Understanding how to use these features is crucial, but that knowledge is counterproductive if a system design has not been developed. Without a system design, a programmer discovers problems as they occur, and provides a solution each time without insight about the ramifications. Expert programmers, on the other hand, start with a design. This means they have done some analysis of the problem domain and have devised solutions for all the issues they have identified.

Designing Visual Basic object-oriented systems is not simple, but the payoff far outweighs the difficulty. If correctly designed, an object-oriented system is scalable, extensible, and reusable. Design patterns help expert object-oriented programmers reach that goal.

The purpose of this book is to help you design and code better-quality object-oriented systems in Visual Basic by making effective use of design patterns.



Microsoft Visual Basic Design Patterns
Microsoft Visual Basic Design Patterns (Microsoft Professional Series)
ISBN: B00006L567
EAN: N/A
Year: 2000
Pages: 148

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