Datasheet

options. For example, the leftmost icon (New Project) on the default toolbar (called the Standard tool-
bar), shown in Figure 1-6, is available from the menu by navigating to File ➪ New ➪ Project.
Figure 1-6
The toolbar is segmented into groups of related options, which are separated by a vertical bar. The first
five icons provide access to the commonly used project and file manipulation options available through
the File and Project menus, such as opening and saving files.
The next group of icons is for editing (Cut, Copy, and Paste). The third group of icons is for undoing and
redoing edits and for navigating through your code.
The fourth group of icons provides the ability to start your application running (via the green triangle).
You can also choose a configuration for your solution and target specific platforms.
The next section allows you to find text in your code throughout the entire document, project, or
solution.
The final group of icons provides quick links back to the Solution Explorer, Properties window, Toolbox,
Object Browser, Start Page, and other windows. If any of these windows is closed, clicking the appropri-
ate icon will bring it back into view.
If you forget what a particular icon does, you can hover your mouse pointer over it so that a ToolTip
appears displaying the name of the toolbar option.
You could continue to look at each of the windows by clicking on the View menu and choosing the
appropriate window. But, as you can see, they are all empty at this stage and therefore not too revealing.
The best way to look at the capabilities of the IDE is to use it while writing some code.
Creating a Simple Application
To finish your exploration of the IDE, you need to create a project, so that the windows shown earlier in
Figure 1-4 actually have some interesting content for you to look at. In the following Try It Out, you are
going to create a very simple application called HelloUser that will allow you to enter a person’s name
and display a greeting to that person in a message box.
Add Item
Save
Cut
Paste
Redo
Navigate Forward
Solution
Configurations
Find in Files
Properties
Window
Toolbox
Other
Windows
New
Project
Open File
Save All
Copy
Undo
Navigate Backward
Start
Debugging
Solution Platform
Solution
Explorer
Object Browser
Start
Page
Find
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Welcome to Visual Basic 2005
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