Course Highlights

Target Population: This course is intended for students and Information Technology (IT) professionals interested in writing applications using VB.NET and Microsoft's Visual Studio programming environment.

Here's what you'll learn by taking this course:

  1. Common programming techniques using Visual Basic
  2. Object Oriented programming in action.
  3. The Visual Studio programming environment - home to several Microsoft languages.
  4. How to use databases with your programs
  5. Writing reports using Crystal Reports, a popular business report generating program
  6. Writing Web-based applications using ASP.NET

The Capstone Project for this course involves creating an application for a real-life business problem.

This course uses up-to-date teaching techniques allowing you to learn by reading, listening, experimenting, and writing your own code. Each module has specific learning activities designed to help you learn in an interesting and fun manner.

This course is part of the Web Programming Certificate   and the AAS Information Systems programming degree at South Central College.

(A more detailed list of learning objectives is given below.)

Course Details

VB.NET - COMP2330 - Spring Semester 2009

Section 01 Online
There will be an optional class on Wednesdays from 1:00 - 2:50 pm in Room C169 (near door #7 - Yellow parking area) for questions and clarification of the learning activities.

Credits - 2 credits (1 lecture - 1 lab)

Required Text: Starting out with Visual Basic 2008, Fourth Edition by Tony Gaddis and Kip Irvine, Pearson Addison-Wesley, ISBN 978-0-321-531353
Required Software: Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2008

It is recommended that you have at least one flash drive to store you work and class information. (Please back up your data on a regular basis!)

For more information contact: Peter K. Johnson, Instructor
email: peter.johnson@southcentral.edu   
phone: 507 389-7337

Prerequisites

  1. Minimum typing speed of 35 wpm
    Find your typing speed at http://typingtest.com
    Here's a free, open-source, typing programming that's fun to play: TuxType

  2. Successful completion of Programming Fundamentals (COMP1000 or COMP1130 with a C or higher), or a working knowledge of at least one programming language.

Note: Prerequisites ensure that you are at the correct learning level for the course. Please feel free to contact the instructor to help you determine your expertise level if you have not completed the prerequisite courses.

Course Goals:

  1. Be able to think like a professional programmer.

  2. Be able to write programs using VB.NET using the Visual Studio programming environment.

  3. Communicate effectively using today's technologies (email, discussion forums, and other web-based tools.)

Core Abilities:

Learning Objectives

Install and Use Visual Studio
- Install Visual Studio on your system
- Create and run a simple program using VB.NET
- Describe why programming style is important in a team environment

Use OOP (Object Oriented Programming) & UML ( Unified Modeling Language) concepts to design a program
- Describe the concepts of OOP
- Draw a UML diagram to document a class/object
- Compare the differences between a flow chart and a UML diagram
- Utilize an algorithm and psuedo code to design programs

Use debugging techniques to speed the development process.
- Use the debugging tools built into Visual Studio
- Use other debugging techniques common to all languages

Utilize various data types and operations in a program.
- Write programs that utilize the different data types
- Use constants as part of your program design
- Convert String data into numbers
- Convert numeric data into Strings
- Demonstrate the different ways a number can be represented using binary, decimal, and hexidecimal.

Utilize Subroutines and functions for code reuse and code organization.
- Utilize subroutines for greater code reuse
- Use parameters to send data to subroutines
- Write functions which return data
- Capture and use the data returned by a function using the assignment operator

Use the pre-written String functions.
- Determine the length of a String
- Add multiple Strings together using the concatenation operator "&"
- Extract sections from a String using Left( ), Right( ), Mid( ), and SubString( )
- Search for substrings using the InStr( ) function
- Alphabetize a list of strings using the Compare( ) function

Make programming decisions using the if, Select Case, and ternary constructs.
- Make a yes/no decision using the If-Then-Else statement
- Use the ternary statement to make a decision
- Compare a value against multiple options with the Select Case statement
- Use enumerations to make a Select Case statement easier to read and maintain

Do repetitive tasks using the for-next, while, and do-while loops.
- Repeat a set of statements a specific number of times using the For loop
- Use the shortcut For Next loop to repeat a list of items
- Loop indefinitely using the While and Do loop statements

Use built-in data structures such as arrays to organize program data.
- Create an array object to hold data
- Sort an array using the Sort( ) function
- Search an array using different search algorithms

Write your own custom classes
- Describe a Class and object using real-world examples
- Draw a UML diagram to show the contents of a Class
- Write a constructor that will initialize a Class into an object
- Demonstrate method overloading in a program.

Incorporate error handling for user-friendly programs.
- Describe the types of errors that are encountered in programming
- Demonstrate effective debugging techiques using the Visual Studio debug tools
- Use structured error processing using the try, catch, and finally statements

Draw graphics with your programs.
- Demonstrate the coordinate system used by Visual Basic .NET
- Display an image using the picture box
- Allow the user to select a file using the OpenFileDialog control
- Use graphics to display a pie chart or other 2D graphic

Utilize databases
- Read and write data to a disk file
- Connect to a database
- Display data using the datagrid

Use SQL (Structured Query Language) to communicate with databases.
- Use the SELECT statement to extract specific information from a database
- Use the JOIN to extract information from several tables
- Use the UPDATE statement to update a database

Create a web application using VB.NET
- Create an illustration showing the relationship between client and server
- Create a dynamic web page using VB.NET
- Publish the web page out to a live server on the Web.

Grading

A   97-100%
A-  90-96
B+  97-89
B    84-86
B-   80-83
C+  77-79
C    74-76
C-  70-73
D+  67-69
D    64-66
D-  60-63
F    Below 60%

The grading for this course is performance-based. You will not be graded a curve. This means that your grade is based on the work you do and not on what grade others in the class receive.

As your instructor I am the record-keeper of your points. I do not “give you a grade”; I only keep track of the scores you receive.

You will earn your grade by demonstrating your knowledge of the learning objectives listed at the bottom of each learning activity page. Complete the work according to the specifications and you will receive points accordingly.

One hint: This is a project and participation-based course. For example, most projects are worth 25 points while a quiz in the same module might only be worth only 10 points. This focuses your efforts on demonstrating your knowledge in applying your learning, not just knowing the facts or memorized information. (It also makes the things you learn in this course much more useful in the real world!)

Course Policies

Be responsible for your own actions.

Respect due dates - No late projects, papers, or quizzes will be accepted unless you have made prior arrangements in writing with the instructor and have a valid and documented reason. All late projects that are accepted will receive a 10% point penalty.

Incomplete - An incomplete is granted due to serious extenuating circumstances (e.g. a death in the immediate family, hospitalization, etc.) near the end of the semester when over 50% of the coursework has been successfully completed. An incomplete will not be granted for failing work.

Cheating - All graded projects must be your own work only. Cheating or plagiarism is a serious breach of academic ethics and could lead to sanctions including expulsion from college. When taking tests, protect your answers from others. If cheating is discovered, all participants will be penalized.

Special Needs -
If you have a disability and need accommodations to participate in the course activities, please contact your instructor as soon as possible. This information will be made available in an alternative format, such as Braille, large print, or cassette tape, upon request.

Student contributions - Students are expected to:
-- Participate in course discussions either on-line or face2face.
-- Complete all of the Learning Activities
-- Complete all projects and quizzes on or before the deadline.

The Bottom Line -
I am here to help you learn and understand the material presented in this course. Please let me know if you do not understand any concepts or projects in this class. Feel free to clarify any questions you may have during class, at my office, or via email. I am also open to any suggestions you may have that would make this course more interesting and/or useful.

Peter K. Johnson