Table of Contents

Introduction
At Course Completion
Microsoft Certified Professional Exams
Prerequisites
Course Materials and Software
Course Outline

Introduction

This course teaches Microsoft® Visual Basic® programmers how to create database applications using components.

At Course Completion
At the end of the course, students will be able to write a Microsoft Visual Basic-based application that accesses data from a database; write a Visual Basic-based application that uses component object model (COM) components; create an ActiveX® control; create a COM component; and list the opportunities that Visual Basic developers have to incorporate Internet technologies into their applications.

Microsoft Certified Professional Exams
This course helps you prepare for the following Microsoft Certified Professional exams:

• Exam 70-176: Designing and Implementing Desktop Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0

Prerequisites
This course assumes the student has a good working knowledge of the Microsoft Visual Basic programming system. Potential students should be able to accomplish the following tasks before taking this training:

• Create an application with multiple forms and add functionality for multiple events to the controls on those forms
• Write a Function procedure and a Sub procedure, and invoke them from Event procedures
• Declare variables and use conditional statements
• Describe the purpose and use of each of the controls in the Toolbox
• Add a simple menu interface to an application
• Retrieve and validate information from a user
• Add a custom control to a project
• Describe the relationship between properties, methods, and objects
• Add run-time error handling to an application
• Run the application and use debug mode within the Visual Basic environment
• Create an EXE file from the project files
• Design and use a relational database
• Use SQL syntax to create database queries

Course Materials and Software
The course workbook and lab book are yours to keep. You will be provided with the following software for use in the classroom:

• Microsoft Windows NT® Server network operating system version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3
• Mastering Microsoft Visual Basic 6 Development
• Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5
• Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 Service Pack 3
• Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Visual Basic, Professional Edition, version 6.0

Course Outline

Chapter 1: Essentials of Microsoft Visual Basic
Topics:

• Understanding Microsoft Visual Basic-based development
• Creating an application
• Debugging and error handling
• Compiling an EXE file
• Overview of the State University Bookstore application

• Essentials

• Use Visual Basic to create a simple application and an executable file for users.
  
• List the files that comprise a Visual Basic-based application.
  
• Use the Visual Basic debugging tools.
  
• Add run-time error handling to a procedure.
  

Chapter 2: Using Visual Data Access Tools
Topics:

• Universal data access
• Connecting to a data source
• Getting data from a connection
• Organizing data
• Presenting data

• Using visual data access tools

• Describe the visual data access tools that come with Visual Basic.
• Use the visual data access tools to create a connection to a data source and access data from the connection in an application.
• View the structure of a database using the Data Environment designer and the Data View window.
• Create database queries using Query Builder.
• Create data-bound forms using the Data Environment designer, Data Form Wizard, and the ADO Data control.
• Create a report using the Data Report designer.

Chapter 3: Using Class Modules
Topics:

• Designing an application
• Creating class modules
• Adding properties, methods, and events
• Using a class module
• Creating data-bound class modules

• Using class modules

• Explain the benefits of using class modules in an application.
• Use a class module to create a COM component within a Visual Basic project.
• Create a COM component that exposes properties, methods, and events.
• Create and use data-bound class modules.

Chapter 4: Building ActiveX Controls
Topics:

• Creating an ActiveX control
• Exposing properties, methods, and events
• Testing a control
• Creating property pages
• Creating a data-bound control
• Creating a data source control

• Building an ActiveX control
• Data-binding an ActiveX control

• Describe the benefits of using ActiveX controls.
• Create an ActiveX control that exposes properties, methods, and events.
• Use control events to save and load persistent properties.
• Test and debug an ActiveX control.
• Create and enable property pages for an ActiveX control.
• Enable the data-binding capabilities of an ActiveX control.
• Create an ActiveX control that is a data source.

Chapter 5: Using ActiveX Data Objects
Topics:

• Overview of ActiveX Data Objects (ADO)
• Handling data access errors
• Connecting to a data source
• Retrieving data from a data source
• Sorting and searching data
• Updating data
• Using disconnected data
• Creating dynamic record sets
• Understanding performance considerations

• Using ADO

• List the major components of the ADO object model.
• Explain how to handle errors using ADO.
• Connect to a data source using ADO.
• Use an ADO record-set object to retrieve and manipulate data.
• Describe and use a disconnected record set.
• Use an ADO record-set object to store nondatabase data.

Chapter 6: Advanced Data Access Issues
Topics:

• Overview of Microsoft SQL Server™ security
• Using cursors
• Enforcing data integrity
• Executing statements on a database

• Advanced data access issues

• Discuss SQL Server security implementations.
• Describe different cursor locations and when to use a specific cursor type.
• Use a stored procedure to execute a statement on a database.
• Handle referential integrity errors.
• Describe ways to enforce data integrity.

Chapter 7: Using COM Components
Topics:

• Introduction to using COM components
• Creating a client application
• Using Microsoft Internet Explorer

• Using COM components

• List the main steps required to use an external COM component in a Visual Basic-based application.
• Create a Visual Basic-based client application that uses a COM component.
• Create a Visual Basic-based application that handles events from a COM component.
• Create a Visual Basic-based application that automates Internet Explorer.

Chapter 8: Building COM Components
Topics:

• Introduction to COM components
• Creating COM components
• Creating an object model
• Adding error handling

• Building COM components

• Compile a project with class modules into a COM component.
• Create an object model in a COM component.
• Debug and test a COM component.

Chapter 9: Optimizing and Deploying an Application
Topics:

• Optimizing an application
• Deploying an application
• Deploying an ActiveX control

• Deploying the StateUBookstore solution

• Describe a variety of techniques for optimizing the performance of an application.
• Use the GetSetting and SaveSetting statements to save application-specific information to the registry.
• Use resource files.
• Create a Setup program using Package and Deployment Wizard.
• Package an ActiveX control for use on a Web site.

Chapter 10: Building Internet Applications
Topics:

• Using the WebBrowser control
• Creating Active Documents
• Creating dynamic hypertext markup language (DHTML) applications
• Creating Microsoft Internet Information Server applications

• None

• List the ways Visual Basic can enhance a Web site.
• Create applications that use the WebBrowser control.
• Explain what Active Documents are.
• Create an Active Document.
• Use the DHTML Page designer to create client-side code components.
• Use the Webclass designer to create server-side code components.

Chapter 9: Optimizing and Deploying an Application
Topics:

• Optimizing an application
• Deploying an application
• Deploying an ActiveX control

• Deploying the StateUBookstore solution

• Describe a variety of techniques for optimizing the performance of an application.
• Use the GetSetting and SaveSetting statements to save application-specific information to the registry.
• Use resource files.
• Create a Setup program using Package and Deployment Wizard.
• Package an ActiveX control for use on a Web site.

Chapter 10: Building Internet Applications
Topics:

• Using the WebBrowser control
• Creating Active Documents
• Creating dynamic hypertext markup language (DHTML) applications
• Creating Microsoft Internet Information Server applications

• None

• List the ways Visual Basic can enhance a Web site.
• Create applications that use the WebBrowser control.
• Explain what Active Documents are.
• Create an Active Document.
• Use the DHTML Page designer to create client-side code components.
• Use the Webclass designer to create server-side code components.