Visual Basic Question????

chuckctv · 12-19-2004, 08:55 AM

I am fluent in normal Basic, and also I have some experience in Visual Basic, i can design and create on my own calculator programs. Text input -> process -> then output the info in display boxes. I have some ability in saveing to the hard-drive and retrieveing info plus variables. Most of my learned visual basic ability is about 4-5 years ago. I got out of learning anything good due to the fact, everything you want/need has been made already. Also i have no problem with reading source code for VB and C++ and understanding what the program does. so heres the delima... Ive decided after all i have done with my truck ->carpc ->complete system package including backup cam, I want to make it custom to my needs -I use a 12.5" screen biult in as part of my dash board and i need to know does Visual Basic 6 have the ability to rewrite everything for my system into one customized system for me or not. Also would the books out thier like "Learn VB in 21 days" Really teach me the parts that i need to accomplish this, or is their a book better to reference from that will easily fill in the blanks on what i may be missing on programming.

sorry the post is so long, hard to explain in short.

Chuck

IntellaWorks · 12-19-2004, 10:01 AM

Well, in order to write "custom" software for your car you first need to choose a programming language. There are a few that are out there that are capable of doing the job. Visual Basic 6, Visual Basic.Net, C++, C#.

It's popular to choose Visual Basic 6, the reason for this is because of it's ability to import Active X controls and Coding simplicity. Active X is a technology created by Microsoft. This technology allows you to embed controls written in different programming language in your application. You can embed an audio control that you write wrapper code around to play your music. Or a map control that you also write wrapper code around to show maps for navigation.

SO to anwser your first question, Visual Basic has the power to do what you need. Mainly because of it's active X technology. Your second set of questions is more diffacult to anwser.

I'm a software engineer, so for me writing custom applications isn't too diffacult. But I've put years into my education and I could hardly picture myself writing a complex peice of software like the car interface on my first program...

It's possible if you put the hours into your learning, I would suggest a few books. VB in 21 days will give you a quicky run at how VB works but won't nearly be educational enough to get you through a custom car application...

Good luck

chuckctv · 12-19-2004, 10:21 AM

Thank you for the input.. Like i said i have been writeing programs (in basic) from age 10-18 fluently then i started getting into visual basic, which i loved but by the time i started to adapt to the changes, i found nothing to create that wasnt available everywhere, electronics is my main skill, programming would be my second, but with the conversion to visual basic in my life for maybe 1 year i definitaly didnt get enough skill before i just stopped programing. and now it has completely passed me by with vb6 (i started @vb3), i have dabbled every so often with it, but when i reached a point that i could not find the info to get pass, i usually stopped. BUT NOW!!! I have a reason and a goal, so i think i can get back into it with the need driving me. But not sure were to turn on reference. Really all i need is a well written reference manual with examples and command usage on the over-all, i think i can become adapt farly quicky, but a trip to the book store seems to leave you with many books that only have portions of what i need. So now that i know that VB is a powerful language and i have enough skill with it to allow me to not start at the basic-begginng-> I only need to find the right ref.book.

chuck

IntellaWorks · 12-19-2004, 10:50 AM

Well you might find that to be diffacult, here is why.

Not sure how far your going to go as far as the custom application but it uses a lot of controls therefore you must know about each individual control.

Media, FILE I/O, POP3 and Winsock, Registry, Screen Resolution are just some of the things you'll need to know about and you can't find this in one book but probably a library...

Good luck a again

Bugbyte · 12-19-2004, 10:55 AM

Same issue with me! I need to write a customized front end using the voice recognition SAPI. I've got about the same level of programming ability as you -can read programs, understand them, write simple stuff, etc.

I usually struggle with the syntax. It's nearly always an issue of familiarity with the language rather than the logic flow or architecture of it. The online references that come with VB6 are okay, but I really need a book I can wander through and lift code from. Example: I might want to know the pathname of a file that users select from a dialog window. I know that Windows gives you a handle to find this and that this problem is already online and solved for you in a zillion forums. Lifting the code from someone and inserting it in my program is the way to go, but I'll waste an hour or so locating it and then getting it in and working. I need a source of code snippets that I can leaf through, not a list of VB commands.

Familiarity with the language fixes this...in time. But it's a non-value added waste of my time because I already KNOW what and how I want to do stuff. Anyhow, steep learning curve but once you're on top you are a much more efficient programmer. Good luck!

chuckctv · 12-19-2004, 04:46 PM

well its winter time now, no more overtime, more free time at home. and usually i always have some sort of major project lined up for this time of year, and luckily my Car(truck)pc is complete now (other then tweaking), im ready to get warm and pull out the old laptop (2.8ghz-not old

) , and start programming and learning, i need to anyway, as most people should(those who really want to take it to the next level), my system is by-far more then just a expensive stereo. Im ready to start making things to control with my system, so i need to at least start at makeing drivers for stuff, and go from their. But i do have all winter to work on it, so will see where things go, but to be honest its not going to be a universal Frontend as most are, its going to be designed for my truck and components and then maybe more universal from their... I think its the best way to go from here.

chuck

wi77iam · 12-20-2004, 12:54 PM

My advice would be to not buy a book. You already have access to the biggest "book" there is,

, along with more code samples than you could ever look at. Search for code to do the things you want, like adding music playing functionality. Believe me, someone has already coded what you want to do. Then borrow that code and add it into your program framework. After studying enough examples, you'll eventually be able to program things on your own. Add a nice interface to look just the way you want, and there you have it.

frodobaggins · 12-21-2004, 10:39 PM

If you're interested in VB6 and you feel the need to buy a
book. I can suggest one. "The Visual Basic Bible"

Read it on the ****ter in your spare time.

Other than that, the best way I have found to learn
is to pick projects that are just barely above your abilities
to do, and keep trying until you get it right.
You then have new skills. Pick another project.

Frodo

Bama5150 · 12-25-2004, 11:39 PM

I have 3 VB.net books in the "****ter" now. I hate to tie vb learning to the duration of a bowel movement, but hey, whatever works.

IntellaWorks · 12-28-2004, 11:25 AM

Good Book = O'Riely Visual Basic.net Simple, small and to the point lots of code examples with paragraph explantions... Highly recommended for all programmers expert/ beginner