Dopey's Visual Basic 6.0 Tutorial Beginners Level 1

[Jacob Roman]

Ok it's uploading right now. Two posts above this one are the controls. But I'll copy and paste it here anyways:

Controls:
---------------
Arrow Keys - Moves ship
Space - Fire (hold down for autofire)
Numpad - Moves Camera
Mouse - Free looking camera
F12 - Snapshot
Esc - Exits the program after it fades out.

[Jacob Roman]

All set. It's uploaded. If there's a problem let me know and I'll fix it.

[Mc Brain]

Okay. Lets get this straight. You want to be a programmer when you grow up right? "Right". Well, you have to learn to make decent programs. It takes time to learn a programming language, and more time to master it. You can't learn a programming language in one day and know how to make a advance game or application.

Programming.

A. Where to Start



Rome wasn't built in a day...

Programming is something that takes time to learn and even more time to master. You can't expect to read one book or take one class and start writing serious applications or games.






You have two options for learning programming:

A) Start in the shallow pool and move to the deep pool later on.



B) Go straight to the deep pool and try to hold yourself up using flotation devices.



I have friends that have tried starting out with programming languages such as Pascal/Turbo Pascal, Delphi, and Java and transitioned to C++ and Visual Basic. I found this way of learning to be a waste of time, considering I knew where I wanted to be before I started learning programming. So, I started out with visual basic.



If you are bad at organization and logic, you might want to try a higher level language such as Delphi before attempting to tackle C++. Delphi and C++ are structurally similar, so you will get the hang of C++ if you spent time learning Delphi.

In the event that you choose to take this route, I recommend downloading Game Maker. Game Maker is basically a development kit for people who are at entry level and want to learn the fundamentals of game creation. It was written in Delphi and includes its own scripting language in addition to using Delphi.

www.gamemaker.nl



B. Resources and Source Code

* http://www.devshed.com
* http://www.vbcode.com (source code)
* http://www.programmingtutorials.com
* http://www.programmersheaven.com
* http://www.pscode.com
* http://rookscape.com/vbgaming/ (physics related programming stuff, good for making games with vb 6.0)

Okay, now the coding part.

So what would a beginner like to make? Lets start with a classic Hello World application.

Command1_Button
MsgBox ("Hello World")
End Sub

This code means if you press the button you created, it will pop up the message "Hello World!". Remember, if you want to make a message always USE THE PARENTHESIS! If you get into a habit of not using the parenthesis, it will hurt you in the future! And remember, anything that is in parenthesis will be the text the your program will make. So if you put

Print "How are you?"

In a button, when you press the button it will make the text "How are you" at 00 xy axis. But heres another thing.

There are many methods to do this, heres another one.

A = "How are you?" 
Print A

This can be another method, its both the same thing. Now, moving onto numbers. Heres the tricky part (for beginners).

NEVER DO THIS. ALOT OF PEOPLE MAKE BIG MISTAKES JUST BY MISTAKING THESE.

A = "5"
Print "A"

Guess what this code does? Okay so you want it to print the number 5 right? But instead it prints A because like i said, anything in quotes "" will be printed. It doesn't matter if you put "5" because you put "A" also, and you told it to print "A" instead of 5. To fix this error, what do you think we should do?

A = "5"
Print A

If you were thinking about getting rid of the quotes "" around A, you're right. Now the program will print 5 instead of A.

Alright now that you got a little better, lets move on.

More Advance Stuff

Now we're going to make a calculator. What kind? Add, Subtract, Multiply, and Divide.

Coding this calculator will make a big difference for you, in the future.

Private Sub Command1_Click()
//to add
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
a = Text1.Text
b = Text2.Text
Label4.Caption = Text1.Text + Text2.Text 
//to subtract
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
a = Text1.Text
b = Text2.Text
Label4.Caption = Text1.Text - Text2.Text
//to multiply
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
a = Text1.Text
b = Text2.Text
Label4.Caption = Text1.Text * Text2.Text
//to divide
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
a = Text1.Text
b = Text2.Text
Label4.Caption = Text1.Text / Text2.Text

End Sub

ALright, remember, + = add, - = subtract, *=multiply, and /=divide

So take a look at the code above. I made 1 button, 8 textboxes, and 4 labels. The button is the most important, it is used to calculate. The button contains the most code.

So the label4.caption is where the answer will be printed. Text1.Text and Text2.Text are important too, its where you put the 2 values to add/subtract/multiply/divide.

So if Text1.Text + Text2.Text, those 2 values are added
if Text1.Text - Text2.Text, those 2 values are subtracted
if Text1.Text * Text2.Text, those 2 values are multiplied
if Text2.Text / Text2.Text, those 2 values are divided.

Thank you for your time reading this, please be successful for whatever you do, you're brain is the most important part, use it or lose it. You need a brain to make good programs, and i also alot of patience. May your wishes come true, and again, be successful in life. I hope this tutorial will wipe out some questions.

-DopeyGuy123


This tutorial was created by DopeyGuy123

Trimmed text...

Command1_Button
MsgBox ("Hello World")
End Sub

What?? I wouldn't post a tutorial (FOR BEGGINERS!!) which first example is wrong!! It should have been:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
MsgBox ("Hello World")
End Sub

Besides... I don't approve your explanation about the parenthesis. You can do a MsgBox without parenthesis... but don't expect any integer retrieved because you would be calling it as a Sub instead of as a function.

[DopeyGuy123]

Trimmed text...

What?? I wouldn't post a tutorial (FOR BEGGINERS!!) which first example is wrong!! It should have been:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
MsgBox ("Hello World")
End Sub

Besides... I don't approve your explanation about the parenthesis. You can do a MsgBox without parenthesis... but don't expect any integer retrieved because you would be calling it as a Sub instead of as a function.

I know you could do msgbox without parenthesis, but i just said it would hurt u in the future. Btw,

Private Sub Command1_Click()
MsgBox ("Hello World")
End Sub

thats what i put...-.-

read my post carefully man..

[Jacob Roman]

I PMed ya DopeyGuy123. So what do ya think of my game so far?

[DopeyGuy123]

I PMed ya DopeyGuy123. So what do ya think of my game so far?

i dont know.....where do i download it?

[Jacob Roman]

www.angelfire.com/fl5/memorydll/index.html

It's R-Type_3D.zip

[Mc Brain]

I know you could do msgbox without parenthesis, but i just said it would hurt u in the future. Btw,

Private Sub Command1_Click()
MsgBox ("Hello World")
End Sub

thats what i put...-.-

No, you put:

Command1_Button
MsgBox ("Hello World")
End Sub

-------------------------------------------------------------------

read my post carefully man..

I've read it several times already... and is still wrong!! I think you should read your post carefully, man

[DopeyGuy123]

No, you put:

Command1_Button
MsgBox ("Hello World")
End Sub

-------------------------------------------------------------------
I've read it several times already... and is still wrong!! I think you should read your post carefully, man

haha its about the same thing. They will know where to put the code. If you dont know what code to put in, just put in

MsgBox (Hello World")

Put dat in your command button. Its simple.

[|2eM!x]

well, if your gonna make a tutorial, make it right

[DopeyGuy123]

well, if your gonna make a tutorial, make it right

I thought those code won't matter? Btw, i just told them what code to put in and where to put in so,


=D

[Mc Brain]

haha its about the same thing. They will know where to put the code. If you dont know what code to put in, just put in

MsgBox (Hello World")

Put dat in your command button. Its simple.

The opening quotes are missing and would raise the following error:

---------------------------
Microsoft Visual Basic
---------------------------
Compile error:

Syntax error
---------------------------
Ok Help
---------------------------

If you want to help begginers... help them correctly.

jejeje I think I just want to argue a little

[Jacob Roman]

So Dopeyguy123, have you been able to find the download on my page?

[DopeyGuy123]

So Dopeyguy123, have you been able to find the download on my page?

srry but im just real busy right now, im working on something.

[UTGrim]

All set. It's uploaded. If there's a problem let me know and I'll fix it.

Hey, dude. Tried your game, but it doesn't seem to work, or at least on Win98... A message box pops up asking if I want it fullscreen. I clicked on yes, it changed the resolution, then changed it back. That happened the first time I ran it and then it didn't do it again (doesn't change the res at all). There's just a blank form sitting there.

Saw the source code... lol. Too complex for me.

[DopeyGuy123]

Btw, im not interested in making games in vb 6.0

If i want to make games, i'll use game maker 6.0 reg version thank you

www.gamemaker.nl

Its not n00b, it has a advance version where u need to code in delphi. It rockz

You can make first person shooter games, and multiplayer games.

[Jacob Roman]

Hey, dude. Tried your game, but it doesn't seem to work, or at least on Win98... A message box pops up asking if I want it fullscreen. I clicked on yes, it changed the resolution, then changed it back. That happened the first time I ran it and then it didn't do it again (doesn't change the res at all). There's just a blank form sitting there.

Saw the source code... lol. Too complex for me.

Do you even have DirectX8?

It works on my computer which uses Windows ME. The reason you think it was blank was because it fades from black to the game .

[DopeyGuy123]

Do you even have DirectX8?

It works on my computer which uses Windows ME. The reason you think it was blank was because it fades from black to the game .

I don't think so, and i have windows xp.

[Jacob Roman]

I don't think so, and i have windows xp.

Not you. I was talking to UTGrim. XP already comes with DirectX 7 & 8

[UTGrim]

Do you even have DirectX8?

It works on my computer which uses Windows ME. The reason you think it was blank was because it fades from black to the game .

Hmm... I dunno. lol. Probably not. This computer is pretty old. How can I find out?

[DopeyGuy123]

Hmm... I dunno. lol. Probably not. This computer is pretty old. How can I find out?

download directx8 from www.gunbound.net

=] Try it

[Jacob Roman]

And if you want to learn how to use DirectX in VB, the SDK's are located here at 18. in the first post:

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=280609

[Mc Brain]

It doesn't work. It asks me if I want to go fullscreen... but it opens a blank form and nothing else.

[DopeyGuy123]

forget about the game. Lets get back to the tutorial and comments, so how well or poor i did.

[Mc Brain]

It doesn't work. It asks me if I want to go fullscreen... but it opens a blank form and nothing else.

It works if I select no, but what do I suppose to do?

[DopeyGuy123]

It works if I select no, but what do I suppose to do?

just forget about it man...your posting off-topic stuff. We were talking about a tutorial, now, we're talking about games. If you want the answer to your question, pm Jacob Roman.

[Jacob Roman]

I knew this thread would get moved. See, didn't I tell you

[DopeyGuy123]

I knew this thread would get moved. See, didn't I tell you

yea because i pmed martin. Now i know this tut is the right place to be.

[Jacob Roman]

I think I know what the problem is with the Fullscreen mode. Your card doesn't support that screen resolution. In IDE mode, change the Fullscreen_Width, Fullscreen_Height, and the Color_Bit to whichever resolution your card supports. They will be located in the Game_Engine module in the Main_Loop sub

Right now it's currently this:

Fullscreen_Width = 1024
    Fullscreen_Height = 768
    Color_Bit = 32

Ok now we can get back on the topic of beginner stuff.

[Mc Brain]

My screen is configured in 1024x768 - True Color (32 bit)... so it supports this resolution.

[Jacob Roman]

In my code, try changing the resolution to 640x480x32 and it should work fine.

[Mc Brain]

In my code, try changing the resolution to 640x480x32 and it should work fine.

It works in that resolution (is the same as if I answered "No").

[szlamany]

Why in the world is this rambling thread with errors and inconsistencies in the Code Bank?

Never, ever do this:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
a = Text1.Text
b = Text2.Text
Label4.Caption = Text1.Text - Text2.Text

Coercion is when you let the language move values from one data type to another - that do not match.

The code should be written as:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
a = CInt(Text1.Text)
b = CInt(Text2.Text)
Label4.Caption = CStr(a - b)

[Jacob Roman]

I'm guessing the moral of the story is to never ever let a noobie programmer write a tutorial for noobies.

Otherwise those noobies will never learn from their mistakes unless told by an even better programmer. Leave the tutorial writing to the pros (people who actually have lots of experience and know what they are doing.)

[RobDog888]

Just thought I would clear this up for any n00bs that may read this thread.
The MsgBox funtion has other arguments also. You can specify the buttons and message icon. As well as provide a title caption.

As for the parenthesis, you can not use them if your not returning a response.

The correct ways:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    MsgBox "Hello World", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "Beginner Tutorial"
End Sub
 
'And if returning a value:
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Dim iResp As Integer
    iResp = MsgBox("Do you like this tutorial?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "Beginner Tutorial")
    If iResp = vbYes Then
        MsgBox "You liked it", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "Beginner Tutorial"
    Else
        MsgBox "Sorry it was not up to your standards!", vbOKOnly + vbExclamation, "Beginner Tutorial"
    End If
End Sub

I hope this clears things up for you.