Visual Basic for Beginners

What is Visual Basic?

Visual Basic (VB) is a programming language created by Microsoft. It is known for being easy to learn, especially for beginners. Visual Basic lets you create Windows applications using simple, readable English-like commands.

Why Learn Visual Basic?

• Easy to understand syntax.
• Great for learning programming fundamentals.
• Used for simple applications, tools, and office automation.
• Part of the .NET family (VB.NET) for building modern applications.

Your First Visual Basic Program

Here is a simple example written in VB.NET that prints a message on the screen:

Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Console.WriteLine("Hello, Visual Basic!")
    End Sub
End Module
      

Common Visual Basic Commands

• Console.WriteLine — displays text onscreen
• Dim — creates a variable
• If...Then — makes decisions
• For Each — repeats actions

Example: Variables and Math

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim a As Integer = 5
        Dim b As Integer = 3
        Dim result As Integer = a + b

        Console.WriteLine("The result is: " & result)
    End Sub
End Module
      

Beginner Example: If…Then Decision

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim age As Integer = 16

        If age >= 18 Then
            Console.WriteLine("You are an adult.")
        Else
            Console.WriteLine("You are a minor.")
        End If
    End Sub
End Module
      

Beginner Example: Looping Through Items

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim fruits() As String = {"Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"}

        For Each fruit In fruits
            Console.WriteLine("Fruit: " & fruit)
        Next
    End Sub
End Module
      

Beginner Example: Simple Function

Module Program
    Function AddNumbers(a As Integer, b As Integer) As Integer
        Return a + b
    End Function

    Sub Main()
        Dim result As Integer = AddNumbers(4, 6)
        Console.WriteLine("The total is: " & result)
    End Sub
End Module
      

How to Start Learning

1. Download and install Visual Studio Community.
2. Create a new "Console App (VB.NET)" project.
3. Copy and paste the example code above.
4. Press F5 to run your program!