Book excerpt: You can get there Where do you want to go? You might already be working in the information technology field and may be looking to expand your skills. You might be setting out on a new career path. Or, you might want to learn more about exciting opportunities in computer programming. Wherever you want to go, Introduction to Programming Using Visual Basic will help you get there. Easy-to-read, practical, and up-to-date, this text not only helps you learn the fundamental concepts of programming with Visual Basic, it also helps you master the core competencies and skills you need to succeed in the classroom and in the real world. The book's brief, modular format and variety of built-in learning resources enable you to learn at your own pace and focus your studies. With this book, you will be able to: * Understand the fundamentals of programming using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and Microsoft Visual Basic 2005, from the ground up * Break down what a program should do into steps and write code that describes those steps to the compiler * Use variables, constants, and operators to store and perform operations on data within a program * Save time with reusable code * Use arrays and collections to manage lists of data * Design an effective, easy-to-use user interface * Apply object-oriented programming to build your own classes and use them in your projects * Access relational data in an application * Read data from and write data to files using Visual Basic * Debug and handle exceptions in an application * Deploy an application * Build a Web application with Visual Basic, ASP.Net, and HTML. Wiley Pathways helps you achieve your goals Not every student is on the same path, but every student wants to succeed. The Information Technology series in the new Wiley Pathways imprint helps you achieve your goals. The books in this series--Introduction to Databases, Introduction to Programming Using Visual Basic, Introduction to Operating Systems, Networking Basics, Windows Network Administration, Network Security Fundamentals, and PC Hardware Essentials--offer a coordinated information technology curriculum. Learn more at www.wiley.com/go/pathways