Chapter 1

Visual Basic is used to provide solutions for the needs of home, business, industry, and the scientific community.

Visual Basic is used to interact and control other applications, like Microsoft Access, Excel, and Word.

The CPU is the central processing unit of the computer. The CPU runs programs and manipulates data.

RAM is random access memory. This memory holds programs that boot up the computer.

ROM, or read-only memory, permanently stor es programs that boot up the computer.

Memory records information using the binary number system, a system that uses only 0's and 1's.

Each location in memory has an address, sometimes expressed in binary.

A floppy disk, hard drive, and CD-ROM disk are examples of external storage.

Video and sound cards, printers, scanners, and modems are examples of peripheral devices, which are devices connected to the computer.

Loading programs means copying programs from external storage to RAM. Running programs means executing a program line by line from memory by the CPU.

Windows can be minimized, maximized, and, once altered, restored.

Windows can be moved and resized with mouse clicks and drags.

Text is manipulated with mouse clicks, menu choices, or keyboard commands. Text can be copied, cut, and pasted.

Files are manipulated with the Program and File Manager programs. Directories can be created and removed. Files can be created, deleted, copied, and moved.

Computer languages have evolved from languages best understood by machines, or low-level languages, to languages easily understood by people, or high-level languages.

Procedural programming assumes every problem can be solved with a predictable step-by-step solution. The solution is always under machine control.

Event-driven programming solves problems by handling events caused by the user and the computer environment. Many events are user initiated.