Practicals Week 1 Opening the software Launcher/finder -> Virtual box -> Machine -> Add -> User/Shared/VBoxms/vm-stu-mlabxx/ .vbox ->Start General Vm as a guest on the host/main machine can be slower Visual studio 2010 -> VB Prototypes -> easy to make simulations the end product, with no real functionality Coursework Design using real-life concepts e.g. buttons, radio buttons so is more intuitive Create a prototyped system for mobile and desktop VB View -> Toolbox (ctrl + alt + X) Project -> Add -> Window form Me.hide() Formx.show() Week 2 Start with paper based design All the forms Type and position of all the controls Links between all the forms Interaction between the controls Create interface prototype Create a new project in VB Add all the planned forms and controls Code interface prototype Link forms with name.show() me.hide() Link data entry to controls’ proterties Form.control.variable = value Week 3 Common dialog XDialog.showDialog() file open, file save: filename property color picker: color property font dialog: font property print dialog: document, print to file, print setup: document property Timers Timer -> Enable -> interval prop 100 Static count as Integer Textbox1.Text = count Count = count + 1 Moving images Picturebox1.top = count Picturebox1.left = count

Lectures

Week 1

Usability Designer view may differ a lot from the user Hence use prototypes to show product result before too late to change Prototypes are quick and dirty using smoke and mirror tricks Coursework Design an integrated system with mobile and desktop Create a 4k write up documenting the design of the prototype Submitted on moodle (maximum file size) Include: High fidelity software prototypes Low fidelity paper interface designs Need an idea by 12th Dec

Week 3

Create exe Debug – big and slow to run but very robust Release – smaller but not as robust, more chance to error Usability User should never be abel to make a mistake Hide the control the don’t need to use at that time from them Make it intuitive and easy to use Always allow them to undo, turn back and recover so never trapped by mistake Timers Can be used to simulate dealys from user input or loading Trigger an animation or change Can count interval within the code Code Block scope Lifetime of variables until end sub unless static Rand Int (x * Rad()) X = max + 1 //since int() floors Other Left, Right, Mid, Instr, Len Format$ WebBrowser.navigate (http address) Dialogs are from the operating system not the .net library