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Techniques of Using Variables
 

Characters and Strings
 

Characters

A character can be a letter, a digit, any readable or non-readable symbol that can be represented. To declare a variable that would hold a character, use the Char data type. Here is an example:

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim Letter As Char
    End Sub

End Module

When declaring a Char variable, if you don't initialize it, the compiler does it with an empty character. Otherwise, after declaring a Char variable, you can initialize it with a single character included in double-quotes. Here is an example:

 
Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim Letter As Char

        Letter = "W"
    End Sub

End Module

To indicate that the value of the variable must be treated as Char, when initializing it, you can type c or C on the right side of the double-quoted value. Here is an example:

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim Letter As Char

        Letter = "W"c
    End Sub

End Module

To convert a value to Char, you can call CChar().

Strings

A string is an empty text, a letter, a word or a group of words considered "as is". To declare a string variable, you can use the String data type. Here is an example: 

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim Sentence As String
    End Sub

End Module

If you want, you can replace the AS String expression with the $ symbol when declaring a string variable. This can be done as follows: 

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim Sentence$
    End Sub

End Module

After declaring a String variable, by default, the compiler initializes it with an empty string. Otherwise, you can initialize it with a string of your choice. To do this, include the string between double quotes. Here is an example:

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim Sentence$

        Sentence$ = "He called me"
    End Sub

End Module

If you want to include a double-quote character in the string, you can double it. Here is an example: 

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim Sentence$

        Sentence$ = "Then she said, ""I don't love you no more."" and I left"
        MsgBox(Sentence)
    End Sub

End Module

This would produce:

To convert a value to a string, call CStr() and enter the value or the expression in its parentheses. If the value is an appropriate date or time, CStr() would produces a string that represents that date or that time value.

Practical Learning:  Using Strings
 
  1. Start Microsoft Visual Basic
  2. To create a new application, on the main menu, click File -> New -> Project or File -> New Project
  3. In the Templates list, click Console Application
  4. Set the Name to YugoNationalBank2 and click OK
  5. To use a few string variables, change the program as follows:
       
    Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim CustomerName As String
	Dim AccountNumber As String
        Dim InitialDeposit As Double
 	Dim Withdrawals As Double
        Dim CurrentBalance As Double
        Dim Result As String
        Dim strDeposit As String
	Dim strWithdrawals As String

        CustomerName   = InputBox("Enter Customer Name:")
        AccountNumber  = InputBox("Enter Account #:")
        strDeposit     = InputBox("Enter Initial Deposit:")
        strWithdrawals = InputBox("Enter total withdrawals:")

        InitialDeposit = CDbl(strDeposit)
        Withdrawals    = CDbl(strWithdrawals)
        CurrentBalance = InitialDeposit - Withdrawals

        Result = " =-= Yugo National Bank =-=" & vbCrLf & _
                 "Customer Name:   " & CustomerName & vbCrLf & _
                 "Account Number:  " & AccountNumber & vbCrLf & _
                 "Deposits:       $" & InitialDeposit & vbCrLf & _
                 "Withdrawals:    $" & Withdrawals & vbCrLf & _
                 "Current Balance: $" & CurrentBalance

        MsgBox(Result)
    End Sub

End Module
  6. Execute the application and provide the requested values. Here is an example:
     
  7. Return to your programming environment

Dates and Times

A date is a numeric value that represents the number of days that have elapsed since a determined period. A time is a numeric value that represents the number of seconds that have elapsed in a day.

To declare a variable that can hold either date values, time values, or both, you can use the Date data type. After the variable has been declared, you will configure it to the appropriate value. Here are two examples: 

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim DateOfBirth As Date
        Dim KickOffTime As Date
    End Sub
End Module

As mentioned above, the Date data type is used for both date and time. Like the other values, there are rules you must observe when dealing with date and time values. The rules are defined in the Regional Settings Properties of the Control Panel of the computer on which the application is run. The rules for the dates are defined in the Date property page:

The rules for the time values are defined in the Time property page:

When using date and time values in your applications, you should not change these rules because the application will refer to them when it is installed in someone else's computer.

By default, a Date variable is initialized with January 1st, 0001 at midnight as the starting value. After declaring a Date variable, you can initialize it with an appropriate date or time or date and time value. The value can be included in double-quotes. Here is an example: 

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim DateOfBirth As Date

        DateOfBirth = "08/14/1982"
        MsgBox(DateOfBirth)
    End Sub

End Module

If you intend to use only a date value for a Date variable, its corresponding time part would be set to midnight of the same date. Based on this, the above program would produce: 

8/14/1982 12:00:00 AM

If you intend to use only a time value for your Date variable, the date part of the variable would be set to January 1st, 0001.

A Date value can also be included between two # signs. Here is an example: 

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim DateOfBirth As Date
        Dim KickOffTime As Date

        DateOfBirth = "08/14/1982"
        KickOffTime = #6:45:00 PM#
        MsgBox(DateOfBirth)
        MsgBox(KickOffTime)
    End Sub

End Module

To convert a value to a date or a time value, write an appropriate date or a recognizable time in the parentheses of CDate(). If the value is appropriate, CDate() produces a Date value.

Object

An Object can be any type of data that you want to use in your program. In most cases, but sparingly, it can be used to declare a variable of any type. Here are examples:

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim CountryName As Object
        Dim NumberOfPages As Object
        Dim UnitPrice As Object

        CountryName = "Australia"
        NumberOfPages = 744
        UnitPrice = 248.95

        MsgBox(CountryName)
        MsgBox(NumberOfPages)
        MsgBox(UnitPrice)
    End Sub

End Module

If you don't specify a data type or can't figure out what data type you want to use, you can use the Object data type. As you can see from the result of the above program, the vbc compiler knows how to convert the value of any Object variable to the appropriate type. On the other hand, to convert a value or an expression to the Object type, you can use CObj().

Constants
 

Introduction

A constant is a value that doesn't change. There are two types of constants you will use in your programs: those supplied to you and those you define yourself.

To create a constant to use in your program type the Const keyword followed by a name for the variable, followed by the assignment operator "=", and followed by the value that the constant will hold. Here is an example:

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Const DateOfBirth = #12/5/1974#

        MsgBox(DateOfBirth)
    End Sub
End Module

When defining a constant like this, the compiler would know the type of data to apply to the variable. In this case the DateOfBirth constant holds a Date value. Still, to be more explicit, you can indicate the type of value of the constant by following its name with the As keyword and the desired data type. Based on this, the above program would be:

Inports System

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Const DateOfBirth As Date = #12/5/1974#

        Console.Write("Date of Birth: ")
        Console.WriteLine(DateOfBirth)
    End Sub
End Module

As mentioned earlier, the second category of constants are those that are built in the VBasic language. Because there are many of them and used in different circumstances, when we need one, we will introduce and then use it.

Nothing

So far, to initialize a variable, we were using a known value. Alternatively, you can use the Nothing constant to initialize a variable, simply indicating that it holds a value that is not (yet) defined. Here is an example:

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim DateOfBirth As Date = Nothing

    End Sub

End Module

If you use the Nothing keyword to initialize a variable, the variable is actually initialized to the default value of its type. For example, a number would be assigned 0, a date would be assigned January 1, 0001 at midnight.

The Scope and Lifetime of a Variable 
 

Local Variables

The scope of a variable determines the areas of code where the variable is available. You may have noticed that, so far, we declared all our variables only inside of Main(). Actually, the VBasic language allows you to declare variables outside of Main() (and outside of a particular procedure).

A variable declared inside of a procedure such as Main() is referred to as a local variable. Such as variable cannot be accessed by another part (such as another procedure) of the program.

Global Variables

A variable that is declared outside of any procedure is referred to as global. To declare a global variable, use the same formula as we have done so far. For example, just above the Sub Main() line, you can type Dim, followed by the name of the variable, the As keyword, its type and an optional initialization. Here is an example:

Module Module1

    Dim DateOfBirth As Date

    Sub Main()
        
    End Sub

End Module

As mentioned above, you can initialize the global variable when or after declaring it. Here are two examples:

Module Module1

    Dim UnitPrice As Double
    Dim DateOfBirth As Date = #12/5/1974#

    Sub Main()
        UnitPrice = 24.95
        MsgBox(DateOfBirth)
        MsgBox(UnitPrice)
    End Sub

End Module

As we will see when studying procedures, a global variable can be accessed by any other procedure (or even class) of the same file. In most cases, a global variable must be declared inside of a module, that is, between the Module ModName and the End Module lines but outside of a procedure. Based on this, such a variable is said to have module scope because it is available to anything inside of that module.

Details on Declaring Variables
 

Declaring a Series of Variables

Because a program can use different variables, you can declare each variable on its own line. Here is an example:

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim NumberOfPages As Integer
        Dim TownName As String
        Dim IsUppercase As Boolean
        Dim MagazinePrice As Double
    End Sub
End Module

It is important to know that different variables can be declared with the same data type as in the following example:

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim NumberOfPages As Integer
        Dim Category As Integer
        Dim IsUppercase As Boolean
        Dim MagazinePrice As Double
    End Sub
End Module

When two variables use the same data type, instead of declaring each on its own line, you can declare two or more of these variables on the same line. There are two techniques you can use:

  • You can write the names of both variables on the same line, separated by a comma, and ending the line with the common data type:
      
    Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim NumberOfPages, Category As Integer
        Dim IsUppercase As Boolean
        Dim MagazinePrice As Double
    End Sub
End Module

    In this case, both variables NumberOfPages and Category, are the same type, Integer
  • You can also declare, on the same line, variables that use different data types. To do this, type the Dim keyword followed by the variable name and its data type with the As keyword. Then type a comma, followed by the other variable(s) and data type(s). Here is an example
      
    Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim NumberOfPages, Category As Integer
        Dim IsUppercase As Boolean, MagazinePrice As Double
    End Sub
End Module

    In this case, the IsUppercase is of Boolean type while the MagazinePrice is a Double

Read-Only Variables

We have indicated that when a variable is declared, it receives a default initialization unless you decide you specify its value. Whether such a variable has been initialized or not, at any time, you can change its value by reassigning it a new one. Here is an example:

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        ' Initializing a variable when declaring it
        Dim Number As Double = 155.82
        MsgBox(Number)

        ' Changing the value of a variable after using it
        Number = 46008.39
        MsgBox(Number)
    End Sub

End Module

In the same way, we saw that a variable could be declared at module scope outside of Main() and then initialize or change its value when judged necessary. Here is an example:


Module Module1

    Dim UnitPrice As Double
    Dim DateOfBirth As Date = #12/5/1974#
    Dim Number As Double

    Sub Main()
        ' Initializing a variable
        Number = 155.82
        MsgBox(Number)

        ' Changing the value of a variable after using it
        Number = 46008.39
        MsgBox(Number)
    End Sub

End Module

When declaring a variable, as the programmer, you should have an idea of how you want to use the variable and what type of values the variable should hold. In some cases, you may want the variable to hold a constant value and not be able to change it. We saw earlier that such a variable could be declared as a constant. An alternative is to declare it with the ReadOnly keyword. While a constant variable can be declared locally, a ReadOnly variable cannot. It must be declared globally.

As done for a constant, when declaring a ReadOnly variable, you should initialize. If you don't, the compiler would assign the default value based on its type. For example, a numeric-based variable would be initialized with 0 and a String variable would be initialized with an empty string. As done so far, to initialize the variable, use the assignment operator followed by the desired value.

Like a constant, after declaring and optionally initializing a ReadOnly variable, you cannot change its value. Based on this, the following code would produce an error:

Module Module1

    Dim UnitPrice As Double
    Dim DateOfBirth As Date = #12/5/1974#
    ReadOnly Number As Double = 155.82

    Sub Main()
        ' Initializing a variable
        Number = 155.82
        MsgBox(Number)

        ' Changing the value of a variable after using it
        Number = 46008.39 ' Error: You cannot assign a value to
        '                   a ReadOnly variable after initializing it
        MsgBox(Number)
    End Sub

End Module

This means that a ReadOnly variable must be assigned a value once, when initializing it.

 
 
 
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