Visual Basic Guide
Variables & Data Types
Selection
Iteration/Repetition
Revision & Practice
Procedures & Functions
Built-in Functions
Arrays
Handling Text Files
Standard Algorithms
Validation & Error Handling
Odds & Sods
Pocket Cube
Visual Basic 2010 (Console) Guide
Revision Tasks
If you have been working your way down the hyperlinks of this section, you will have covered all of the techniques needed to write some fairly complex programs. This page has links to materials in Word and WMV format to help with this.
The Basics
These tasks are based on lots of repetition of each technique in short, simple programs.
| Programming 1 | These tasks cover the fundamentals of programming, the most basic things. You will be declaring variables, assigning values, using input and output statements. |
| Programming 2 | These tasks are based on IF statements. |
| Programming 3 | The tasks in this document give you lots of practice with FOR loops. |
| Programming 4 | Brush up on your DO loops with these tasks. |
| Multiply (WMV Video) | The video shows you all of the steps you might follow to make a program that displays multiplication tables. It shows you how you take small steps towards a solution to the problem you are trying to solve. There is no sound. |
Building Confidence
The documents here are tasks with lots of guidance for you. You will be making a longer program in stages.You write a small amount of code for each stage to build up something more complex. Read the instructions carefully and be prepared to use examples, references and programs you have already written to make sure that you write the statements correctly.
| Triangular Numbers | Triangular numbers are a special sequence of numbers in Maths. They are simple to understand and quite easy to generate with a program. This task helps you through the steps for a basic program to produce the numbers. There is an opportunity to explore a little more after you make the main program. |
| Listing Factors | You make a program to list the factors of a number taking small steps at each stage. There are a couple of intersting extensions to this for the more adventurous. This would be good if you like a challenge but need a good warm-up first. |
| Multiplication Grid Resizing The Console | The two documents have the complete instructions for making a times tables grid. Straightforward if you read carefully. |
| Highest Common Factor | This guide has some pseudocode to help you write a program to calculate the highest common factor of 2 numbers and then use the technique to display a fraction in its simplest form. |
| The Dice Game | Brief instructions to guide you through the steps of making a 1 player dice game. The steps each involve only a few lines of extra code. |
| Sum Of Cubes | Using the Scratch code for a program, you write a program that can total up the cubes of numbers from 1 to whatever the user chooses. |
More Challenge
These documents include tasks that are more open-ended in nature or which are based on ideas that are more complex. Try to move beyond the basic task to extend the programs in interesting ways.
| Hangman Game | You make a hangman game and then some variations on the main game. There is some example code to start you off. Then you've got some pseudocode for the tricky bits. There are lots of extra things to do at the end to make the game more interesting. |
| Optimus Prime | Pseudocode and a few challenges based on the sequence of prime numbers. This is a relatively short task and a good way to test yourself. |
| Happy Numbers | The sequence of happy numbers is generated. This is a relatively short algorithm. As an extension, you combine code you wrote to determine if a number is prime and uncover the happy prime numbers. |
| Practical Numbers | Oh, this one is a bit tricky. The algorithm for testing whether or not a number is a practical number is tricky woo. There's some use of arrays, lists and logical operators and some binary involved. It's probably way too hard for you. Why are you even thinking about it? |
| Arithmetic Quiz | There is quite a lot to do with this task. You get some Scratch code to guide you through the more complex parts and some clear stages to follow when devloping the program. There are lots of extensions suggested for you to try out. |
| Solving Equations | You'll find an explanation of how to store the information for a linear equation. There is pseudocode to help write the steps of the program. Part of this task involves improving your understanding of how equations work. |
| Fraction Action | Steps for making a powerful program to use when performing calculations with fractions. This task is quite involved and will need a lot of code. |