Hi Kelly, The big difference between writing those what they call console applications and Windows applications is that we used to spend a lot of time programming the interface, where things appear on the screen, how to capture input, where to put prompts and all that stuff. More commonly, when developers write Windows applications they set up the screens first. These will be buttons, ComboBoxes, List boxes, Text Edit fields and so on, all those so-called controls and including the menus. You can creat the look and feel of an application that way before writing one bit of code rather nice when showing something to a prospective client. Once you have the screens, known as forms in the trade, you then begin programming the logic and flow behind them. You never have to know how to put a ComboBox together, where to place the cursor, how to edit the text someone enters or what to do when they press delete or backspace, all that is done for you. You do need to know how many items are there, which one is in focus but the control will tell you that. Once it does it is up to you to act on that information with your code. Being event driven Windows looks for events like opening a form, closing it, pressing a button, moving a mouse, that sort of thing. Your code then responds to those events which is a little different to how you code in console mode or under DOS. I hope this helps and doesn't muddy the water further. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada DLeavens@xxxxxxx Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob J." <rjustice004@xxxxxxxxxx> To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 5:25 PM Subject: Re: Questions Regarding Getting Started in Programming > Hello Kelly, > > I'm one of the Visual BASIC advocates--mainly because program development is > easier and faster than any other language that I have used. I use VB6 but I > don't know if you would have much luck in finding a copy of that version. > > I use some Jaws scripts for the IDE that I found somewhere and they make it > very easy to add the buttons and boxes to the user interface. I also have a > plain text version of a book named VB6 for Dummies which was very helpful > for learning how to write VB6 programs. > > I use the VB6 IDE to establish the necessary files for a program and then I > edit those files with my own code using notePad. Then I use the IDE to > compile those files into an executible. > > hth > > Bob > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Kelly Sapergia" <ksapergia@xxxxxxxxxxx> > To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 10:46 AM > Subject: Re: Questions Regarding Getting Started in Programming > > > >>Hi Chris, > It's definitely an idea. Is there a good VB compiler > for Windows? Also, how do you go about writing a program that uses a > GUI or controls like buttons, edit boxes, etc. as a text file? I > haven't seen any source code for VB programs before, so I'm wondering > if there are any good sites for studying this? I think my problem is > that I'm getting too eager and want to jump right in and write something. > Thanks. > > > Yours Sincerely, > Kelly John Sapergia > Personal Website: http://www.ksapergia.net > Need to relax and unwind? Listen to "Northern Lights", Thursdays from > 01:00 to 03:00 GMT (Wednesdays in North America) on ACB (American > Council of the Blind) Radio Interactive at http://interactive.acbradio.org > Visit the show's website at http://nl.ksapergia.net > If you need jingles, voiceovers and music for your project at an > affordable price, visit KJS Productions at: http://www.kjsproductions.com > > __________ > View the list's information and change your settings at > //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind > > __________ > View the list's information and change your settings at > //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind > > __________ View the list's information and change your settings at //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind