What is Visual Basic, and where can I find more information about it?

Visual Basic (VB) is a widely used programming language developed by Microsoft and based on earlier Basic implementations such as QBasic/QuickBasic. It exists in three distinct forms:

• Visual Basic stand-alones: This is the Visual Basic development environment used by programmers to build DOS and Windows applications. A number of different versions are in this product line, including separate versions for DOS and Windows.
  
  
• Visual Basic for Applications (VBA): Microsoft includes VBA with many of its Windows and Macintosh applications, notably Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. VBA is a shared library that VB-aware applications can use to augment their capabilities. With it, you can script macros that automate tasks and even combine the functions of programs.
  
  
• Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript): VBScript is a subset of Visual Basic designed for use on the web, offered as an alternative to JavaScript and as a means of accessing ActiveX controls and Java applets.

You can find more information about Visual Basic at these resources:

• The SearchWinDevelopment page
• The Microsoft Visual Basic page
• The Microsoft VBScript page
• Visual Basic newsgroups, including:
  • comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
  • comp.lang.basic.visual.3rdparty
  • comp.lang.basic.visual.announce
  • comp.lang.basic.visual.database

Also see:

• What is Delphi, and where can I learn more about it?
• In Windows 2000 and XP, what is Windows Script Host?