Improve Your Coding

This is a small 'guide' on how to improve your coding and make it more clear. You can keep the overview, following these tips.

Rename your controls

This is important to actually keep your code clean.

Do not keep the default control names like Button1/Textbox1.

Rename them.

Textbox1 = txtResult
Button1 = cmdCalculate

You can now easily recognize your events in your code, instead of having to search them.

Comment your code

This is obvious. You may forget stuff later on, therefore you can just add comments into your code.

Code:

'Comment here

Use your datatypes correctly

Code:

Dim int as integer = "5"
Dim str as string = "Sample Text"

txtResult.text = int

Integer <> String. Therefore the correct way is:

Code:

Dim int as integer = 5

Shorten your code

Instead of writing:

Code:

txtResult.text = txtResult.text + int

You better use:

Code:

txtResult.text += int

Using

Code:

Dim str as IO.Streamreader = New Streamreader("C:\test.txt")

txtResult.text = str.readtoend

str.dispose

Code:

Using str as new Io.Streamreader("C:\test.txt")

txtResult.text = str.readtoend

End Using

Case instead of If

Code:

If txtResult.text = "a" Then
Msgbox("Newb")
End if

If txtResult.Text = "b" Then
Msgbox("Newbie")
End if

If txtResult.text = "c" Then
Msgbox("Noob")
End if

Code:

Select Case txtresult.Text

Case "a"
Msgbox("Newb")

Case "b"
Msgbox("Newbie")

Case "c"
Msgbox("PM Me xD")

If-Structures

If condition Then
[statements]
ElseIf condition Then
[statements]
Else
[statements]
End If

Code:

If textbox1.text = "HakerDz"
'do something
elseif Textbox1.text = "HakerDz"
'do something else
else 'if it's neither HakerDz nor HakerDz
'something
end if

Using Case...

Code:

Select Case Textbox1.Text
Case "meh"
'do something
Case "Duh"
'do something else
Case Else
'something
end select

Code:

If Textbox1.text <> "" then 'if it's not empty
end if

If not...

Code:

If not textbox1.text = "" then
end if

Declare your own Subs/Function
You may have a lot of repetitive code. Therefore, you can shorten your code a lot by building functions or subs.

Structure

Code:

Dim firstPos as point
Dim firstDir as string
Dim firstFrame as integer

Dim secondPos as point
Dim secondDir as string
Dim secondFrame as integer

Dim thirdPos as point
Dim thirdDir as string
Dim thirdFrame as integer

Code:

Structure meh
Dim Pos As Point
Dim Dir As String
Dim Frame As Integer
end structure

dim first as meh
dim second as meh
dim third as meh

Booleans

Code:

Dim b as boolean 'by default the boolean is FALSE

Code:

If b = true then
'do something
end if

If b = false Then
'do something
end if

Code:

if b then 'true
'do something
else 'false
'do something
end if

Try-Catch
To avoid your program from closing when an error appears, you can use Try-Catch Blocks.

Code:

Try
Timer.Value = txtResult.Text 'user may enter a letter instead of a number
Catch ex as exception
Msgbox(ex.Tostring) 'optional
End try

However, do not use them if they are not necessary.

Code:

Try
Timer.Value = nudValue.Value 'NumericUpDown
Catch ex as exception
end try

Regions
You can use Regions to make your code more clear.

Code:

#Region "Settings"

  Private Sub spStartup_CheckedChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles spStartup.CheckedChanged
    if spstartup then
  my.settings.spStartup = true 'run singleplayer on startup
  my.settings.save
  end if 
End sub

  Private Sub mpStartup_CheckedChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles mpStartup.CheckedChanged
    if spstartup then
  my.settings.mpStartup = true 'run multiplayer on startup
  my.settings.save
  end if 
End sub   

#End region