VB.NET Basics

VB.NET (Visual Basic .NET) is a language that runs on the .NET platform, just like C#. It compiles to the same Intermediate Language and uses the same Base Class Library, so a VB.NET program can do anything a C# program can. Its syntax is wordier and uses keywords like Dim, End Sub, and Then instead of braces, which some beginners find readable. VB.NET still runs on modern, cross-platform .NET, though for new projects C# is the more widely used and actively evolving choice. Knowing VB.NET basics is useful because plenty of existing business applications are written in it.

A minimal VB.NET program

A VB.NET console app has an explicit module and a Sub Main:

' This is a comment in VB.NET (starts with a single quote).
Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Console.WriteLine("Welcome to VB.NET!")
    End Sub
End Module

Notice there are no semicolons and no curly braces — blocks end with End Sub, End Module, and so on.

Variables

You declare variables with Dim (short for "dimension"), giving a name and a type with As:

Dim age As Integer = 19          ' whole number
Dim marks As Double = 84.5       ' number with a decimal
Dim city As String = "Jalgaon"   ' text
Dim isEnrolled As Boolean = True ' True or False

Console.WriteLine(age)           ' 19
Console.WriteLine(city)          ' Jalgaon

VB.NET is statically typed: once a variable is As Integer, it stays an integer.

Output and input

Console.Write("Enter your name: ")    ' Write keeps the cursor on the same line
Dim name As String = Console.ReadLine()

' & joins strings together (string concatenation).
Console.WriteLine("Hello, " & name & "!")

Console.ReadLine returns text. To work with it as a number, convert it:

Console.Write("Enter your age: ")
Dim input As String = Console.ReadLine()
Dim age As Integer = Integer.Parse(input) ' text -> number
Console.WriteLine("Next year: " & (age + 1))

Operators

Dim a As Integer = 10
Dim b As Integer = 3
Console.WriteLine(a + b)   ' 13
Console.WriteLine(a - b)   ' 7
Console.WriteLine(a * b)   ' 30
Console.WriteLine(a \ b)   ' 3  integer division uses the BACKSLASH
Console.WriteLine(a Mod b) ' 1  remainder

In VB.NET, \ is whole-number division and / gives a decimal result, which is different from C#.

Decisions and loops

Dim score As Integer = 72

' If / ElseIf / Else uses 'Then' and ends with 'End If'.
If score >= 75 Then
    Console.WriteLine("Distinction")
ElseIf score >= 40 Then
    Console.WriteLine("Pass")
Else
    Console.WriteLine("Try again")
End If

' A For loop counts from 1 to 3.
For i As Integer = 1 To 3
    Console.WriteLine("Attempt " & i)
Next
' Output: Attempt 1 / Attempt 2 / Attempt 3

VB.NET uses = for both comparison and assignment (the meaning is clear from context), which differs from C#'s ==.

A simple class

OOP works the same way conceptually as in C#:

Public Class Student
    Public Property Name As String
    Public Property Marks As Integer

    Public Function Grade() As String
        If Marks >= 75 Then
            Return "Distinction"
        Else
            Return "Pass"
        End If
    End Function
End Class

Common mistakes

• Using / for whole-number division. In VB.NET, / returns a Double. Use \ for integer division.
• Forgetting End keywords. Every block (If, Sub, Function, Class) needs its matching End If, End Sub, etc.
• Expecting ==. VB.NET uses a single = for comparison, unlike C#.
• Mixing up & and + for strings. Prefer & to join strings; + can behave unexpectedly with mixed types.
• Assuming VB.NET is outdated tech. It runs on the same modern .NET runtime as C#; for new work, though, C# has the larger community and faster language evolution.

FAQ

Is VB.NET the same as old Visual Basic 6? No. VB6 was a separate, pre-.NET product. VB.NET is a modern .NET language.

Should a beginner pick VB.NET or C#? Either teaches the same .NET concepts. C# is the more common industry choice today, but VB.NET reads gently and is fine for learning.

Keep learning

• Hub: Learn .NET
• Related: C# Basics for Beginners
• Compare: C# vs Java

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