In VB.NET, the two core building blocks of OOP are classes and objects. In this VB.NET Classes and Objects Tutorial, you'll learn how to create a class in VB.NET, how to create an object in VB.NET, and understand the basics of constructors, encapsulation, and inheritance.
What are Classes and Objects?
A VB.NET class is a blueprint that defines the properties and methods of an object. An object is an actual instance of that class containing its own data.
For example, think of a Car as a class. Individual cars such as a Honda or Toyota are objects created from that class.
How to Create a Class in VB.NET
Use the Class keyword to define a class.
Public Class Student
Public Name As String
Public Sub Display()
Console.WriteLine(Name)
End Sub
End Class
This VB.NET class tutorial defines a Student class with one property and one method.
How to Create an Object in VB.NET
After creating a class, you can create an object using the New keyword.
Dim student As New Student()
student.Name = "John"
student.Display()
This example demonstrates how to create an object in VB.NET and access its members.
VB.NET Constructors
A VB.NET constructor is a special method that runs automatically when an object is created. Constructors are commonly used to initialize object data.
Public Sub New()
Console.WriteLine("Object Created")
End Sub
VB.NET Encapsulation
VB.NET encapsulation protects data by restricting direct access to class members. Instead of exposing variables, you use properties or methods to read and update data. This improves security and keeps objects easier to maintain.
VB.NET Inheritance
VB.NET inheritance allows one class to inherit the properties and methods of another class. This encourages code reuse and reduces duplication in large applications.
Best Practices
Create one class for one responsibility.
Keep object data private and expose it through properties or methods.
Use constructors to initialize objects.
Use inheritance only when classes have a clear parent-child relationship.
Advanced Concepts
Reference Type Distinction
In VB.NET, classes are Reference Types. When you create an object, the variable stores a reference to the data o n the heap, not the actual data. If you copy a class variable, both variables will refer to the same object.Option Explicit & Option Strict
It is a key best practice to place Option Explicit On and Option Strict On at the top of your files. Option Explicit requires all variables to be declared, while Option Strict enforces strict compile-time typing, helping you avoid unexpected runtime errors.Consistent Naming Conventions
Use PascalCase for class names, methods, and properties (e.g., StudentInfo, DisplayDetails), and camelCase for local variables and parameters (e.g., studentName, totalCount).Learning VB.NET Object-Oriented Programming is the foundation for building scalable applications. Continue with the next tutorial on VB.NET Exception Handling to learn how to manage runtime errors and create reliable programs.
