Creating screensavers, games and other cool stuff in Visual Basic?

[PFOnline]

Hi all, I'm 1 week away from completing 2 semesters of a Visual Basic course and now I want to put some of that knowledge to use in REAL LIFE and create some screensavers, games (and maybe some other cool stuff) in VB and make it available for download from my website!

My question is, has anyone ever attempted to create any screensavers, games, or the like in VB?

I guess I just don't know where to begin and am hoping for some tips and pointers and maybe some sites to point me in the right direction! :)

Thanks
PFOnline

[PFOnline]

Oh yeah, also curious as to other things you can create with Visual Basic and offer for download on your site, (if anyone has any suggestions!)

I run a music related site, so maybe some things you can do that has to do with that!

[WebJoe]

PFOnline

I don't have any experience with codeing screensaver, but I found some examples at freevbcode.com

[sharbel]

You can create games in VB.. you can actually make some awesome things if you spend the time to learn DirectX.. DirectX has VB SDKs available on the website...

As for web and VB.. you can apply your VB knowledge to ASP or step into .NET and learn VB.NET.. if you go VB.NET you can make ASP.NET web-apps.

[PFOnline]

Thanks for that WebJoe and sharbel!

I just created a text to speech program, where anything you type (or copy and paste into it) it will read outloud through your comp speakers (in that funky computer voice)

VB is great! Can't believe I did it.... Now maybe I can "multi-task" and surf web pages why the program reads me my email outloud or something! :)

[RainMaker]

Well PF VB is great and along with VB.NET but I think that you are missing the point of VB and why it is used. VB and VB.NET is awesome for making quick and easy Apps. this is the very reason why VB is used in the business industry, because marketing is a very competitive field and development must be quick in order to meet marketing deadlines. considering you can do gaming and all that other cool stuff but it's not the standard. VB has so many limitations on itself that it doesn't get the programmer into what is really going on, which means you have less control over your applications. If you want to code games use C++. Get your hands dirty into that if you don't already, and you will see the versatility and speed that it has over VB and VB.NET. I always consider the "right" tool for the Job and if you are going to use direct X and do some game programming, don't use plyers to pound a nail in. VB is a cool and easy language to use but grabbing hold of the balls of a program is where it is. This is just my philosophy, I am sure there are people out there that won't agree maybe not even you, but consider. Thanks!

[sharbel]

Yes, RainMaker is correct IMHO.. However do keep in mind RainMaker that the limitations of VB is lessening in .NET, keeping in mind its all CLR anyway.

I dont code in VB anymore, I code in C#. If you want to code games, like commercial quality games, the standard is definatly C++.

[mil2k]

I am amazed VB is talked about in WW :)

[korkus2000]

You can basically create anything you want. You could make an mp3 player for your site. This will be all windows stuff though unless you want to start writing web components.

As mentioned .Net actually made VB very powerful. I suggest you start learning the new VB.Net language. Not many people have really started pumping stuff out in this and it would put your programs ahead of the game.