Homework H01

Click Me!

Blue button

To do the homework, you can choose any of the following: [a] work in any of the RRH labs (hint: way easier), or [b] work from home using your own computer, which is technically much more challenging.

Regardless of the location, you need to set up the computer you are working on.These are the instructions for this necessary first step.

Connect to the Fintech Community (if you have not done so already). You must enroll with your @virginia account, not your private (e.g., @gmail) account.

Task

Using Visual Studio (VS), create a simple EXCEL app. To get ready, watch the virtual lab (vLab) below.
Careful! The example in the video IS NOT the exact solution. This is to force you to think on your own, as opposed to just type what you see in the video.

This first app is rather simple. Do not miss the real goal of this assignment, which is to get you started with the labs, with using Visual Studio, and saving your work to myFiles. I cannot teach the most interesting topics in the course until everybody has a good grasp of the tools. Check the HINTS and TIPS below and the HowTos link in the header. If you encounter any difficulty, contact me using the Microsoft Teams chat, or email me if Teams is not yet active. We will find a way to get you going quickly.

Submitting the homework

Homework is due before the beginning of class. Where and how to submit.
When you submit, remember to rate the homework difficulty.

Criteria

Requirements: your button must be blue and read "Click me!" in white ink. When pressed, a greeting appears in cell A2: "Hi [yourname]. Amazing coding job!"

Want to double-check your submission?

Go to myFiles, download your submission, unzip it, and run it in a trusted location. That is what the grader will do. Remember that you cannot run a zipped project or a projects saved in an untrusted location.

Hints and Tips

  • Oh no! I cannot access myFiles!
    If you cannot access myFiles it is probably a password issue or the site has not been activated yet. No big deal. Email me a new desired password: grazioli@virginia.edu
  • Oh no! My VS license has expired!
    If VS tells you that the license has expired, ask the good people at the HelpDesk (it is in Shumway)
  • Oh no! VS tells me that the "Project cannot be created"!
    Run the procedure in first time set up.
  • Oh no! I do not have the exact same version of VS or Excel as in the video!
    There are several versions of VS and Excel. Do not let minor differences stop you. Use the latest version of VS and Excel that you have available.
  • Oh no! Even after resetting the toolbox window and restarting VS I do not see the controls
    Are you seeing a spreadsheet? If you do not, the controls in the toolbox are not visible. To see the spreadsheet, click on its name (e.g., "Sheet1") on the window on the right side of your screen.
  • Oh no! I have lost a window...!
    If you 'lose' a window in Visual studio, you can always click the "Window > Reset Window Layout" menu in VS.
  • Oh no! I cannot zip my homework!
    Do not use 7z. Instead, Right click > Send to > Compressed zipped folder. If that does not work, make sure that Visual Studio and all instances of Excel are closed. Press the window icon on the screen, and type task manager or right click in the task bar (Windows 11). Check that there is no instance of Visual Studio or Excel running. If you find any, right click and end task for all.
  • Where do I save my own copy?
    While you are working, I recommend saving on the desktop. When you are done, move your work to another location for safekeeping. MyFiles is a good option, and so is Box, Google drive, or some other place you use for saving work.
  • Oh no! My program tells me it is not "trusted"!
    Make the folder where you save your projects a "trusted" location. Open a blank Excel workbook. Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust center settings > Trusted Locations > Add new location (the folder where is your project > check the sub-folder option.
  • Oh no! I do not see the file extensions in Windows!
    Sometimes your computer does not show file extensions (e.g., .zip, .vb). To see them, do the following: 1) in windows, open the folder and click the tab “view”, then unclick “hide extensions for known file types."
  • Oh no! My program is not running after I zipped for submitting it!
    That is normal. You cannot run a zipped project. You must unzip it first.