VB.NET Language Pocket Reference

Name

Dim Statement

Synopsis

[Shared] [Shadows] [readonly] Dim_
[WithEvents] varname[([subscripts])]_
[As [New] type] [= initexpr]

Shared optional; Keyword

Indicates the variable is not associated with any particular class instance but is accessible directly using the class name and is therefore “shared” by all class instances.

Shadows optional; Keyword

Indicates that the variable shadows any programming elements (variables, procedures, enums, constants, etc.) of the same name in a base class.

WithEvents optional; Keyword

In an object variable definition, indicates that the object will receive event notification

varname required

The name of the variable

subscripts optional

Dimensions of an array variable

New optional; Keyword

Keyword that creates an instance of an object

type optional unless Option Strict is On

The data type of varname

initexpr optional

Any expression that provides the initial value to assign to the variable; cannot be used if an As New clause is used

Description

Declares and allocates storage space in memory for variables. The Dim statement is used either at the start of a procedure or the start of a module to declare a variable of a particular data type.

Object is the default data type created when no data type is explicitly declared.

The declaration of a nonobject variable actually creates the variable. For an object variable, the variable is not created unless the optional New statement is used. If not, then the object variable is set to Nothing and must be assigned a reference ...