VBScript Basics

last modified February 19, 2025

In this article, we will learn the basics of VBScript programming. VBScript (Visual Basic Scripting Edition) is a lightweight scripting language developed by Microsoft. It is often used for automating tasks in Windows environments and for web development in classic ASP (Active Server Pages). In this tutorial, we will use WScript.Echo to output text to the console and run the scripts using cscript.

Simple example

The first program demonstrates how to output text to the console.

hello.vbs

WScript.Echo "Hello there!"

The WScript.Echo function outputs the text "Hello, there!" to the console.

Variables in VBScript

Variables in VBScript are used to store data. They are declared using the Dim keyword.

variables.vbs

Dim name
name = "John Doe"

WScript.Echo "Name: " & name

In this example, we declare a variable name and assign it the value "John Doe". The WScript.Echo function is used to display the value of the variable.

Conditional Statements

VBScript supports conditional statements like If...Then...Else for decision-making.

conditions.vbs

Dim age
age = 20

If age >= 18 Then
    WScript.Echo "You are an adult."
Else
    WScript.Echo "You are a minor."
End If

This example checks the value of the age variable and outputs a message based on the condition.

Run the script with cscript:
cscript conditions.vbs

Output:
You are an adult.

Loops in VBScript

VBScript supports loops like For...Next and Do...Loop for repetitive tasks.

loops.vbs

Dim i

For i = 1 To 5
    WScript.Echo "Iteration: " & i
Next

This example uses a For...Next loop to output the iteration number five times.

Arrays in VBScript

Arrays in VBScript are used to store multiple values in a single variable.

arrays.vbs

Dim fruits(2)
fruits(0) = "Apple"
fruits(1) = "Banana"
fruits(2) = "Cherry"

WScript.Echo "First fruit: " & fruits(0)

This example declares an array fruits and assigns values to its elements. The first element is displayed using WScript.Echo.

Run the script with cscript:
cscript arrays.vbs

Output:
First fruit: Apple

Functions in VBScript

Functions in VBScript are reusable blocks of code that perform a specific task.

functions.vbs

Function Add(a, b)
    Add = a + b
End Function

Dim result
result = Add(5, 3)

WScript.Echo "Result: " & result

This example defines a function Add that takes two parameters and returns their sum. The result is displayed using WScript.Echo.

Run the script with cscript:
cscript functions.vbs

Output:
Result: 8

Working with Dates

VBScript provides built-in functions for working with dates and times.

dates.vbs

Dim currentDate
currentDate = Date()

WScript.Echo "Today's date is: " & currentDate

This example uses the Date function to get the current date and outputs it using WScript.Echo.

Error Handling

VBScript supports error handling using the On Error Resume Next statement.

error_handling.vbs

On Error Resume Next

Dim x
x = 10 / 0 ' Division by zero error

If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    WScript.Echo "An error occurred: " & Err.Description
End If

This example demonstrates how to handle errors in VBScript. The On Error Resume Next statement allows the script to continue executing even if an error occurs.

In this article, we have covered the basics of VBScript programming. We have learned how to write simple programs, use variables, conditional statements, loops, arrays, functions, work with dates, and handle errors. VBScript is a versatile scripting language that is widely used for automation and web development. By using WScript.Echo and running scripts with cscript, we can easily output results to the console.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

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