Private method in Visual Basic .NET

In Visual Basic .NET, a private method is a method that can only be accessed within the same class and cannot be accessed by any code outside the class. Private methods are useful for encapsulating certain functionality of a class that should not be exposed to outside classes.

Here's an example:

Public Class MyClass
    Private Function myPrivateFunction(ByVal x As Integer) As Integer
        Return x + 2
    End Function
Public Sub myPublicFunction()

        Dim result As Integer = myPrivateFunction(3)

        Console.WriteLine(result)

    End Sub

End Class

In the above example, myPrivateFunction is a private method within the MyClass class. It takes an integer parameter and returns an integer value, which is x plus 2. The myPublicFunction method is a public method that is accessible outside the class. It calls the myPrivateFunction method and prints the result to the console.

However, if you were to try accessing myPrivateFunction from outside the class, for example:

Dim myObj As New MyClass()
Dim result As Integer = myObj.myPrivateFunction(3)

You would get a compile-time error because myPrivateFunction is a private method and cannot be accessed outside of the MyClass class.

Overall, using private methods in Visual Basic .NET is a powerful tool that helps promote encapsulation and protects sensitive functionality inside a class.