Description:
More than just a programming language, Visual Basic .NET is a visual development tool for Windows. Building an application is a matter of first creating a visual interface using the drag-and-drop form designer, and then writing code to bring the interface to life. Visual Basic is popular with beginners because the language has an English-like syntax and the visual tools make it easy to get started. The same qualities enable professionals to work faster, making this a great tool for business use as well. Visual Basic .NET is substantially different from earlier versions. It builds applications for the .NET Framework, a run-time layer with improved security and reliability. In order to achieve this, Microsoft made numerous changes to the language. Most of these are beneficial, including full object orientation with inheritance, but the new Visual Basic is not compatible with the old. To migrate an old project you use an upgrade wizard, followed by manual fine-tuning. Applications built with Visual Basic .NET no longer support Windows 95, while for development, Windows NT 4.0, 2000, or XP is needed. Despite these heavy system requirements, there is a lot to like in Visual Basic .NET. Perhaps the best feature is that developers can build applications for the Web almost as easily as for Windows. These have to be hosted on a Windows Web server, but can be accessed through browsers running on any platform, using a technology called ASP.NET. There is a host of components available, both in the box and from third parties, for true rapid application development. It is also a good choice for database development. Microsoft's ADO.NET database API uses a disconnected model, fitting well with the world of laptops and other mobile devices. XML support is good, including the ability to program XML Web services, which enable applications to communicate over the Internet. Developers can also build software for the Pocket PC and other Windows CE devices, using a downloadable add-on called Smart Device Extensions. Visual Basic .NET has a superb development environment, although you need to double the minimum system requirements for good performance. The main work area is tabbed so that integrated online help appears alongside the code and the visual design surface. Tool windows can be docked, floated, or hidden. Automatic code completion and dynamic help speed coding, while ToolTips reveal the type of any variable. For deployment, there is a setup wizard and a setup project type. Overall, this is a powerful tool with few limits on what can be achieved. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk
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