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Microsoft Visual Studio 2005/.NET Framework 2.0

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Visual Basic Language Concepts

Visual Basic

Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 is an evolution of the Visual Basic language that is engineered for productively building type-safe and object-oriented applications. Visual Basic allows developers to target Windows, Web, and mobile devices. As with all languages targeting the Microsoft .NET Framework, programs written in Visual Basic benefit from security and language interoperability.

This generation of Visual Basic continues the tradition of giving you a fast and easy way to create .NET Framework-based applications.

This version of Visual Basic brings back support for Edit and Continue and has new features for rapid application development. One of these features, called My, provides quick access to common tasks provided by the .NET Framework, as well as information and default object instances that are related to the application and its run-time environment. New language features include loop continuation, guaranteed resource disposal, operator overloading, generic types, and custom events. Visual Basic also fully integrates the .NET Framework and the common language runtime (CLR), which provide language interoperability, garbage collection, enhanced security, and versioning support.

In This Section

Getting Started with Visual Basic: Helps you begin working by listing what is new and what is available in various editions of the product.

Visual Basic Guided Tour: Steps you through various aspects of programming with Visual Basic.

Help for Visual Basic 6.0 Users: Discusses the differences in Visual Basic between version 6.0 and the current version.

Upgrading Applications in Visual Basic: Demonstrates how to upgrade various kinds of Visual Basic code.

Developing Applications with Visual Basic: Discusses various aspects of development in Visual Basic, such as the code editor, security, exception handling, debugging, and making use of the .NET Framework class library.

Visual Basic Programming Guide: Introduces the essential components of Visual Basic, an object-oriented programming language.

Reference (Visual Basic): Contains the Visual Basic language and compiler information.

Visual Basic Sample Applications: Contains information about samples.

Related Sections

Introducing Visual Studio: Provides information about new features, a high-level overview of Visual Studio and the .NET Framework, and tips for getting started.

Integrated Development Environment for Visual Studio: Discusses the shared tools that allow you to design, develop, debug, and deploy applications.

Windows-based Applications, Components, and Services: Discusses Windows applications, components of various kinds, XML Web services, Windows services, console applications, and 64-bit applications.

.NET Framework Programming in Visual Studio: Discusses application development with the .NET Framework.

Visual Web Developer: Discusses how to create Web applications.

.NET Framework Class Library Reference: Provides entry to the library of classes, interfaces, and value types that are included in the Microsoft .NET Framework SDK.

Visual Studio Tools for Office: Guides you in taking advantage of the productivity enhancements in the Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 to extend Microsoft Office Word 2003, Microsoft Office Excel 2003, and Microsoft Office Outlook 2003.

Smart Device Development: Discusses development of software that runs on Windows CE-based smart devices such as Pocket PCs and Smartphones.