Visual Basic .NET, the next generation of the Visual Basic language, is a fast and easy way to create .NET-based applications, including XML Web services and Web applications.

Visual Basic .NET has many new and improved features that make it a powerful object-oriented programming language, including inheritance, interfaces, and overloading. Other new language features include free threading and structured exception handling. Visual Basic .NET also fully integrates the .NET Framework and the Common Language Runtime, which provide language interoperability, garbage collection, enhanced security, and improved versioning support.

In This Section

Visual Basic Language Tour

Introduces the essential components of Visual Basic .NET, an object-oriented programming language.

Visual Basic Language and Run-Time Reference

Provides a complete reference for the Visual Basic language and its run-time elements.

Visual Basic Compiler Options

Offers information on using the Visual Basic compiler, and a reference to the Visual Basic compiler options.

Visual Basic .NET Language Specification

Provides a complete description of the Visual Basic .NET language, including syntax, semantics, and design.

Related Sections

Introducing Visual Studio .NET

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

Developing with Visual Studio .NET

Discusses the shared tools that allow you to design, develop, debug, and deploy applications.

Samples and Walkthroughs

Demonstrates how to create rich client applications and Web Forms applications, and how to create and access Web services. Also provides information on the sample applications Duwamish and Fitch and Mather.