CD-ROM contains code samples in text, bonus material on .NET Framework class hierarchy and tools, searchable eBook of this text and "Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0."

Accelerate your productivity with Visual Basic® .NET—and quickly create powerful Win32® applications and high-performance, scalable applications for the Web—with this indispensable tutorial and reference. Building on the success of the author's popular programming book for Visual Basic 6.0, this new book teaches you the best practices for porting and reusing existing Visual Basic code in the .NET Framework as well as for exploiting the language's advanced new object-oriented capabilities. It covers the common language runtime (CLR), multithreaded programs, Windows® Forms applications, GDI+ graphic programming, Windows services, ADO.NET classes for database programs, ASP.NET Web Forms, and Web Services. It includes advanced optimization techniques and tips for leveraging the power of the Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET environment. Topics covered include: Getting started with Visual Basic .NET Modules, variables, and error handling Object-oriented features, including inheritance Delegates and attributes Arrays, lists, and collections Files, directories, and streams Object serialization Regular expressions Threading Assemblies and AppDomains Reflection Windows Forms applications and GDI+ Windows Forms custom control creation Windows services ADO.NET XML ASP.NET Web Forms applications User controls and custom controls XML Web services CD+DVD INSIDE! CD-ROM features: A fully searchable electronic copy of PROGRAMMING MICROSOFT VISUAL BASIC 6.0 Sample applications written in Visual Basic .NET A Note Regarding the CD or DVD The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to [email protected].

What is this book about? .NET is designed to provide a new environment within which you can develop almost any application to run on Windows (and possibly in the future on other platforms). Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET) is likely to be a very popular development tool for use with this framework. VB.NET is a .NET compliant language and, as such, has (except for legacy reasons) almost identical technical functionality as the new C# language and Managed Extensions for C++. Using VB.NET, you can develop a dynamic Web page, a component of a distributed application, a database access component, or a classic Windows desktop application. In order to incorporate Visual Basic into the .NET Framework, a number of new features have been added to it. In fact, the changes are so extensive that VB.NET should be viewed as a new language rather than simply as Visual Basic 7. However, these changes were necessary to give developers the features that they have been asking for: true object orientated programming, easier deployment, better interoperability, and a cohesive environment in which to develop applications. What does this book cover? In this book, we cover VB.NET virtually from start to finish: We begin by looking at the .NET Framework, and end by looking at best practices for deploying .NET applications. In between, we look at everything from database access to integration with other technologies such as XML, along with investigating the new features in detail. You will see that VB.NET has emerged as a powerful yet easy to use language that will allow you to target the Internet just as easily as the desktop. This book explains the underlying philosophy and design of the .NET Framework and Common Language Runtime (CLR) and explains the differences between Visual Basic 6 and Visual Basic .NET. You will learn how to Develop applications and components using Visual Studio .NET Effectively apply inheritance and interfaces when designing objects and components Organize your code using namespaces Handle errors using the Try...Catch...Finally structure Access data using ADO.NET and bind controls to the underlying data sources Create Windows applications and custom Windows controls Interoperate with COM and ActiveX components Create transactional and queuing components Use .NET Remoting to send serialized objects between clients and servers Create Windows Services Use VB.NET to access information on the Web Create and consume Web Services Secure your applications and code using the tools provided in the .NET Framework SDK Arrange your applications and libraries in assemblies and deploy them using Visual Studio .NET Who is this book for? This book is aimed at experienced Visual Basic developers who want to make the transition to VB.NET. What do you need to use this book? Although it is possible to create VB.NET applications using the command lines tools contained in the .NET Framework SDK, you will need Visual Studio .NET (Professional or higher), which includes the .NET Framework SDK, to use this book to the full. Here are some additional notes on what you may need: Some chapters make use of SQL Server 2000. However, you can also run the example code using MSDE (Microsoft Data Engine), which ships with Visual Studio .NET. Several chapters make use of Internet Information Services (IIS). IIS ships with Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP, although it is not installed by default. Chapter 18 makes use of MSMQ to work with queued transactions. MSMQ ships with Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP, although it is not installed by default.

After reading Programming the Web with Visual Basic .NET, developers will understand how to build and deploy top quality, professionally designed, highly usable Web applications using Visual Basic .NET.

bull; Demystifies aspects of Visual Basic .NET that are difficult to master, such as remoting, multithreading, reflection, security, and COM interoperability. bull; Contains in-depth coverage of topics barely touched upon in other books. bull; Author is a well-known and respected guru in the Microsoft programming community.

“Look it up in Petzold” remains the last word on Windows development. In this .NET-ready Windows programming guide, the best-selling author shows you how to get the most out of Windows Forms—the next-generation Windows programming class library. You’ll discover how to use C# to create dynamic user interfaces and graphical outputs for Windows applications. With dozens of examples of client applications to illustrate common techniques and plenty of no-nonsense advice on best programming practices, you’ll be C# sharp in no time. Topics covered in this guide include: A tour of C# Windows Forms Essential structures An exercise in text output Lines, curves, and area fills Tapping into the keyboard Pages and transforms Taming the mouse Text and fonts The timer and time Images and bitmaps Buttons, labels, and scrolls Béziers and other splines Menus Paths, regions, and clipping Dialog boxes Brushes and pens Edit, list, and spin controls Font fun Toolbars and status bars Printing Tree view and List view Metafiles Clip, drag, and drop INCLUDED ON CD-ROM: * Sample source code for all the examples presented in the book A Note Regarding the CD or DVD The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to [email protected].

This book will help you acquire solid knowledge and many practical hands-on programming skills. It is intended for beginners. The selection of topics is designed to help you learn the fundamentals of Visual Basic .NET programming and Visual Studio .NET development tools. Each chapter in this book is accompanied by a relevant lab project that will allow you consolidate your knowledge and practice your new skills.