Introduction to Visual Basic .NET

Introduction to Visual Basic and Visual Studio Objectives

• The module aims to help students understand Windows Applications, Web Applications, and Web Services.
• Students should be able to identify the components of the .Net Framework and use the IDE of Vb.Net.
• The goal is for students to create programs using the .Net Framework.

Understanding VB.NET

• VB.NET is an updated version of Visual Basic that is designed for the Microsoft .NET Framework.
• VB.NET is object-oriented, supporting abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.
• It is a productive tool for creating applications for Windows, Web, Mobile, and Office.

What is Visual Basic .NET

• Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET) is a programming language developed by Microsoft.
• VB.NET was released in 2002, replacing Visual Basic 6.
• VB.NET runs on the .NET framework and has full access to the .NET libraries.
• The language is designed to be easily readable and accessible for both beginners and advanced programmers.
• VB.NET programs integrate with programs written in other .NET languages like Visual C#, Visual J#, or Visual C++.
• Ease of use is considered a key factor of VB.NET.

Key VB.NET Features

• Languages like C++ and Java are case sensitive, VB.NET is not.
• VB.NET is an object-oriented programming language and treats everything as an object.
• Automated garbage collection.
• Supports boolean conditions used for decision making.
• Offers simple generics and simple multithreading, which handles multiple tasks at the same time.
• Has event management and a standard library.
• References should refer to external objects used in applications.
• Includes attributes (tags) for providing additional information regarding elements defined within a program.
• Supports Windows Forms, enabling form inheritance.

VB.NET Advantages

• Automatic formatting of code.
• Enterprise-class code creation using object-oriented constructs.
• Web application creation is available with features like performance counters, event logs, and file systems.
• Forms created easily through the visual forms designer.
• Drag-and-drop features are available to replace elements.
• Applications can be connected to others created in languages that run on the .NET framework.
• Features docking, in-place menu editor, and automatic control anchoring are available and good for developing web applications.

VB.NET Disadvantages

• VB.NET cannot directly handle pointers, which is necessary for programming and can slow applications because of additional coding.
• Due to VB.NET being easy to learn, there is a big talent pool. Because of this, securing a job as a VB.NET programmer can be hard.

A Brief History of VB.NET

• VB.NET launched in 2002, was the first version, and relied on the .NET framework 1.0.
• VB.NET 7.1, the second version, arrived in '03, relying on .NET framework 1.1.
• Visual Basic 2005 came to be in '05 with VB.NET 8.0, adding features for fast application development.
• Introduced in '08, version 9.0 was released with the .NET framework 3.5.
• Microsoft released VB 2010 (code 10.0) in '10 and wanted to use a Dynamic Language Runtime.
• VB 2012 (code 11.0) introduced features like call hierarchy and asynchronous programming.
• With VB 2015 (code 14.0) in '15, the "?." operator is introduced adn the string interpolation feature was also introduced.
• Using Visual Studio 2017, VB 2017 (code 15.0) organized source code in a better way.
• VB 2019 (code named VB "16.0") allowed coding in various languages and platforms with Visual Studio 2019.

Recent Updates

• Visual Studio 2022 and .NET 6 were released with the 64-bit Visual Studio to improve resource utilization for complex projects.
• Visual Studio 2022 has new features like Live Preview to edit source code during app runtime in Visual Studio 2022.
• Visual Studio 2022 features cross-platform testing. Is available for download with Visual Studio 2022 v.17 release notes available.
• NET 6 supports Windows, Linux, and macOS.
• NET 6 offers one platform for different applications by using the same .NET libraries as well as the ability to share code easily.

Understanding Visual Studio

• Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) created by Microsoft for developing apps.
• The function allows you to create both managed and native code.
• This IDE, not language-specific, can be used for multiple languages including Python and JavaScript.
• Available on both Windows and MacOS.

Visual Studio Evolutions

• Visual Studio 97 (VS) came out 1997 with version 5.0.
• Visual Studio released 15.0 in March '17, referred to as Visual Studio 2017.
• The oldest Visual Studio supported Java, now supported .NET Framework versions are 3.5 to 4.7.

Microsoft Visual Studio Editions

• Community: A free, extensible IDE for modern applications on multiple platforms.
• Supports the ecosystem and various languages (C#, VB, F#, C++, Javascript, Python) support.
• Professional: A commercial edition with XML/XSLT editing and integration with Microsoft SQL Server.
• Offers capabilities in productivity, collaboration and flexibility like CodeLens, Microsoft software, Agile Project Planning.
• Enterprise: Supplies scalable solutions with high-quality software, offering a 90-day free trial.

Updated UI

• Refreshed, user-friendly IDE experience with new fonts and icons. The Cascadia Code font serves as editor's default font.
• Enhanced code legibility with updated icons on a Theme Converter.

Updated Theme Support

• Users can now sync their Visual Studio theme with the OS theme.
• The dark theme is updated to match Microsoft's design and improve accessibility.

Inlay Hints

• Function in Visual Studio that provides code completion and parameter name hints (disabled by default).
• This feature can be enabled in Tools > Options > Text Editor > C# or Basic > Advanced.

Speeding up Visual Studio

• Now runs as a 64-bit application, Visual Studio 2022 increases loading capability and eliminates memory errors.
• Through faster loading and also file searching, Visual Studio saves additional solution data in .sln file to speed up the process.
• Enhanced the Fast up to date feature to improve to assess project dependency status.

Updated Debugging Features

• Includes breakpoints like temporary breakpoints for one-time validation and dependent breakpoints for conditional breaks.
• Integrates IntelliCode with AI and is context-aware. It helps with code completion.

Tools to Note

• .NET IDE tailored for macOS UI, the.NET 6 version includes the .NET 6 SDK in the Visual Studio.

Versions and Support

• .NET 6 (LTS): Released November 8, 2021, supported until Nov 8, 2024.
• .NET 5 (Current): Released November 10, 2020, supported until May 8, 2022.
• .NET Core 3.1 (LTS): Released December 3, 2019, supported until December 3, 20.

Creation Process of Basic App

• A step-by-step guide to creating a .NET console app named "HelloWorld" using Visual Studio for either C# or Visual Basic.
• Program creates a basic apps by displaying ""Hello World"" in a console window.

An introduction to Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET), a programming language by Microsoft. VB.NET runs on the .NET framework and has full access to the .NET libraries. Updated version of Visual Basic designed for the Microsoft .NET Framework.