Visual Basic

Visual Basic 2008 is an evolution of the Visual Basic language that is engineered for productively building type-safe and object-oriented applications. Visual Basic enables 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.

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 using the .NET Framework class library.

• Visual Basic Programming Guide
  Introduces the major 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.

• Application Development in Visual Studio
  Discusses the shared tools that enable 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 General Reference
  Provides links to reference documentation that pertains to programming with the .NET Framework.

• 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.

• Programming Visual Basic 2008
  Introduces the book, Programming in Visual Basic 2008, and provides links to chapters on Functional Programming, Overloads and Extensions, GenericsLINQ, and creating a User Interface.