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Product Overview for Visual Basic .NET 2003
Standard Edition
Visual Basic .NET 2003 provides the easiest, most productive language and tool for rapidly building
applications for Microsoft Windows and the Web. Ideal for existing Visual Basic developers as well
as new developers in the Microsoft .NET development environment, Visual Basic .NET 2003 delivers
enhanced visual designers, increased application performance, and a powerful integrated development
environment (IDE) to get you on the fast track to application development. Developers can use Visual
Basic .NET 2003 to:
- Address today's Windows and Web development challenges more effectively.
Intuitive
visual designers for Windows Forms and Web Forms provide a single development model for building
both rich desktop applications and broad-reach Web applications. No touch deployment alleviates
problems of "DLL Hell" and enables you to deploy Windows-based applications as easily as Web
applications. ADO.NET data access provides powerful classes and components for incorporating
flexible data scenarios into your applications.
- Build tomorrow's applications today.
New support for mobile device application
development enables you to use the skills you already have to build mobile Web applications and
rich Pocket PC-based software. The XML Web service project template makes creating remote business
logic components as easy as creating any class in Visual Basic. Optional object-oriented language
constructs enable you to save time by reusing code and Windows Forms UI.
- Upgrade and reuse existing Visual Basic code.
The enhanced Visual Basic .NET Upgrade
Wizard, now available in all editions of Visual Basic .NET and Visual Studio .NET, enables you to
upgrade existing Visual Basic 6.0 applications to Visual Basic .NET. Existing Visual Basic components
can also be seamlessly referenced and consumed within the context of Visual Basic .NET 2003
applications.
Solve Today's Problems More Effectively
Build Robust Windows-based Applications
With new Windows Forms, developers using Visual Basic .NET 2003 can build Windows-based applications
that make use of the rich user interface features available in the Windows operating system. Many of
the rapid application development (RAD) tools that developers have come to expect are found in Visual
Basic .NET 2003, including drag-and-drop form design and the popular "code behind" forms model. In
addition, features such as automatic control anchoring and docking eliminate the need for complex
form-resize code. Controls such as the in-place menu editor deliver visual authoring of menus directly
within the Windows Forms Designer.
Combined with greater application responsiveness, as well as simplified localization and accessibility,
these features in Windows Forms make Visual Basic .NET 2003 the choice for today's Visual Basic
developers.
Resolve Deployment and Versioning Issues
Visual Basic .NET 2003 delivers the answer to many of your application setup and maintenance problems.
If you ever installed a Visual Basic application that somehow broke an existing application - a problem
that has come to be known as "DLL Hell" - you will welcome the capabilities of Visual Basic .NET 2003
and the Microsoft .NET Framework.
With Visual Basic .NET 2003, issues with Component Object Model (COM) registration and DLL overwrites
are eliminated. Side-by-side versioning enables multiple versions of the same components to exist on
the same machine, allowing applications to use the specific version of a component with which they
were tested. XCOPY-deployment enables Windows-based applications to be deployed to client machines
simply by copying files into the desired application directory. No complicated setup scripts or
interactions with the system registry are required. In addition, the auto-downloading of applications
for Windows makes the deployment of rich Windows-based applications as easy as deploying a Web page.
Easily Create Web Applications
Using the new Web Forms Designer in Visual Basic .NET 2003, Visual Basic developers can apply the
skills they have today to build true thin-client Web-based applications. Drag-and-drop Web Form
creation delivers "Visual Basic for the Web" while code behind forms enables developers to replace
limited scripting capabilities of the past with the full power and speed of the compiled Visual Basic
.NET language. New intelligent rendering capabilities and server-side Web Form controls provide Web
applications that render correctly on any browser running on any platform. The new HTML designer
simplifies Web page design and delivers IntelliSense statement and tag completion for HTML documents.
In addition, separation of HTML markup and code enable more efficient team-based development.
Use Your Visual Basic Skills to Program Smart Devices
The version of Visual Basic .NET 2003 for professional developers, Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional,
simplifies smart device application development with new integrated support for the .NET Compact
Framework. Visual Basic developers skilled in desktop development will find that they can easily use
the same visual designers, code editor, debugger, and more importantly, the same programming model to
create applications for the Pocket PC as well as other smart devices powered by the .NET Compact
Framework. A powerful new integrated emulator also enables developers to build solutions without
requiring hardware.
Provides Flexible, Simple Data Access
Visual Basic .NET 2003 lets you tackle any data access scenario easily. Visual Basic .NET provides
support for both the new ADO.NET for flexible, highly scalable data access and ActiveX Data Objects
(ADO) data binding for connection-oriented data access. ADO.NET enables XML-based data binding to any
database, as well as classes, collections, and arrays using disconnected data access and new classes
including the DataSet and DataAdapter. Seamless access to ADO classes enables simple
data access with familiar paradigms for connected data binding scenarios.
Get on the Fast Track to Building Tomorrow's Applications Today
Visual Basic .NET 2003 opens the door for Visual Basic developers and offers a smooth transition to
building next-generation applications today. Visual Basic .NET 2003:
- Supports full object-oriented constructs to enable more componentized, reusable code. Language
features include full implementation inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism.
- Empowers Visual Basic developers to consume XML Web services running on any platform and build
Web services as easily as building any class in Visual Basic 6.0.
- Enables developers to tackle projects of any size. With new multithreaded capabilities,
developers can build massively scalable server-side components and Web applications, as well as
more responsive client-side applications that perform multiple tasks in parallel.
Visual Basic .NET 2003 also infuses your applications with built-in security, direct access to the
.NET Framework, and the capability to target an extensive array of mobile devices. The rich .NET
Framework security model provides fine-grained control over application security while secure Windows
Forms eliminate the need for ActiveX controls and ActiveX documents. With complete, direct access to
the .NET Framework, developers can quickly access the event log, performance counters, the file system,
and more.
Upgrade for Success
Visual Basic .NET 2003 enables developers to leverage their existing skills and code assets when
moving to the .NET development environment. Using the COM interoperability built into the .NET
Framework, developers can continue to use most of the components they have been using for years.
COM interoperability provides bi-directional communication between applications written in Visual
Basic 6.0 and those written in Visual Basic .NET, without the need to rewrite your code. Visual
Basic 6.0 and Visual Basic .NET can reside comfortably on the same machine, smoothing your transition.
In addition, ActiveX control hosting enables you to reuse your existing ActiveX controls on new
Visual Basic .NET Windows Forms. Full support for existing ADO code and data binding means that you
can preserve your data access experience in Visual Basic .NET.
To take full advantage of the new features in Visual Basic .NET 2003 and the .NET Framework, developers
can upgrade their code using the Visual Basic .NET Upgrade Wizard, available in all editions of Visual
Basic .NET 2003 and Visual Studio .NET 2003. This wizard upgrades up to 95 percent of existing Visual
Basic 6.0 code and forms to Visual Basic .NET. By combining COM interoperability with the Upgrade
Wizard, you can implement an incremental migration strategy to gradually upgrade existing Visual
Basic 6.0 components and projects.
When you start developing in Visual Basic .NET, you will have immediate access to all the resources
you need to get up and running quickly - from the multitude of books already written on Visual Basic
.NET, to comprehensive training, to online samples and help within the product. In addition, with
Visual Basic .NET 2003, you are developing applications using the most popular, easy-to-write
programming language in the world.
FEATURES
Solve Today's Tasks More Effectively
Powerful Windows-based Applications in Less Time
In addition to great Visual Basic .NET 2002 features such as a powerful new forms designer, an in-place
menu editor, and automatic control anchoring and docking, Visual Basic .NET 2003 delivers new
productivity features for building more robust applications easily and quickly. With an improved
integrated development environment (IDE) and a significantly reduced startup time, Visual Basic .NET
2003 offers fast, automatic formatting of code as you type, improved IntelliSense, an enhanced object
browser and XML designer, and much more.
Web-based Applications
Create Web solutions in Visual Basic .NET 2003 using the shared Web Forms Designer and the familiar
"drag and drop to build your forms, double-click and write code to respond to events" mechanism. New
to Visual Basic .NET 2003 is an enhanced HTML Editor for working with complex Web pages. Use
IntelliSense technology and tag completion, or choose the WYSIWYG editor for visual authoring of
interactive Web applications.
Simplified Deployment
With Visual Basic .NET 2003, you can build applications more rapidly and deploy and maintain them with
greater efficiency. Together, Visual Basic .NET 2003 and the new .NET Framework 1.1 solve your
application setup and maintenance problems and make "DLL Hell" a thing of the past. Side-by-side
versioning enables multiple versions of the same component to live safely on the same machine so that
applications can consume a specific version of a component. XCOPY-deployment and Web auto-download of
Windows-based applications combine the simplicity of Web page deployment and maintenance with the power
of rich, responsive Windows-based applications.
Flexible, Simplified Data Access
Tackle any data access scenario easily with ADO.NET and ADO data access. The flexibility of ADO.NET
enables data binding to any database, as well as classes, collections, and arrays, and provides true
XML representation of data. Seamless access to ADO enables simple data access for connected data
binding scenarios. Using ADO.NET, Visual Basic .NET developers can gain high-speed access to Microsoft
SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, Microsoft Access, and more.
Improved Coding
Code faster and more effectively. A multitude of enhancements to the code editor, including enhanced
IntelliSense, smart listing of code for greater readability, squigglies, and a background compiler for
real-time notification of syntax errors transform you into a rapid application development (RAD) coding
machine.
Build the Applications of Tomorrow Today
Direct Access to the Platform
Visual Basic .NET 2003 developers have full access to the powerful capabilities available in the new
and improved .NET Framework 1.1. Using Visual Basic .NET 2003, developers can easily access the event
log, performance counters, and file system - eliminating the need to use cumbersome 'Declare' statements.
The new Windows Service project template enables Visual Basic developers to build real Microsoft
Windows NT Services.
Full Object-Oriented Constructs
Create reusable, enterprise-class code using full object-oriented constructs. Language features include
full implementation inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism. Structured exception handling provides
a global error handler and eliminates spaghetti code.
XML Web Services
XML Web services enable you to call components running on any platform using open Internet protocols.
Working with XML Web services is easier than ever in Visual Basic .NET 2003, where enhancements
simplify the discovery and consumption of XML Web services that are located within your firewall. XML
Web services can be built as easily as you would build any class in Visual Basic 6.0. The new XML Web
service project template builds all underlying Web service infrastructure for you.
Mobile Applications
Visual Basic .NET 2003 and the .NET Framework 1.1 now offer integrated support for developing mobile
Web applications for more than 200 Internet-enabled mobile devices. These new features give developers
a single, mobile Web interface and programming model to support a broad range of Web devices, including
WML 1.1 for WAP-enabled cellular phones, compact HTML (cHTML) for i-Mode phones, and HTML for Pocket PC,
handheld devices, and pagers.
New integrated support for the .NET Compact Framework enables Visual Basic developers to use their
programming skills to develop powerful, highly responsive applications for the Pocket PC and other
devices powered by the .NET Compact Framework.
Upgrade for Success
COM Interoperability
Maintain your existing code without the need to recode. COM interoperability enables you to leverage
your existing code assets and offers seamless bidirectional communication between Visual Basic 6.0 and
Visual Basic .NET applications.
Reuse Existing Investments
Reuse all your existing ActiveX Controls. Windows Forms in Visual Basic .NET 2003 provide a robust
container for existing ActiveX controls. In addition, full support for existing ADO code and data
binding enable a smooth transition to Visual Basic .NET 2003.
Upgrade Wizard
Upgrade your code to receive all of the benefits of Visual Basic .NET 2003. The Visual Basic .NET
Upgrade Wizard, available in Visual Basic .NET 2003 Standard Edition, and higher, upgrades up to 95
percent of existing Visual Basic code and forms to Visual Basic .NET with new support for Web classes
and UserControls.
The Easiest, Most Popular Language
Develop applications using the most readable and easy-to-write programming language available.
Background compilation provides instant feedback and squigglies for error detection.
The Largest Developer Community
Incorporate resources, components, and code from more than 3 million Visual Basic developers worldwide.
Utilize components from the immense third-party control vendor market to build rich .NET-connected
applications.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Microsoft Windows-based computers
Processor
- PC with a Pentium II 450-MHz processor
- Pentium III 600-MHz processor recommended
Memory
- 96 MB of RAM for Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP Home Edition
- 160 MB for Windows XP Professional and Windows .NET Server 2003
- 192 MB for Windows 2000 Server
Hard Disk
- 500 MB of available hard-disk space on system drive
- 1.5 GB on installation drive
- additional 1.9 GB for optional MSDN Library Documentation
Drive
Display
- Super VGA, 256-color monitor supporting 1024 x 768 or higher resolution
Operating System
- Windows 2000 Professional
- Windows 2000 Server
- Windows XP Professional
- Windows XP Home Edition
- Windows .NET Server 2003
Input Device
- Microsoft Mouse or
- compatible pointing device
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