Nabaza.net-The MarketPlace - Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Standard

Visual Basic .NET is substantially different from earlier versions. It builds applications for the .NET Framework, a run-time layer with improved security and reliability. In order to achieve this, Microsoft made numerous changes to the language. Most of these are beneficial, including full object orientation with inheritance, but the new Visual Basic is not compatible with the old. To migrate an old project you use an upgrade wizard, followed by manual fine-tuning. Applications built with Visual Basic .NET no longer support Windows 95, while for development, Windows NT 4.0, 2000, or XP is needed.

Despite these heavy system requirements, there is a lot to like in Visual Basic .NET. Perhaps the best feature is that developers can build applications for the Web almost as easily as for Windows. These have to be hosted on a Windows Web server, but can be accessed through browsers running on any platform, using a technology called ASP.NET. There is a host of components available, both in the box and from third parties, for true rapid application development. It is also a good choice for database development. Microsoft's ADO.NET database API uses a disconnected model, fitting well with the world of laptops and other mobile devices. XML support is good, including the ability to program XML Web services, which enable applications to communicate over the Internet. Developers can also build software for the Pocket PC and other Windows CE devices, using a downloadable add-on called Smart Device Extensions.

Visual Basic .NET has a superb development environment, although you need to double the minimum system requirements for good performance. The main work area is tabbed so that integrated online help appears alongside the code and the visual design surface. Tool windows can be docked, floated, or hidden. Automatic code completion and dynamic help speed coding, while ToolTips reveal the type of any variable. For deployment, there is a setup wizard and a setup project type.

Overall, this is a powerful tool with few limits on what can be achieved. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk

This is not a trial version, the people that made that complaint are either too lazy to learn to code and are dependant on wizards ( scary ) or just lazy. You can do alot with this package and for the money like I said before this is
an excellent buy.

As Far as not being able to compile dll's yes you can if you write your own project wizard, like I did :)

Things VB.NET Standard CAN DO
Windows Apps
Web Apps
Console Apps
Web Services

AND Yes Class Libraries if you know what you are doing.

First, let me say that it's true VB.NET Standard Edition is somewhat crippled in that it doesn't let you create DLL's or mobile apps for WinCE devices. Nor does it include Crystal Reports, or some other features you'd find in VB.NET Professional/Enterprise. However, it's perfect for making small utilities/applications.

Most of my programming experience has been with Perl, PHP, Java, C, C++. I had a little exposure to Visual Basic in college, but I had forgotten everything I had learned about it. With VB.NET standard and _Visual Basic .NET Step by Step_ (ISBN: 0-7356-1374-5) I was able to write a fully functional and moderately complex application (and distribute it with the included Windows installer) in about 2 weeks time. I was astounded by the low learning curve.

There are two different types of programs you can create with VB.NET, those based on Windows forms and those based on Web forms. Windows forms would be your traditional type of Windows application, while Web forms are designed to work through the Internet. I have no VB.NET experience creating Web forms, but the features look promising.

VB.NET is different than earlier versions of VB because it is built around the .NET framework. The .NET framework works more like Java. Your programs are converted to bytecode which runs on the .NET framework (which your users must install to run your apps). That would probably explain why it is slower than older VB compilers.

In the past, applications created with Visual C++ would run faster than those made with VB. This is no longer the case. All Visual Studio Languages (C#, C++ and VB) all compile to .NET bytecode. Because the resulting bytecode is the same, you choose the language whose syntax you are most familiar with.

I feel the benefits of switching to .NET are worth the performance loss. Because .NET is Microsoft's answer to Java, everything is now heavily dependant on Objects. OO programming with VB.NET is incredibly simple. Chances are any structure or function/method you'd like to use is already written - you just need to find the proper namespace in the .NET framework, import it into your code and then create an instance of the object you want. It's OO at its best.

I would definitely not recommend VB.NET to people who have no programming experience. You need to get your feet wet with something else before delving into this.

Just to clarify compatibility issues; VB.NET requires WinNT, Win2k, or WinXP Professional. It's my understanding that it will work on WinXP Home for applications, but you need XP Pro for creating/testing Web forms.