Includes index.

The .NET Framework -- Assemblies -- Private Assemblies -- Shared Assemblies -- Metadata -- The Common Language Runtime -- Just-In-Time Compilation -- Versioning -- Namespaces -- The .NET Framework Class Library -- Deployment -- Visual Studio.NET -- Preview of Visual Studio.NET -- The Visual Studio.NET IDE -- The Visual Studio.NET Editor -- Collapsible Code Blocks -- Automatic Formatting and Completion -- Embedded URLs in Code and Comments -- Other Editors -- VB and the .NET Framework -- An Introduction to VB.NET -- Accessibility -- OOP Support -- Modern Language Constructs -- Safety and Security -- Multi-Language Integration -- COM and Windows API Interoperability -- Object-Oriented Programming Concepts -- Abstraction in Visual Basic.NET -- Encapsulation in VB.NET -- Polymorphism in VB.NET -- Inheritance in VB.NET -- Implementation Inheritance -- Containment -- Interface-Based Programming -- Changes to Interfaces in VB.NET -- Methods, Properties, and Events -- Methods -- Changes to Parameters -- Calling Procedures -- Returning Values -- Static Procedures -- Shared Methods -- Function Overloading -- Properties -- Shared Properties -- Events -- Delegates -- Event Handlers -- Creating Events -- Raising Events -- Using EventArgs -- Attributes -- Creating and Destroying Objects -- Constructors -- Destructors -- Accessibility Modifiers -- Modifiers for Classes -- Modifiers for Methods and Properties -- Creating VB.NET Projects -- Unsupported Project Types -- Class Libraries -- Web Form Applications -- Creating a Web Form Application -- Web Form Controls -- Web Service Projects -- Windows Applications -- Windows Controls -- Windows Services -- Console Applications -- Data and Object Types -- Types in the .NET Framework -- Value Types -- Reference Types -- String Handling -- System.String Class -- System.Text.StringBuilder Class -- Boxing and Unboxing -- Intrinsic Data Types in VB.NET -- Date -- Decimal -- Short, Integer, and Long -- Object -- String -- Char -- Classes -- Structures -- Controlling the Flow of Logic -- Short-Circuited Expressions -- Selection -- IF Statements -- Select Case -- Iteration -- For Next -- For Each -- Do Loop -- While Loop -- Statements Removed -- Error Handling -- The System.Exception Class -- Try...Catch...Finally Statement -- Try Clause -- Exit Try Statement -- Catch Clause -- Finally Clause -- Throw Statement -- Implementing Structured Exception Handling -- Throwing Exceptions -- Ensuring That Clean Up Code Is Executed -- Creating Custom Exception Types -- Global Exception Handlers -- Using Structured Exception Handling Effectively -- Creating Custom Exception Types Arbitrarily -- Wrapping Everything in Exception Handlers -- Replacing Condition Testing with Exception Handlers -- Throwing All Exceptions Back to the Caller -- Sample Windows Form Application Using Exception Handling -- ADO.NET -- From DAO to ADO.NET -- Remote Data Objects -- OleDB and Active Data Objects -- ADO.NET -- The ADO.NET Object Model -- OleDBConnection -- OleDBCommand -- OleDBDataReader -- OleDbDataAdapter -- OleDbException -- Batch Updates -- DataSet -- DataTable -- DataRelation -- ADO.NET Support in Visual Studio.NET -- Strongly Typed DataSets -- .NET Application Development Design, Architecture, and Implementation -- Security -- Code Identity -- Code Access Security -- Declarative Security -- Imperative Security -- Role-Based Security -- Remoting Security -- Cryptography -- Garbage Collection and Resource Management -- COM-Based Resource Management -- .Net Framework Resource Management -- Encapsulated Cleanup -- Performance Considerations -- Scalability Versus Performance -- Keep Interop to a Minimum -- Use Value Types -- Don't Overuse the Finalize Method -- Avoid Using On Error -- Use the .Net Framework Class Library -- Architectural Considerations -- Windows DNA, DNA 2000, and .NET -- Layered Architectures in the .NET Framework -- .NET Enterprise Servers -- XML Integration -- SOAP -- WebServices -- Creating Web Services -- Interoperability -- Calling the Windows API -- The Declare Statement -- Controlling Marshaling -- Formatting Structures for Declare -- Using .NET Framework Components in COM Applications -- Creating Strong Names -- Install into the Global Assembly Cache -- Registration -- Creating a Type Library -- Walkthrough -- Using COM Components from .NET Framework Applications -- COM+ Services -- Services Provided by COM+ -- Writing .NET Framework Components That Interoperate with COM+ Services -- Migrating from VB 6 -- What in VB6 Has Been Removed in VB.NET -- Project Types -- Language Constructs -- Undocumented Features -- Language Changes -- Migrating from VB 6 to VB.NET -- Tour of the Migration Process -- Migration Considerations -- Building New VB 6 Applications -- Use a Standards Document -- Education -- Be Explicit -- Plan for Changes -- Use XML -- Future .NET Developments -- Cross Platform .NET -- Additional Base WebServices -- Overview of Hailstorm -- Greater Integration of .NET with .NET Enterprise Servers -- Windows Form Application -- Sports Statistics Data Entry -- Data Source of the Application -- Loading the Tree -- Menus -- Creating New Records -- Visual Inheritance -- ASP.NET Web Service and Web Forms Applications -- Sports Statistics Web Service -- Super Stats Live Entry -- Bob's Fantasy Baseball.

This book will smooth the transition to Visual Basic.NET and help developers understand the paradigm shift presented by the .NET Framework. Key differences between VB 6 and VB.NET will be highlighted in the code samples.