Visual Basic 2005 with .NET 3.0 Programmer's Reference

With this completely up-to-date tutorial and reference, you'll quickly learn how to develop Visual Basic (VB) programs that leverage the latest features of Vista and .NET 3.0. The tutorial section walks you through VB.NET from scratch, providing you with in-depth descriptions of the development environment, basic program syntax, and standard controls. You'll also explore the fundamental concepts in object-oriented programming with VB.

In the comprehensive reference section, you'll find out how to take advantage of specific VB features. Expert Rod Stephens shows you how to draw images, use GDI+ routines, and generate printed output. You'll also discover how to build an application that interacts with its environment, save and load data in external sources, and use standard dialog controls. This approach makes it easier than ever to learn this powerful language and create your own dynamic programs.

The book covers:

• The best methods for mastering the new features of VB.NET
• Steps to implement custom controls
• How to create drag-and-drop operations
• A rich exploration of .NET issues such as scoping, declaring events, and shared variables and methods
• Strategies for creating specialized classes that simplify working with specific data types
• Developing XAML-based (WPF) interfaces
• Techniques for building service-oriented applications using the Windows Communication Foundation (WCF