Module 1: Overview of

the Microsoft .NET

Platform
Contents

Overview 1
What Is the Microsoft .NET Platform? 2
What Is the .NET Framework? 5
What Are the .NET
Framework Components? 9
What Are the Visual Basic .NET
Enhancements? 17
Review 19
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 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform iii

Instructor Notes
Presentation: This module provides students with an overview of the Microsoft® .NET
60 Minutes Platform. It defines some of the terminology specific to the .NET Platform and
describes its key features and benefits.
Lab:
00 Minutes The module starts with an overview of the .NET Platform, and then introduces
the .NET Framework and services. It describes the design goals of the .NET
Framework and provides other information about the major components.
Finally, students will learn about the programming languages that can be used
with the .NET Framework and about the major enhancements to Microsoft
Visual Basic® .NET version 7.0.
This module contains no labs.
After completing this module, students will be able to:

List the main elements of the .NET Platform.

Describe the .NET Framework and its components.

List the major enhancements to Visual Basic .NET.

Materials and Preparation

This section provides the materials and preparation tasks that you need to teach
this module.

Required Materials
To teach this module, you need the following materials:

Microsoft PowerPoint® file 2373B_01.ppt

Module 1, “Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform”

Preparation Tasks
To prepare for this module, you should:

Read all of the materials for this module.

Read the instructor notes and the margin notes for the module.
iv Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

Module Strategy
This first module must set the tone for the rest of the course. Visual Basic
developers may initially be hesitant to upgrade their skills to Visual Basic .NET
because of the substantial changes to the product. While it may take students a
bit longer to adapt to this version of Visual Basic, the advantages are
significant, and these advantages must be made clear to students from the very
beginning. Use the following strategy to present this module:

What Is the Microsoft .NET Platform?
Discuss the core services and technologies provided by the .NET Platform.
Briefly talk about the .NET Framework. It is covered in more detail in the
next lesson.

What Is the .NET Framework?
Ensure that students understand the function that the Common Language
Specification plays in language development for the .NET Platform. Stress
the fact that the existing model provides no consistency in the availability of
application programming interfaces (APIs). The choice of programming
model also becomes the choice of language. So if you are a Visual Basic
developer, you are limited by the set of functionality that it provides for the
platform. Or, if you are a C++ developer, your existing skills do not transfer
to Active Server Pages (ASP) development.
However, because this course focuses on Visual Basic development, point
out that most students will already be familiar with many .NET concepts,
such as ASP development and Web Services, Microsoft Visual Basic
Scripting Edition, and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)/
Visual Basic 6.0.
Mention that Visual Basic has been upgraded significantly to support the
.NET Platform. Explain that C# is a new language specifically created for
the .NET Framework and that C++ has been enhanced to support the .NET
Platform. Point out that several third-party languages are also .NET enabled,
and that more will follow over time.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform v

What Are the .NET Framework Components?

Briefly describe each of the .NET Framework components. Point out to the
students each area where Visual Basic developers can benefit from the .NET
Framework components, such as garbage collection, type checking, and
exception handling.
ADO.NET is also an important new tool for Visual Basic .NET developers,
and they should not find this tool difficult if they are familiar with previous
versions of ActiveX® Data Objects (ADO).
Web Forms and Web Services are of course some of the major new features
of the .NET Platform. Students should be aware that they no longer need to
learn a scripting language in order to create Web applications; they can now
use Visual Basic .NET, using their existing Visual Basic skills.
Microsoft Windows-based applications are not to be forgotten in
Visual Basic .NET. Students need to realize that there are many new and
exciting aspects of the new Microsoft Windows® Forms development.

What Are the Visual Basic .NET Enhancements?
Point out that the course focuses on Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET from
the perspective of a Visual Basic developer. Describe the main areas of
enhancement, but make it clear that they are covered in detail in the
remainder of the course.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 1

Overview
Topic Objective
To provide an overview of
the module topics and
objectives.
What Is the Microsoft .NET Platform?
Lead-in
What Is the .NET Framework?
In this module, you will be
introduced to the .NET
What Are the .NET Framework Components?
Platform. You will then learn
about the .NET Framework
What Are the Visual Basic .NET Enhancements?
and the language support
that the .NET Framework
provides for the platform.

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Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET version 7.0 is a major enhancement to the
Delivery Tip Visual Basic product line. As a Visual Basic developer, you will find it useful
This module provides an
overview of the .NET
to understand the rationale and features that provide the foundation for the
systems for Visual Basic Microsoft .NET Platform before you look at Visual Basic .NET in detail.
developers.
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Make sure to point out the
List the main elements of the .NET Platform.
advantages of .NET over
previous versions of
Describe the .NET Framework and its components.
Windows development
List the major enhancements to Visual Basic .NET.
architectures and
Visual Basic whenever
possible.
2 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

What Is the Microsoft .NET Platform?

Topic Objective
To discuss the core services
and features provided by the
.NET Platform. Internet
Lead-in
Visual Studio .NET
The .NET Platform consists Orchestration
of several core services and
features, as shown on this Internet .NET Building
slide. One goal of this new .NET
Enterprise Block
platform is to simplify Web Framework COM+ Services
development. This topic will Servers
provide a brief look at the
architecture of the .NET Windows
Platform.
Available With .NET New
Today Enhancements Capabilities

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This topic describes the components of the .NET Platform, including the .NET
Framework, the .NET Building Block Services, .NET Enterprise Servers, and
Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET. The .NET Platform is important to you because
the goal of the .NET Platform is to simplify Web development by providing all
of the tools and technologies that you need to build distributed Web
applications.
The .NET Platform provides:

A language-independent, consistent programming model across all tiers of
an application.

Seamless interoperability between technologies.

Easy migration from existing technologies.

Full support for the Internet’s platform-neutral, standards-based
technologies, including Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Extensible
Markup Language (XML), and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).

The .NET Platform

The .NET Platform is a set of technologies designed to transform the Internet
into a full-scale distributed computing platform. It provides new ways to build
applications from collections of Web Services. The .NET Platform fully
supports the existing Internet infrastructure, including HTTP, XML, and SOAP.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 3

Core Technologies in the .NET Platform

The core technologies that make up the .NET Platform include:

.NET Framework
The .NET Framework is based on a new common language runtime. This
Delivery Tip runtime provides a common set of services for projects built in
Because of the common
language runtime, all .NET-
Visual Studio .NET, regardless of the language. These services provide key
compatible languages will building blocks for applications of any type, across all application tiers.
use the same run-time files. Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Visual C++®, and other Microsoft
This greatly aids programming languages have been enhanced to take advantage of these
Visual Basic developers services. Third-party languages that are written for the .NET Platform also
because they will no longer
have access to the same services.
need to distribute run-time
libraries that are specific to
Visual Basic. These files will Note Because of the common language runtime, all .NET languages will
be installed automatically in use the same run-time files. This means that there is no need to distribute
future versions of Windows. Visual Basic–specific run-time libraries because .NET run-time files will be
installed automatically in future versions of Microsoft Windows®.

.NET Building Block Services

The .NET Building Block Services are distributed programmable services
that are available both online and offline. A service can be invoked on a
stand-alone computer not connected to the Internet, provided by a local
server running inside a company, or accessed by means of the Internet. The
.NET Building Block Services can be used from any platform that supports
SOAP. Services include identity, notification and messaging,
personalization, schematized storage, calendar, directory, search, and
software delivery.

Visual Studio .NET
Visual Studio .NET provides a high-level development environment for
building applications on the .NET Framework. It provides key enabling
technologies to simplify the creation, deployment, and ongoing evolution of
secure, scalable, highly available Web applications and Web Services. It
also enables a new generation of Windows-based applications with many
new features available through the .NET Framework.
4 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

.NET Enterprise Servers

The .NET Enterprise Servers provide scalability, reliability, management,
and integration within and across organizations, and many other features as
described in the following table.
Server Description

Microsoft Includes rich XML functionality, support for

SQL Server™ 2000 Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) standards, the
ability to manipulate XML data by using Transact SQL
(T-SQL), flexible and powerful Web-based analysis,
and secure access to your data over the Web by using
HTTP.
Microsoft Provides enterprise application integration (EAI),
BizTalk™ Server 2000 business-to-business integration, and the advanced
BizTalk Orchestration technology to build dynamic
business processes that span applications, platforms,
and organizations over the Internet.
Microsoft Host Provides the best way to embrace Internet, intranet, and
Integration Server 2000 client/server technologies while preserving investments
in existing systems. Microsoft Host Integration Server
2000 is the replacement for SNA Server.
Microsoft Exchange Builds on the powerful Exchange messaging and
2000 Enterprise Server collaboration technology by introducing several
important new features and further increasing the
reliability, scalability, and performance of its core
architecture. Other features enhance the integration of
Exchange 2000 with Microsoft Windows 2000,
Microsoft Office 2000, and the Internet.
Microsoft Application Provides a deployment and management tool for high-
Center 2000 availability Web applications.
Microsoft Internet Provides secure, fast, and manageable Internet
Security and connectivity. Internet Security and Acceleration Server
Acceleration Server 2000 integrates an extensible, multilayer enterprise firewall
and a scalable, high-performance Web cache. It builds
on Windows 2000 security and directory for policy-
based security, acceleration, and management of
internetworking.
Microsoft Provides an application framework, sophisticated
Commerce Server 2000 feedback mechanisms, and analytical capabilities.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 5

What Is the .NET Framework?

Topic Objective
To provide an overview of
the topics covered in this
lesson.
Overview of the .NET Framework
Lead-in
Benefits of the .NET Framework
The .NET Framework
provides all the common
Languages in the .NET Framework
services you need to enable
your applications to run.

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In this lesson, you will learn how the .NET Framework provides all common
services required for your applications to run. You will learn how services are
available in any .NET-compatible language through the common language
specification (CLS). You will also learn what languages are supported in the
.NET Framework.
6 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

Overview of the .NET Framework

Topic Objective
To explain how various
components of the .NET
Framework fit together.
Lead-in Visual
C++ C# J# …
The .NET Framework Basic

Visual Studio .NET

provides all common
services required to run your Common Language Specification
Visual Basic .NET
applications. These services
are available in any .NET-
compatible language .NET Framework
through the Common
Language Specification.

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The .NET Framework provides all the common services required to run your
Visual Basic .NET applications.

Building Components in the .NET Framework

Before COM, applications were completely separate entities with little or no
integration. Using COM, you can integrate components within and across
applications by exposing common interfaces. However, as a developer, you
must still write the code to wrap, manage, and clean up after components and
objects.
In the .NET Framework, components are built on a common foundation. You
no longer need to write the code to allow objects to interact directly with each
other. In the .NET environment, you no longer need to write component
wrappers because components do not use wrappers. The .NET Framework can
interpret the constructs that developers are accustomed to using in object-
oriented languages. The .NET Framework fully supports class, inheritance,
methods, properties, events, polymorphism, constructors, and other object-
oriented constructs.

The Common Language Specification

The Common Language Specification (CLS) defines the common standards to
which languages and developers must adhere if they want their components and
applications to be widely useable by other .NET-compatible languages. The
CLS allows Visual Basic .NET developers to create applications as part of a
multiple-language team with the knowledge that there will be no problems
integrating the different languages. The CLS even allows Visual Basic .NET
developers to inherit from classes defined in different languages.

Visual Studio .NET

In the .NET Framework, Visual Studio .NET provides the tools you can use for
rapid application development.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 7

Benefits of the .NET Framework

Topic Objective
To explain how the
Based on Web standards and practices
framework design goals
make it easy to build
Extensible
applications.

Easy for developers to use
Lead-in
Before you learn about the
Designed using unified application models
various .NET Framework
components, it is helpful to
understand the design goals .NET Framework
of the .NET Framework.
This will help you to see
how the .NET Framework Visual Basic Forms MFC/ATL ASP
simplifies software
development.
Windows API

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In this topic, you will learn about some of the benefits of the .NET Framework.

Goals of the .NET Framework

The .NET Framework was designed to meet the following goals:

Based on Web standards and practices
The .NET Framework fully supports the existing Internet technologies,
including Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), XML, SOAP, Extensible
Stylesheet Language for Transformations (XSLT), XPath, and other Web
standards. The .NET Framework favors loosely connected, stateless Web
services.

Extensible
Delivery Tip
Mention that .NET The hierarchy of the .NET Framework is not hidden from the developer.
Framework classes that are You can access and extend .NET classes (unless they are sealed) by using
sealed cannot be extended. inheritance. You can also implement cross-language inheritance.

Easy for developers to use
In the .NET Framework, code is organized into hierarchical namespaces and
classes. The Framework provides a common type system, referred to as the
unified type system, that is used by any .NET-compatible language. In the
unified type system, everything is an object. There are no variant types,
there is only one string type, and all string data is Unicode.

Designed using unified application models
A .NET class’ functionality is available from any .NET-compatible
language or programming model.
8 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

Languages in the .NET Framework

Topic Objective
To discuss the languages
Visual Basic .NET
that are supported in the
.NET Framework. New version of Visual Basic with substantial language innovations
Lead-in
C# – designed for .NET
In this topic, you will learn
about the languages that New component-oriented language
Microsoft is providing for the
Managed Extensions to Visual C++
.NET Framework with
Visual Studio .NET. You’ll Provides more power and control
also learn about some of the
languages for .NET that are
J# .NET
being created by third-party Takes full advantage of the .NET Framework
developers.

Third-party languages

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The .NET Platform is language neutral—all common services needed to enable
programs to run are provided by the .NET Framework. The .NET Framework
provides support for numerous programming languages, including Microsoft
and third-party languages.
Language Description

Microsoft Visual Basic .NET provides substantial language innovations over previous versions of
Visual Basic .NET Visual Basic. Visual Basic .NET supports inheritance, constructors, polymorphism,
overloading, structured exceptions, stricter type checking, free threading, and many
other features. With this release, Visual Basic Scripting Edition provides full
Visual Basic functionality.
Microsoft Visual C#™ C# was designed for the .NET Platform and is the first modern component-oriented
language in the C and C++ family. It can be embedded in ASP.NET pages. Some of the
key features of this language include classes, interfaces, delegates, boxing and
unboxing, namespaces, properties, indexers, events, operator overloading, versioning,
attributes, unsafe code, and XML documentation generation. No header or Interface
Definition Language (IDL) files are needed.
Managed Extensions C++ The Visual C++ upgrade is a managed, minimal extension to the C++ language. This
extension provides access to the .NET Framework that includes garbage collection,
single-implementation inheritance, and multiple-interface inheritance. This upgrade also
eliminates the need to write plumbing code for components. It offers low-level access
where useful.
Microsoft J# .NET is a language for Java-language developers who want to build applications and
Visual J#™ .NET services for the .NET Framework. J# .NET is fully integrated with the Visual Studio
.NET IDE, and is designed to take full advantage of the .NET Framework.
Third-party languages Various third-party languages are supporting the .NET Platform. These languages
include APL, COBOL, Pascal, Eiffel, Haskell, ML, Oberon, Perl, Python, Scheme, and
SmallTalk.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 9

What Are the .NET Framework Components?

Topic Objective
To provide an overview of
the topics covered in this
lesson.
The .NET Framework Components
Lead-in
Common Language Runtime
In this lesson, you will learn
about the different
.NET Framework Class Library
components that make up
the .NET Framework.
ADO .NET: Data and XML

ASP .NET: Web Forms and Services

User Interface

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In this lesson, you will learn about the Microsoft .NET Framework components.
The .NET Framework is a set of technologies that are an integral part of the
.NET Platform. The .NET Framework provides the basic building blocks to
develop Web applications and Web Services by using ASP.NET.
10 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

The .NET Framework Components

Topic Objective
To provide an overview of
the .NET Framework
components.
Lead-in ASP .NET: Web User
Visual Basic .NET uses Forms & Services Interface
these components that are
provided by the .NET ADO .NET: Data & XML
Framework.
.NET Framework Class Library

Common Language Runtime

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The components of the .NET Framework are as follows:

Common language runtime

.NET Framework Class Library

ADO.NET: data and XML

ASP.NET: Web Forms and Services

User interface
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 11

Common Language Runtime

Topic Objective
To highlight some of the key Base Class Library Support
components of the common
language runtime.
Thread Support COM Marshaler
Lead-in
This topic will give you an
overview of the various Type Checker Exception Manager
components of the common
language runtime. Each Security Engine Debug Engine
component will be briefly
described. As a Visual Basic
developer, you will never MSIL to Native Code Garbage
physically see these pieces. Compilers Manager Collection
But discussing them gives
you a better understanding
of the richness of the Class Loader
runtime.

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The Common Language Runtime simplifies application development, provides
Delivery Tip a robust and secure execution environment, supports multiple languages,
Many of these issues are
directly beneficial to
simplifies application deployment and management, and provides a managed
Visual Basic .NET environment.
developers and will be
highlighted throughout the What Is a Managed Environment?
course.
A managed environment is one in which the environment provides common
services automatically. Examples of the types of services a managed
environment provides are garbage collection and security.
12 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

Common Language Runtime Components

The Common Language Runtime features are described in the following table.
Component Description

Class loader Loads the implementation of a loadable type into memory

and prepares it for execution.
Microsoft intermediate Converts MSIL to native code (just-in-time).
language (MSIL) to
native compiler
Code manager Manages code execution.
Garbage collection Provides automatic lifetime management of all of your
objects. This is a multiprocessor, scalable garbage collector.
Security engine Provides evidence-based security based on the origin of the
code as well as the user.
Debug engine Allows you to debug your application and trace the execution
of code.
Type checker Will not allow unsafe casts or uninitialized variables. IL can
be verified to guarantee type safety.
Exception manager Provides structured exception handling, which is integrated
with Windows Structured Exception Handling (SEH). Error
reporting has been improved.
Thread support Provides classes and interfaces that enable multithreaded
programming.
COM marshaler Provides marshaling to and from COM.
.NET Framework Class Integrates code with the runtime that supports the .NET
Library support Framework Class Library. The .NET Framework Class
Library is covered in the following lesson.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 13

.NET Framework Class Library

Topic Objective
To provide an overview of
the .NET Framework Class
Library and the most
common namespace:
System. System System.Security System.Runtime.
InteropServices
Lead-in
System.Net System.Text System.Globalization
In this topic, you will learn
how the .NET Framework
System.Reflection System.Threading System.Configuration
Class Library exposes
features of the runtime and
provides other high-level System.IO System.Diagnostics System.Collections
services.

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The .NET Framework Class Library exposes features of the runtime and
Delivery Tip provides other high-level services that every programmer needs through an
The .NET Framework Class
Library provides many
object hierarchy. This object hierarchy is known as a namespace.
powerful new features for
Visual Basic .NET System Namespaces
developers.
The System namespace contains fundamental classes and base classes that
For example, the
define commonly-used value and reference data types, events and event
Collections namespace handlers, interfaces, attributes, and processing exceptions. Other classes provide
adds many new possibilities, services supporting data type conversion, method parameter manipulation,
such as sorting, queues, mathematics, remote and local program invocation, application environment
stacks, and auto-sizing management, and supervision of managed and unmanaged applications.
arrays.
The System.Collections namespace provides sorted lists, hash tables, and other
The Threading system ways to group data. The System.IO namespace provides file I/O, streams, and
class also creates new so on. The System.NET namespace provides Transmission Control
possibilities to Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and sockets support.
Visual Basic .NET
developers for creating true For more information about namespaces, search for “namespaces” in the .NET
multithreaded applications. Framework SDK documentation. Namespaces will also be covered in
Module 2, “Development Environment Features,” in Course 2373B,
A simple overview of Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET.
namespaces at this point
may be useful.
14 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

ADO.NET: Data and XML

Topic Objective
To explain the data and
XML support in the runtime.
Lead-in
The .NET Framework
provides a new set of System.Data System.Xml
ADO.NET classes to handle
data. System.Xml.Schema
DataSet DataRow
System.Xml.Serialization
DataTable DataView

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ADO.NET is the next generation of ActiveX® Data Object (ADO) technology.
Delivery Tip ADO.NET provides improved support for the disconnected programming
ADO.NET has been created
especially for Internet
model. It also provides rich XML support.
usage, as it uses XML as its
core technology. This System.Data Namespace
means that developers no
The System.Data namespace consists of classes that constitute the ADO.NET
longer need to pass
Recordset objects around
object model. At a high level, the ADO.NET object model is divided into two
the system, potentially layers: the connected layer and the disconnected layer.
limiting which clients they
The System.Data namespace includes the DataSet class, which represents
can service. It also improves
the disconnected
multiple tables and their relations. These data sets are completely self-contained
programming model seen in data structures that can be populated from a variety of data sources. One data
previous versions of ADO. source could be XML, another could be OLE DB, and a third data source could
be the direct adapter for SQL Server.
Point out that Visual Basic
developers’ knowledge of
ADO will greatly assist them
System.Xml Namespace
in moving to ADO.NET. The System.Xml namespace provides support for XML. It includes an XML
parser and a writer, which are both W3C compliant. Transformations are
Check students’ provided by the System.Xml.Xsl namespace and the implementation of XPath
understanding of basic that allows data graph navigation in XML. The System.XML.Serialization
XML concepts. namespace provides the entire core infrastructure for Web Services, including
features such as moving back and forth between objects and an XML
representation.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 15

ASP.NET: Web Forms and Services

Topic Objective
To introduce Web Forms
and Web Services.
Lead-in
ASP .NET
The Internet is quickly System.Web
evolving from today’s Web
sites that just deliver UI Services UI
pages to browsers, to a next Description HtmlControls
generation of programmable Discovery WebControls
Web sites that link
organizations, applications, Protocols
services, and devices Caching Security
directly together. These
programmable Web sites Configuration SessionState
are more than passively
accessed sites; they are
reusable, intelligent Web
Services.
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ASP.NET is a programming framework that is built on the common language
runtime and that can be used on a server to build powerful Web applications.
ASP.NET Web Forms provide an easy and powerful way to build dynamic
Web user interfaces (UIs). ASP.NET Web Services provide the building blocks
for constructing distributed Web-based applications. Web Services are based on
open Internet standards, such as HTTP and XML. You can think of a Web
Service as a reusable component that is accessible across the Internet, rather
than being limited to Windows clients on a local area network.
The common language runtime provides built-in support for creating and
Delivery Tip exposing Web Services by using a programming abstraction that is consistent
Web development becomes
almost as simple as
and familiar to both Active Server Pages (ASP) and Visual Basic developers.
Windows-based application The resulting model is both scalable and extensible. This model is based on
development with open Internet standards (HTTP, XML, SOAP, and SDL) so that it can be
Visual Basic .NET. accessed and interpreted from any client or Internet-enabled device. Some of
the more common ASP.NET classes are described in the following paragraphs.
Creating Web applications
can be accomplished in the
one IDE, whether they are
System.Web Namespace
Web page applications or In the System.Web namespace, there are services such as caching, security,
Web Services. configuration, and others that are shared between Web Services and Web user
interface (UI).

System.Web.Services Namespace
The System.Web.Services namespace handles Web Service requirements such
as transportation protocols and service discovery.

System.Web.UI Namespace
The System.Web.UI namespace provides two classes of controls: HTML
controls and Web controls. The HTMLControls provide direct mapping of
HTML tags, such as <INPUT>. There are also WebControls that are richer and
allow you to structure controls with templates (for example, a grid control).
16 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

User Interface
Topic Objective
To explain how the .NET
Framework handles the user
interface for traditional
Windows applications.
Lead-in
In this lesson, you will learn System.Windows.Forms
how .NET handles the user
interface. The
System.Windows.Forms System.Drawing
class provides the client-
side UI, and
System.Drawing provides
the next generation of GDI
services.

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Windows applications can provide more powerful user interfaces than ever by
using the .NET Framework’s System.Windows.Forms and System.Drawing
namespaces. The new .NET Windows Forms will look very familiar to
Visual Basic developers.

System.Windows.Forms Namespace
You can use the System.Windows.Forms namespace classes to build the client
UI. This class lets you implement the standard Windows UI in your .NET
applications. Many functions that were previously only accessible by means of
application programming interface (API) calls are now available as part of the
forms themselves, making development much easier and more powerful.

System.Drawing Namespace
The System.Drawing namespace provides access to GDI+ basic graphics
functionality. More advanced functionality is provided in the
System.Drawing.Drawing2D, System.Drawing.Imaging, and
System.Drawing.Text namespaces.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 17

What Are the Visual Basic .NET Enhancements?

Topic Objective
To introduce some of the
Major language enhancements
major enhancements in
Visual Basic .NET.
Enhanced object-oriented support
Lead-in
Structured exception handling
Visual Basic .NET provides
major language
Full access to the .NET Framework
enhancements, full access
to the .NET Framework, and
New threading options
enhanced Web
development.
Garbage collection

Enhanced Web development

Create Web Forms as easily as Windows Forms

Create Web Services quickly

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Visual Basic .NET provides major language enhancements, full access to the
.NET Framework, and enhanced Web development.

Delivery Tip Major Language Enhancements

Discuss each point on the
In Visual Basic .NET, Visual Basic has undergone some significant changes to
slide and the advantages
each one gives developers.
allow Visual Basic developers to create powerful, robust, and scalable
enterprise applications.

Enhanced object-oriented support
Allows Visual Basic .NET developers to use class inheritance, constructors,
destructors, overloading, interfaces, and polymorphism. This gives
Visual Basic .NET as much object-oriented power as any other .NET
language, such as C# or Visual C++ with managed extensions.

Structured exception handling
Simplifies exception handling, and allows you to use powerful features such
as nested exceptions. This greatly improves the previous Visual Basic error
handler.
18 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

Full Access to the .NET Framework

Visual Basic .NET developers have full access to the .NET Framework,
including the entire .NET Framework Class Library.

New threading options
Allow you to create applications that use multithreaded capabilities. For the
first time, Visual Basic developers will be able to create applications that are
capable of rivaling Visual C++–based applications in this area.

Garbage collection
Ensures that applications created in Visual Basic .NET do not hold on to
unreferenced memory. This background process addresses memory-related
issues such as memory leaks and circular references that existed in previous
versions of Visual Basic and other languages.

Enhanced Web Development

Visual Basic .NET enables developers to quickly create powerful Web
applications.

Create Web Forms easily
You can do this as easily as Windows Forms by using the familiar technique
of writing code behind the event of a control. No longer do developers need
to use one integrated development environment (IDE) for Web page
development (such as Microsoft Visual InterDev®) and another for
component development. All aspects of a Web application are now simply
created in a single environment in a way that will be easy for Visual Basic
developers to understand.

Create Web Services quickly
You can do this quickly in a fashion similar to creating components in
previous versions of Visual Basic. Web Services is a powerful technology
that allows you to access your components (or other people’s components)
across the Internet by means of HTTP. Any Visual Basic developer who has
created components will easily make the transition to Web Services.
 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform 19

Review
Topic Objective
To reinforce module
objectives by reviewing key
points.
What Is the Microsoft .NET Platform?
Lead-in
What Is the .NET Framework?
The review questions cover
some of the key concepts
What Are the .NET Framework Components?
taught in the module.

What Are the Visual Basic .NET Enhancements?

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1. What is the .NET Platform?
The .NET Platform is a set of technologies designed to transform the
Internet into a full-scale distributed computing platform. It provides
new ways to build applications from collections of Web Services. The
.NET Platform fully supports the existing Internet infrastructure
(HTTP, XML, SOAP).

2. What are the core technologies in the .NET Platform?

.NET Framework, .NET Enterprise Servers, .NET Building Block
services, Visual Studio .NET, and Windows.

3. List the components of the .NET Framework.

Common language runtime, .NET Framework Class Library, data and
XML, Web Services and Forms, and Windows Forms.

4. What is the purpose of common language runtime?

It provides an environment in which you can execute code.
20 Module 1: Overview of the Microsoft .NET Platform

5. What is the purpose of common language specification?

It defines a set of features that all .NET-compatible languages should
support.

6. What is a Web Service?

A Web Service is a programmable Web component that can be shared
between applications on the Internet or an intranet.

7. What is a managed environment?

A managed environment is one in which the environment provides
services, such as garbage collection, security, and other similar features.