Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart: Make Your Move Now from VB6 to VB 2005

by Wei-Meng Lee

Overview

Okay, all you VB6 developers--time's up. As of March 2005, Microsoft no longer supports this version of Visual Basic. And you can't blame them. Three years ago, they introduced the .NET Framework--an elegant, powerful platform--along with the new component-based VB.NET language. But roughly five million of you decided to stick with VB6, mostly to maintain legacy Windows and COM projects.

Now, with the upcoming release of VB 2005, Microsoft has several attractive reasons to upgrade that you'll find hard to resist, including the return of some VB6 features. And we have the perfect book to help you make the conversion: Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart. Now, you can test-drive the beta version of VB 2005 with three hands-on projects that enable you to learn the syntax of this new language quickly.

VB 2005 not only lets you convert the bulk of your existing VB6 code, but offers several familiar features, such as compile-and-run debugging, new MyClasses that simplify use of .NET libraries and frameworks, lots of IDE support for Windows, web and mobile GUI development, and data access controls that closely resemble what you use now. The real plus is that you'll be using these features with the .NET platform, which is more secure, less complex than COM, and offers OneClick deployment.

Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart lets you get the feel of this platform for building smart/rich Windows Forms clients, ASP.NET web applications, and web services. Author Wei-Meng Lee, a Microsoft .NET MVP, veteran O'Reilly author and frequent contributor to the O'Reilly Network, has put together three useful test-drive projects, complete with code samples, that let you develop:

• A personal library Windows application
• A Web-based shopping cart application
• A stock enquiry Web Service

Our jumpstart guide is the quick, painless way to migrate from VB6 to VB 2005, and the perfect training manual for moving your organization to the more robust, dynamic and secure world of .NET.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780596553340
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/22/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Wei-Meng Lee (Microsoft MVP) is a technologist and founder of Developer Learning Solutions (http://www.developerlearningsolutions.​com), a technology company specializing in hands-on training on the latest Microsoft technologies. Wei-Meng speaks regularly at international conferences and has authored numerous books on .NET, XML, and wireless technologies, including ASP.NET 2.0 - A Developer's Notebook and the .NET Compact Framework Pocket Guide (both from O'Reilly). He writes extensively for the O'Reilly Network on topics ranging from .NET to Mac OS X. Wei-Meng is currently a Microsoft Regional Director for Singapore.

Table of Contents

Copyright;
About the Author;
Foreword;
Preface;
Who This Book Is For;
What You Need to Use This Book;
Conventions Used in This Book;
Using Code Examples;
Safari Enabled;
I'd Like to Hear from You;
Comments and Questions;
Acknowledgments;
Chapter 1: Introducing Visual Basic 2005;
1.1 Create the Application and Its Main Window;
1.2 Add a Menu and Toolbar;
1.3 Connect to a Database and Browse Records;
1.4 Create an Exit Dialog Box;
1.5 Handle Exit and Close Events;
1.6 Run and Debug the Application;
1.7 Inspect an Object at Runtime;
1.8 Add an About Box;
1.9 Configure the Application;
1.10 Summary;
Chapter 2: Programming with Visual Basic;
2.1 Data Types;
2.2 Variables;
2.3 Constants;
2.4 Strings;
2.5 Arrays;
2.6 Type Conversion;
2.7 Operators;
2.8 Statements;
2.9 Functions and Subroutines;
2.10 Error Handling;
2.11 My Namespace;
2.12 Summary;
Chapter 3: Putting Object-Oriented Programming to Work;
3.1 Working with Classes and Objects;
3.2 Reusing and Customizing Classes;
3.3 Designing Your Own Classes;
3.4 Controlling How Classes Are Implemented;
3.5 Summary;
Chapter 4: Developing a Windows Application;
4.1 Creating the Windows Application and Building the Main Window;
4.2 Viewing Book Information Offline;
4.3 Deploying the Application;
4.4 Automatic Updating;
4.5 Summary;
Chapter 5: Building Web Applications;
5.1 Building the Storefront;
5.2 Creating a Shopping Cart;
5.3 Members Area;
5.4 Testing the Application;
5.5 Summary;
Chapter 6: Moving from VB 6 to VB 2005;
6.1 Migrate, Replace, Rewrite, or Reuse?;
6.2 Using COM Objects in VB 2005;
6.3 Upgrading VB 6 Applications;
6.4 Summary;
Colophon;