Visual Basic .NET

Visual Basic .NET
Name	Visual Basic .NET
Paradigm	Object-oriented, structured, imperative, event-driven
Designer	Microsoft
Developer	Microsoft
Typing	Static, strong, safe, inferred
Influenced by	Visual Basic, C#, Java
Influenced	Small Basic
Operating system	Microsoft Windows, .NET Framework, .NET Core, .NET
License	Proprietary

Visual Basic .NET. It is a multi-paradigm, object-oriented programming language implemented on the .NET Framework, .NET Core, and .NET. Developed by Microsoft as part of its .NET initiative, it succeeded the widely popular Visual Basic (often called Classic Visual Basic) but represented a fundamental redesign. While retaining core syntax familiar to developers of its predecessor, it introduced full object-oriented capabilities, making it a first-class citizen of the .NET ecosystem alongside C#.

Overview

The language was first released in 2002 as part of Visual Studio .NET 2002, marking a pivotal shift in Microsoft's development strategy. It was created to leverage the Common Language Runtime (CLR), providing features like garbage collection, structured exception handling, and enhanced security. This integration meant that code written in it could interoperate seamlessly with other .NET languages such as C# and F#. The transition was championed by key figures at Microsoft like Anders Hejlsberg, who also led the design of C#. Despite initial resistance from the community of Visual Basic 6.0 developers, it evolved into a robust tool for building a wide range of applications on the Windows platform and beyond.

Language features

It is a fully object-oriented language featuring classes, inheritance, polymorphism, and interfaces. It supports modern constructs like try-catch-finally blocks for error handling, namespaces for organizing code, and delegates for event handling and callbacks. A significant feature is its support for Language Integrated Query (LINQ), which allows querying of data from various sources like SQL databases, XML, and collections directly within the syntax. Other notable features include generics for type-safe data structures, attributes for adding metadata, and partial classes to split type definitions across multiple files.

Development environment

The primary integrated development environment (IDE) for the language is Microsoft Visual Studio, which provides a comprehensive suite of tools including a code editor with IntelliSense, a visual debugger, drag-and-drop designers for Windows Forms and WPF applications, and tools for ASP.NET web development. Visual Studio Code, a lighter-weight editor from Microsoft, also supports it through extensions. The build and project management system is integrated with MSBuild, and developers can use NuGet for package management. The .NET SDK includes command-line tools like the .NET Compiler Platform (Roslyn) for compiling and running applications outside the IDE.

Version history

The language has evolved through numerous versions tied to releases of Visual Studio and the .NET Framework. Major releases include Visual Basic .NET 2002 (version 7.0) with the initial .NET Framework 1.0, and Visual Basic .NET 2003 (version 7.1) corresponding to .NET Framework 1.1. Visual Basic 2005 (version 8.0) introduced the My namespace and Edit and Continue debugging. Visual Basic 2008 (version 9.0) added support for LINQ and lambda expressions. Visual Basic 2010 (version 10.0) introduced auto-implemented properties and collection initializers. Later versions, aligned with .NET Core and the unified .NET platform, such as those in Visual Studio 2019 and Visual Studio 2022, have focused on performance, cross-platform development, and support for modern workloads like cloud development with Azure.

Comparison with Visual Basic 6

The transition from Visual Basic 6.0 represented a major break in compatibility, as it is a fundamentally different language built on the .NET architecture. Key differences include the shift from a COM-based to a managed code execution model via the Common Language Runtime. While Visual Basic 6.0 had limited object-oriented features, it is fully object-oriented with implementation inheritance. Visual Basic 6.0 used Variant by default and had On Error Goto for error handling, whereas it uses Option Strict for type safety and Try-Catch blocks. The forms package changed from VB6 forms to Windows Forms, and Web development moved from ASP to ASP.NET.

Applications and usage

It is used to develop a broad spectrum of applications, including desktop client applications using Windows Forms or Windows Presentation Foundation, enterprise-level business applications, and dynamic websites using ASP.NET and ASP.NET MVC. It is also employed in creating XML Web services, console applications, and libraries for the .NET ecosystem. With the advent of .NET Core and the unified .NET platform, it can be used to build cross-platform applications running on Linux and macOS, as well as cloud-native services for Microsoft Azure. While its popularity has been surpassed by C# in many domains, it remains in active use for maintaining legacy systems, rapid application development, and in educational contexts.

Category:Programming languages Category:.NET Framework Category:Microsoft development tools