Visual Basic .NET 2003 FAQs
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Q1: What are the differences between Visual Basic .NET 2002 and Visual Basic .NET 2003?

Visual Basic .NET 2003 and the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 now include integrated support for more than 200 mobile Web devices including mobile phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional, simplifies Smart Device application development with full support for the .NET Compact Framework.

Migrating to Visual Basic .NET is easier than ever. The Upgrade Wizard is now available in the Standard edition and has been enhanced to support the upgrading of more component types including User Controls and Web Classes. In addition to an improved integrated development environment (IDE) with a significantly reduced startup time, Visual Basic .NET 2003 offers fast, automatic formatting of code as you type, improved IntelliSense® for working more easily with methods, attributes and program errors, an enhanced object browser for easy access to the .NET Framework, an enhanced XML designer for simplifying working with complex XML documents, and much more.

Q2: What are the primary benefits of moving to VB .NET 2003 today for VB 6.0 developers?

Visual Basic .NET was built to empower today's VB developers with new levels of productivity and power.

VB .NET solves the most challenging issues facing VB developers, from simplified application deployment to MS Windows®-based and Web-based application development to data access. Some of the features in VB .NET include XCOPY-deployment, which allows applications to be easily deployed simply by copying files into the target directory, Auto-download deployment, which enables developers to deploy Windows-based applications as easily as deploying a Web page, and Control Anchoring, which eliminates the need to write complex form-resize code. VB .NET also includes improved IntelliSense statement completion and strongly typed ADO.NET data access programming. With VB .NET, you build robust applications of all types more rapidly, with fewer errors, and deploy them seamlessly.

Q3: Can I install VB .NET 2002 and VB .NET 2003 and VB 6.0 all on the same machine?

Yes, you can install VB .NET 2002 and VB .NET 2003 on a computer that is running VB 6.0 and use all three, system requirements permitting. You can install in any order. This is a supported scenario. Both the design-time environments and applications created with VB 6.0, VB .NET 2002, and VB .NET 2003 will run side-by-side on the same computer seamlessly.

Q4: Can I install Visual Basic .NET 2003 on Windows XP Home Edition?

Yes, you can install VB .NET 2003 on Windows XP Home edition. Since Windows XP Home Edition does not have Internet Information Server (IIS), you will not be able to build Web applications (ASP.NET), mobile Web applications, or XML Web services locally.

Q5: How does Visual Basic .NET relate to the .NET Framework?

If you are new to VB .NET, you can view the .NET Framework as being similar to VBRUNxxx.DLL, the former VB runtime. The .NET Framework provides a new programming model and rich set of classes designed to simplify application development (for Windows, the Web, and mobile devices), provides full support for XML Web services, robust security features, and delivers new levels of programming power and flexibility to VB developers. Unlike VBRUN, the .NET Framework is used by all MS languages including Visual C#, Visual J#, and Visual C++.

All applications written in VB .NET execute within the context of the .NET Framework and can leverage the full power of the rich classes provided as part of the .NET Framework. In addition, the .NET Framework provides a consistent programming model that enables VB .NET developers to easily share and reuse code assets written in any of the more than 20 programming languages in the .NET Framework.

Q6: What is the Visual Basic .NET 2003 Upgrade Wizard?

The VB .NET Upgrade Wizard is included as part of VB .NET 2003 Standard and Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional, Enterprise Developer, and Enterprise Architect editions. It assists you in upgrading existing VB projects to VB .NET in order to take advantage of all the benefits of working on the .NET Framework. The latest version includes support for Web Classes and User Controls as well as improvements in performance.

Q7: Does Visual Basic .NET still enable me to build rich desktop applications?

Absolutely. VB .NET provides the most comprehensive, productive environment for building rich Windows-based applications. A new forms package called Windows Forms enables VB developers to build desktop applications in less time, with enhanced power, easy deployment, and improved maintainability. New features in Windows Forms eliminate the need to write complex resize code and make application deployment as easy as copying files into the target directory (no more so-called 'DLL Hell').

Q8: What other types of applications does Visual Basic .NET 2003 enable me to build?

VB developers have access to a much broader range of applications in VB .NET than in previous versions of the VB tool set. By employing the same skills that you use to develop Windows-based applications, you can now build broad-reach, thin-client, Web-based applications and applications that target mobile devices, as well as rich-client applications on devices that support the .NET Compact Framework.

In addition, now VB .NET developers easily can create true MS Windows NT® Services using the new Windows Service project template and applications that target the Windows console using the Console Application project template. VB .NET also enables you to visually compose server-side business logic components using the Server Explorer and Visual Component Designer. Finally, developers using VB .NET easily can build Windows Services and console applications using the new application templates.

Q9: What are the differences between Visual Basic .NET and Visual C# .NET?

VB .NET and MS Visual C#™ .NET have been designed for the VB and MS Visual C++® communities, respectively. VB .NET was built around the concept of empowering VB developers with unprecedented power and productivity in solving today’s application development problems more effectively and efficiently—from desktop and Web-based application development to ending deployment and versioning problems, informally referred to as 'DLL Hell.' Visual C# was driven by developers within the C++ community who wanted more productivity in building their applications.

VB .NET and Visual C# .NET contain a very similar set of capabilities, and applications built in these two languages will run at the same speed. However, VB .NET and Visual C# .NET differ considerably in their user experiences. Because VB .NET targets VB developers, it incorporates the concepts and constructs familiar to VB developers, such as VB language syntax and semantics, case-insensitive coding, a powerful background compiler, and the option to do late-binding. Similarly, Visual C# incorporates features familiar to C++ developers, such as 'unsafe' code.

Q10: What are the system requirements of Visual Basic .NET 2003 Standard?

PROCESSOR:
450-megahertz (MHz) Pentium II-class processor, 600-MHz Pentium III-class processor recommended

OS and RAM:
Windows® .NET Svr 2003 (160MB)
Windows XP Pro (160MB)
Windows XP Home (96MB)
Windows 2000 Pro (96MB)
Windows 2000 Svr (192MB)

HARD DISK:
500 MB of available space required on system drive, 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available space required on installation drive. Additional 1.9 GB of available space required for optional MSDN Library documentation.

Q11: Can I use my ActiveX controls in a Visual Basic .NET application?

Yes. VB .NET employs a new technology for building desktop applications called Windows Forms. The Windows Forms package was designed to be an excellent container for existing ActiveX controls to ensure that current investments will be preserved.

Q12: Should I plan to upgrade all my Visual Basic 6.0 code to Visual Basic .NET 2003?

In some scenarios, you may decide not to upgrade VB 6.0 code to VB .NET. Where VB 6.0 code is deployed, running, and in 'maintenance' mode, it may be best to simply communicate with that code from new VB .NET components using COM interoperability. This enables you to build new applications using VB .NET without the need to rewrite existing components written in VB 6.0.

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