How to Move to Visual Basic ® .NET Microsoft ® Corporation Joe Healy / Dan Sandlin

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Thank you to our Partner!

Session Prerequisites Knowledge of at least one of the following languages: Visual Basic ® .NET, C#, C++, or Visual Basic 6 Minimal understanding of the differences between Visual Basic 6 and Visual Basic .NET

Knowledge of at least one of the following languages: Visual Basic ® .NET, C#, C++, or Visual Basic 6

Minimal understanding of the differences between Visual Basic 6 and Visual Basic .NET

Getting Started with .NET .NET Framework Design Goals Consistent object-oriented environment to execute local, Internet-distributed, or remote object code Minimize deployment and version conflicts Provide secure execution of code Eliminate performance problems of scripted or interpreted environments Common developer experience for Windows-based and Web-based applications Communicate based on industry standards

Consistent object-oriented environment to execute local, Internet-distributed, or remote object code

Minimize deployment and version conflicts

Provide secure execution of code

Eliminate performance problems of scripted or interpreted environments

Common developer experience for Windows-based and Web-based applications

Communicate based on industry standards

Getting Started with .NET Framework, Languages, and Tools Visual Studio .NET RAD environment Multiple project types Wizards Unified IDE Solution Explorer Tool Box Debugger Dynamic Help Compiler

Visual Studio .NET

RAD environment

Multiple project types

Wizards

Unified IDE

Solution Explorer

Tool Box

Debugger

Dynamic Help

Compiler

Getting Started with .NET .NET Framework Benefits Dramatically simplifies development and deployment Unifies programming models Provides robust and secure execution environment Supports multiple programming languages

Dramatically simplifies development and deployment

Unifies programming models

Provides robust and secure execution environment

Supports multiple programming languages

Getting Started with .NET .NET Framework Benefits Common type system Common instance and type definition Enables clean OO programming Classes and interfaces Constructors, properties, methods, events Cross language inheritance Built-in interoperability With COM With native (Win32 ® style) DLLs

Common type system

Common instance and type definition

Enables clean OO programming

Classes and interfaces

Constructors, properties, methods, events

Cross language inheritance

Built-in interoperability

With COM

With native (Win32 ® style) DLLs

Getting Started with .NET .NET Framework Benefits Completely eliminates COM plumbing No more… Registration GUIDs .IDL files HRESULTs IUnknown AddRef/Release CoCreateInstance =>self described apps =>hierarchical namespaces =>unified object model =>structured exceptions =>common root object =>garbage collector =>”new” operator

Completely eliminates COM plumbing

No more…

Registration

GUIDs

.IDL files

HRESULTs

IUnknown

AddRef/Release

CoCreateInstance

Language Differences What's New Visual Basic 6 vs. Visual Basic .NET Visual Basic Runtime Visual Basic 6 compatibility Language changes

Visual Basic 6 vs. Visual Basic .NET

Visual Basic Runtime

Visual Basic 6 compatibility

Language changes

Language Differences Visual Basic 6 vs. Visual Basic .NET Yes, it’s different from Visual Basic 6 You can upgrade your Visual Basic 6 applications Or they can coexist

Yes, it’s different from Visual Basic 6

You can upgrade your Visual Basic 6 applications

Or they can coexist

Language Differences Visual Basic 6 vs. Visual Basic .NET Visual Basic is a first class .NET Language Inheritance Structured exception handling Free threading Full platform access Seamless interoperability with other languages Common type system Common Language Specification (CLS)

Visual Basic is a first class .NET Language

Inheritance

Structured exception handling

Free threading

Full platform access

Seamless interoperability with other languages

Common type system

Common Language Specification (CLS)

Language Differences Visual Basic 6 Compatibility Visual Basic compatibility library Part of the .NET Framework Part of the core redistributable package Written in Visual Basic Only contains deprecated functions Visual Basic Data Compatibility Library Same as above

Visual Basic compatibility library

Part of the .NET Framework

Part of the core redistributable package

Written in Visual Basic

Only contains deprecated functions

Visual Basic Data Compatibility Library

Same as above

Demonstration 1 Key Visual Basic .NET Benefits Structure Exception Handling Tracing Inheritance

Upgrading Applications Upgrade Wizard Form layout ActiveX controls ADO data binding Code Syntax changes COM libraries RES files Behavior warnings

Upgrading Applications Upgrade Completion Visual Basic .NET project Upgrade Wizard will list: Upgrade issues Upgrade to-dos Upgrade warnings Upgrade notes Complete the changes Compile the application

Visual Basic .NET project

Upgrade Wizard will list:

Upgrade issues

Upgrade to-dos

Upgrade warnings

Upgrade notes

Complete the changes

Compile the application

Demonstration 2 Using the Upgrade Wizard Upgrade Visual Basic 6 Forms to Visual Basic .NET Windows Form

Code Advisor VB6 Add-in Scan your Visual Basic 6.0 projects to ensure they meet predetermined coding standards Suggest changes and best practices to ease migration Able to create your own custom rules http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/downloads/codeadvisor/default.asp

VB6 Add-in

Scan your Visual Basic 6.0 projects to ensure they meet predetermined coding standards

Suggest changes and best practices to ease migration

Able to create your own custom rules

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/downloads/codeadvisor/default.asp

Demonstration 3 Using the VB6 Code Advisor

Snippet Migration VS.NET 2003 (Everett) has an inplace upgrade advisor Useful if you’re moving in VB6 snippets

VS.NET 2003 (Everett) has an inplace upgrade advisor

Useful if you’re moving in VB6 snippets

Demonstration 4 Using the VS.NET 2003 Snippet Upgrader

ADO to ADO.NET What is ADO? ActiveX data objects COM-based Variety of data sources Connected and disconnected XML support

What is ADO?

ActiveX data objects

COM-based

Variety of data sources

Connected and disconnected

XML support

ADO to ADO.NET What is ADO.NET? Native .NET components Variety of data sources Designed for disconnected access Built from ground up for XML

What is ADO.NET?

Native .NET components

Variety of data sources

Designed for disconnected access

Built from ground up for XML

ADO to ADO.NET Does ADO still work in Visual Basic .NET? Yes, ADO code works ADO data binding? Yes, if binding to data control Yes, if binding to a data environment No, if binding to a data source class ADO data environment? No direct support, but Upgrade Wizard will upgrade ADO data environment to a class

Does ADO still work in Visual Basic .NET?

Yes, ADO code works

ADO data binding?

Yes, if binding to data control

Yes, if binding to a data environment

No, if binding to a data source class

ADO data environment?

No direct support, but Upgrade Wizard will upgrade ADO data environment to a class

ADO to ADO.NET ADO.NET Overview Connected Connection, command, data reader Middle Data adapter Disconnected DataSet, DataTable, DataView, etc.

ADO.NET Overview

Connected

Connection, command, data reader

Middle

Data adapter

Disconnected

DataSet, DataTable, DataView, etc.

ADO to ADO.NET Data providers Part of connected layer SQL Server  /MSDE OLE DB ODBC Oracle Third parties

Data providers

Part of connected layer

SQL Server  /MSDE

OLE DB

ODBC

Oracle

Third parties

ADO to ADO.NET Connected Layer Connection object Very similar to ADO’s connection object Command Very similar to ADO’s command object Data reader Forward, read-only record set Data adapter No equivalent to ADO

Connection object

Very similar to ADO’s connection object

Command

Very similar to ADO’s command object

Data reader

Forward, read-only record set

Data adapter

No equivalent to ADO

ADO to ADO.NET Disconnected Layer DataSet In-memory representation of database Can contain multiple tables Tables can come from different data sources Can enforce relational integrity rules Heterogeneous joins across different data providers Supports views, filtering, and searching Supports data binding

DataSet

In-memory representation of database

Can contain multiple tables

Tables can come from different data sources

Can enforce relational integrity rules

Heterogeneous joins across different data providers

Supports views, filtering, and searching

Supports data binding

Demonstration 5 Upgrading ADO to ADO.NET ADO Recordset with Visual Basic .NET Controls ADO Recordset with ADO.NET Data Binding Nothing but .NET

Deployment Demo 6.0 Build a simple winform Have it consume a web service at http://localhost/demos/DemoWebServices/PubsService.asmx Run it Deploy it

Build a simple winform

Have it consume a web service at http://localhost/demos/DemoWebServices/PubsService.asmx

Run it

Deploy it

Deployment Smart Clients Considerations New option No-Touch Security

Considerations

New option

No-Touch

Security

Deployment Considerations System impact Will the install of application 1 break application 2? First time deployment Every client has to have the application explicitly installed on it Application Update Every client has to re-install the application to pickup updates

System impact

Will the install of application 1 break application 2?

First time deployment

Every client has to have the application explicitly installed on it

Application Update

Every client has to re-install the application to pickup updates

Deployment Considerations Problem to Solve: Avoid the application install all together Run the application w/o touching the client What about management software? If you have a managed infrastructure, use it If not, you can still build No Touch Deployable applications

Problem to Solve:

Avoid the application install all together

Run the application w/o touching the client

What about management software?

If you have a managed infrastructure, use it

If not, you can still build No Touch Deployable applications

Deployment Considerations Applications are isolated Private deployment by default Applications are self-describing Multiple versions can coexist Sharing is controlled and explicit Applications default to use the assembly version they were built with, not the latest Side-by-side

Applications are isolated

Private deployment by default

Applications are self-describing

Multiple versions can coexist

Sharing is controlled and explicit

Applications default to use the assembly version they were built with, not the latest

Side-by-side

Deployment New Options No-touch deployment Application isolation is the default No registration required Strong versioning of shared components Deployment is simple XCOPY on to client Run from a file share Click on a link in the browser

No-touch deployment

Application isolation is the default

No registration required

Strong versioning of shared components

Deployment is simple

XCOPY on to client

Run from a file share

Click on a link in the browser

Deployment New Options MyApp.exe Web Server Internet Explorer Download Cache Client App .NET Framework Managed Exe? MyApp.dll HTTP HTTP

Deployment No-Touch URL-launched executable No installation, automatic update Click on a link in the browser Use Assembly.LoadFrom Stored in the download cache Only downloaded when updated Application “trickles” onto the client Dependent components are automatically downloaded

URL-launched executable

No installation, automatic update

Click on a link in the browser

Use Assembly.LoadFrom

Stored in the download cache

Only downloaded when updated

Application “trickles” onto the client

Dependent components are automatically downloaded

Deployment No-Touch Small local executable Load assemblies from a Web server Application downloads itself at run time Update server assemblies to update application Use Assembly.LoadFrom(url) Takes a URL to an assembly Downloads and caches the assembly Automatically checks for newer versions Permissions based on where the assembly came from

Small local executable

Load assemblies from a Web server

Application downloads itself at run time

Update server assemblies to update application

Use Assembly.LoadFrom(url)

Takes a URL to an assembly

Downloads and caches the assembly

Automatically checks for newer versions

Permissions based on where the assembly came from

Deployment No-Touch Stored in the download cache NOT the GAC! Layer “on top of” WinInet cache Maintains URL for security evidence Configurable cache size Scavenged by LRU Per user

Stored in the download cache

NOT the GAC!

Layer “on top of” WinInet cache

Maintains URL for security evidence

Configurable cache size

Scavenged by LRU

Per user

Deployment Security Semi-trusted applications Security based on where the application comes from Think Web pages in the browser Strong names Can be used to achieve a higher security level Security based on who signed the assembly

Semi-trusted applications

Security based on where the application comes from

Think Web pages in the browser

Strong names

Can be used to achieve a higher security level

Security based on who signed the assembly

Demonstration 6.1 No-Touch Deployment URL Launched Executable Load Another Assembly

Thank you to our Partner!

Thank you to our Partners!