2. Lesson 1: Introduction to .NET Technology
What is . Net Framework?
.NET is an open-source platform for building desktop, web, and mobile applications that can run
natively on any operating system.
The . NET system includes tools, libraries, and languages that support modern, scalable, and
high-performance software development.
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3. What is open-source software?
A type of licensing agreement that allows users to freely modify a work, use
said work in new ways, integrate the work into a larger project or derive a new
work based on the original
Open source is a term that originally referred to open-source software (OSS). A
software with source code that is designed to be publicly accessible—anyone
can see, modify, and distribute the code as they see fit.
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4. "Source code" is the part of software that most computer users don't
ever see; it's the code computer programmers can manipulate to
change how a piece of software—a "program" or "application"—
works. Programmers who have access to a computer program's
source code can improve that program by adding features to it or
fixing parts that don't always work correctly.
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5. What's the difference between open source software and other types of
software?
Some software has source code that only the person, team, or organization who
created it—and maintains exclusive control over it—can modify. People call this
kind of software "proprietary" or "closed source" software.
Only the original authors of proprietary software can legally copy, inspect, and
alter that software. And in order to use proprietary software, computer users must
agree (usually by signing a license displayed the first time they run this software)
that they will not do anything with the software that the software's authors have
not expressly permitted. Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop are examples of
proprietary software.
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6. .NET Framework Objectives
The .NET Framework is designed to fulfill the following objectives:
◦ Provide object-oriented programming environment
◦ Provide environment for developing various types of applications, such as
Windows-based applications and Web based applications
◦ To ensure that code based on the .NET Framework can integrate with any
other code
8. Over 36 languages supported today
C#, VB, Jscript, Visual C++ from Microsoft
Perl, Python, Smalltalk, Cobol, Haskell, Mercury, Eiffel, Oberon, Oz, Pascal, APL,
CAML, Scheme, etc.
Visual Studio 2008 IDE
Microsoft has introduced Visual Studio.NET, which is a tool (also called Integrated
Development Environment) for developing .NET applications by using programming
languages such as VB, C#, VC++ and VJ#. etc.
9. .NET framework offers a myriad of languages which puts us programmers
into a deep thought process about which programming language best suits our
needs. Which language is the "best" language choice? If you are a VB
wizard, should you take the time to learn C# or continue to use VB.NET?
Fortunately the answer is simple: there is no "best" language. All .NET
languages use, at their root, functionality from the set of classes provided by
the .NET Framework. Therefore, everything you can do in VB.NET you can
do in C#, and vice-a-versa.
10. Visual Basic is visual because of the process that programmers go through to
create the part of the application that users see, also known as the GUI
(graphical user interface). Visual Basic is Basic because it was created based
on the BASIC (Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)
programming language.
A Quick overview of Visual Basic
11. Visual Basic is a programming language that is used to develop Windows
applications. Once you have written a Visual Basic application and compiled
it into executable code, the application can run on its own. It doesn’t require
anything else to execute except for the Windows operating system.
Compiling is the process of translating the code statements that make up a
computer application into a format that can be executed by the computer
operating system.
12. Right from its initial release by Microsoft, Visual Basic earned a reputation
for being very easy to learn while simultaneously delivering development
capabilities previously only made available by more complex programming
languages. As a result, it quickly became the most popular programming
language in the world. Today, you’ll find that Visual Basic is taught in
colleges all over the world. It is also used by companies internationally to
create Windows applications that drive mission-critical business processes.
13. There are a number of reasons why Visual Basic is so popular. Three of the
most important reasons include its support of the following:
• Drag-and-drop GUI design
• Rapid application development
• Object-oriented programming
14. GUI Development (Graphical User Interface)
One of the first things that you will come to appreciate about Visual Basic as
you work your way through this book is the ease with which it enables you to
create a really slick looking GUI. When you first begin working on a
Windows application, Visual Basic automatically creates a new blank
window for you. It also provides you with a collection of Windows
components, such as buttons, check boxes, and text boxes, that you can then
add to the window by clicking on and dragging them over to the window and
placing them where you want them.
GUI (graphical user interface) is the part of the application that the user sees and can
interact with using the mouse.
15. Rapid Application Development
Visual Basic is a RAD (rapid application development) Windows application
tool. RAD allows you to quickly create a mockup of your application so that
you can show users what the application will look like even though it lacks the
underlying code that actually makes it work. This allows users to provide early
feedback and helps programmers to deliver a final product that meets user
expectations.
RAD (rapid application development) is a process whereby programmers quickly create a
mockup of an application’s GUI for initial review by the users for whom the application is
intended in order to demonstrate how the application will ultimately look and operate.
16. Object-Oriented Programming
Visual Basic is also an object-oriented programming (OOP) language.
• OOP refers to the coding part of creating a Visual Basic application as
opposed to the development of its GUI.
• From an OOP perspective, everything in a Visual Basic application is
treated like an object.
• Objects store information about themselves and provide access to this
information.
17. • Objects also provide the ability to perform tasks and react to events. For
example, in Visual Basic, a button is an object.
• Any information about a button is stored alongside the button, such as its
size, color, and what actions the button initiates if it gets clicks.
OOP (object-oriented programming) is a methodology that combines the storage of
information along with predefined program code that can be used to interact with the object
and its information.
