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Get ready to give your programming skills a boost by learning how to write robust applications in Visual Basic. This comprehensive resource not only takes you through the latest features of Visual Basic 2005 but also shows you how to apply this powerful language in the .NET Framework 3.0. Along the way, it provides you with sample code and best practices so you can quickly get started.

The expert author team will help you easily make the transition to the newest version of Visual Basic. You'll also examine full object orientation, new component techniques, and new visual tools for local and Internet interfaces. And you'll find out how to access databases and utilize other technologies such as XML. You'll then be able to create everything from traditional console and ASP.NET applications to XML Web Services.

What you will learn from this book

• Strategies for building new application types using Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
• Debugging techniques so you can achieve optimal performance
• Tips for creating applications and libraries based upon Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), and Windows CardSpace
• How to work with namespaces, SQL Server, XML Web Services, and Windows Services
• Ways to integrate security features from the .NET 3.0 Framework into your application
• All about the Visual Studio 2005 IDE and advanced features of ASP.NET 3.0

Who this book is for

This book is for experienced Visual Basic developers who need to make the transition to the .NET 3.0 Framework.

About the Authors

Bill Evjen is an active proponent of .NET technologies and community-based learning initiatives for .NET. He has been actively involved with .NET since the first bits were released in 2000. In the same year, Bill founded the St. Louis .NET User Group, one of the world’s first such groups. Bill is also the founder and former executive director of the International .NET Association, which represents more than 450,000 members worldwide.

Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Bill is an acclaimed author and speaker on ASP.NET and XML Web Services. He has written or co-written more than 13 titles, including Professional ASP.NET Special Edition, Professional XML, Professional C# 2005 with .NET 3.0, and more. In addition to writing, Bill is a speaker at numerous conferences, including DevConnections, VSLive, and TechEd.

Bill is the technical architect of Lipper , a wholly owned subsidiary of Reuters, the international news and financial services company.

Billy Hollis is an author and software consultant based in Nashville, Tennessee. Billy was co-author of the first book ever published on Visual Basic .NET, as well as many other books on software development. He is a member of the Microsoft Regional Director program and a Microsoft MVP. In 2002, Billy was selected as one of the original .NET “Software Legends.” He is heavily involved with consulting, training, and development on the .NET platform, focusing on architecture, smart-client development, commercial packages, and user-interface technologies. He regularly speaks on software development at major conferences all over the world, including Microsoft’s PDC and TechEd events, DevConnections, VSLive, and architecture events such as the Patterns and Practices Architect Summit.

Tim McCarthy is a principal engineer at InterKnowlogy, where he architects and builds applications utilizing the latest Microsoft technologies. He is a Microsoft Certified Application Developer, Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, Microsoft Certified Trainer, and Microsoft Certified Database Administrator. Tim is also an IEEE Certified Software Development Professional.

Tim speaks regularly at several San Diego area user groups (including both .NET and SQL Server groups) and he has been a speaker at Microsoft Developer Days in San Diego for the last several years. He also presents MSDN webcasts, many of which are repeat requests from Microsoft.

He holds a BBA in marketing from the Illinois Institute of Technology as well as an MBA in marketing from National University. Before becoming an application developer, Tim was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. His passion for .NET is surpassed only by his passion for Notre Dame athletics.

Kent Sharkey is an independent consultant who lives and codes in the midst of the wilds of Vancouver Island. Before going solo, Kent worked at Microsoft as a Technical Evangelist and Content Strategist, promoting the use of .NET technologies.

Bill Sheldon is a software architect and engineer, originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Holding a degree in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Bill has been actively employed as a software engineer since resigning his commission with the United States Navy. He is employed as a principal engineer with InterKnowlogy in Carlsbad, California, and works as an instructor for Visual Basic and Team System–related courses at the University of California San Diego Extension.

In addition to writing books, Bill has published dozens of articles, including the Developer Update Newsletter and occasional feature articles with SQL Server magazine and other Penton publications. He is an established online presenter for MSDN and speaks at live events such as Microsoft Developer Days and community events such as user groups and code camp. Bill is an avid cyclist and is active in the fight against diabetes.