II: Default Project Files

When you create a new VB project in Visual Studio .NET, you ll notice numerous files and references added by default, creating a starting point for your application.

Translating these additions back to the real world can often be a confusing task. Therefore, the following sections detail the most-common project types and related template settings.

Windows Application

When creating a Windows application, the following visible items are automatically added to your project:

AssemblyInfo.vb : Used to describe your assembly plus contains versioning information. Edit this file to alter such data.
Form1.vb : Standard Windows form, ready for you to manipulate.
Default references to :
- System : The mother of the .NET Framework base classes. Includes commonly used value and reference data types, plus defines events and event handlers, interfaces, attributes, and processing exceptions.
- System.Data : Contains classes to handle ADO.NET data access.
- System.Drawing : Contains classes to handle GDI+ graphics functionality.
- System.Windows.Forms : Contains classes for creating Windows-based form applications.
- System.Xml : Contains classes that provide standards-based support for processing XML.

Default namespace imports (Project, Imports) :
- Microsoft.VisualBasic
- System
- System.Collections
- System.Data
- System.Diagnostics
- System.Drawing
- System.Windows.Forms

Class Library

When creating a class library, the following visible items are automatically added to your project:

AssemblyInfo.vb : Used to describe your assembly, plus contains versioning information. Edit this file to alter such data.
Class1.vb : Standard class template, ready for you to manipulate.
Default references to :
- System : The mother of the .NET Framework base classes. Includes commonly used value and reference data types, plus defines events and event handlers, interfaces, attributes and processing exceptions.
- System.Data : Contains classes to handle ADO.NET data access.
- System.Xml : Contains classes that provide standards-based support for processing XML.

Default namespace imports (Project, Imports) :
- Microsoft.VisualBasic
- System
- System.Collections
- System.Data
- System.Diagnostics

Web Application

When creating a Web Application, the following visible items are automatically added to your project:

AssemblyInfo.vb : Used to describe your assembly, plus contains versioning information. Edit this file to alter such data.
Global.asax : Contains template code for responding to application-level events raised by ASP.NET, such as Application_Start.
Styles.css : Empty CSS file, used to set page styles.
Web.config : Contains your ASP.NET application settings, such as authentication and session settings.
<ProjectName>. vsdisco : XML-based file used by ASP.NET when dynamically discovering Web services on the server, only required if you add a Web Service to your application.
WebForm1.aspx : Blank Web Form, ready for you to manipulate.
WebForm1.aspx.vb : Underneath WebForm1.aspx in the Solution Explorer hierarchy (click on Show All Files to open directly), this file contains a class file for the default WebForm1.aspx page, containing system generated and user code.
Default References to :
- System : The mother of the .NET Framework base classes. Includes commonly used value and reference data types, plus defines events and event handlers, interfaces, attributes, and processing exceptions.
- System.Data : Contains classes to handle ADO.NET data access.
- System.Drawing : Contains classes to handle GDI+ graphics functionality.
- System.Web : Contains classes for browser/server communication.
- System.Xml : Contains classes that provide standards-based support for processing XML.

Default namespace imports (Project, Imports) :
- Microsoft.VisualBasic
- System
- System.Collections
- System.Configuration
- System.Data
- System.Drawing
- System.Web
- System.Web.UI
- System.Web.UI.HtmlControls
- System.Web.UI.WebControls

Web Service

When creating a Web service, the following visible items are automatically added to your project:

AssemblyInfo.vb : Used to describe your assembly, plus contains versioning information. Edit this file to alter such data.
Global.asax : Contains template code for responding to application-level events raised by ASP.NET, such as Application_Start.
Web.config : Contains your ASP.NET application settings, such as authentication and session settings.
<ProjectName>.vsdisco : XML-based file used by ASP.NET when dynamically discovering Web services on the server."
Service1.asmx : The actual Web service file, which references the underlying assembly (your code compiled into a DLL).
Service1.asmx.vb : Underneath service1.asmx in the Solution Explorer hierarchy (click on Show All Files to open directly), this file contains a class file for the default Web service page, holding system-generated and user code.
Default References to:
- System : The mother of the .NET Framework base classes. Includes commonly used value and reference data types, plus defines events and event handlers, interfaces, attributes and processing exceptions.
- System.Data : Contains classes to handle ADO.NET data access.
- System.Web.Services : Contains classes enabling you to build and consume XML Web services.
- System.Web : Contains classes for browser/server communication.
- System.Xml : Contains classes that provide standards-based support for processing XML.

Default namespace imports (Project, Imports) :
- Microsoft.VisualBasic
- System
- System.Collections
- System.Configuration
- System.Data
- System.Drawing
- System.Web
- System.Web.UI
- System.Web.UI.HtmlControls
- System.Web.UI.WebControls