Introduction

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Another platform change is upon us. Just as with the transition from DOS to Windows, we must now move into the realm of .NET. The .NET platform strives to finally provide a common playing field for all languages to seamlessly interoperate with a common type system and base class library. Along with this new platform, Microsoft has created a language specifically designed to take advantage of the .NET platform, C#, which serves as the basis for this book and the examples herein.

Unlike Visual Basic, Microsoft has submitted both C# and the CLS to the ECMA standards organization to ensure adoption of the platform and the C# programming language. With open standards as the cornerstone for the .NET platform, it is sure to gather momentum and an adoption rate that exceeds proprietary systems and languages. With the introduction of C#, Microsoft has proven once and for all that the Internet and interoperability are key components for today's software requirements.

The goal of this book is, first and foremost, the exploration of the .NET platform and its underpinnings. Next, the coverage of the C# language is an essential part of .NET; considering that a vast majority of the base class library was developed entirely in C#. For the die-hard enthusiast, examples are provided for Intermediate Language and managed C++.

This book is divided into five parts to give to provide an in-depth look at the major topics in .NET. These topics include:

• .NET Platform

• Intermediate language

• C#

• Windows Forms Development

• ASP.NET

• COM Interoperability

• .NET Threading

As with any new platform, exhaustive coverage of any one topic could easily span a large volume on its own. Our goal in writing this book is to provide in-depth information about the major areas of .NET, to provide you with the knowledge required to develop for the .NET platform and to jump start your productivity. The requirements for software today far exceed what anyone could have envisioned in the early years of computer programming. The need for Internet-aware, peer-to-peer, XML-consuming/producing applications requires that programmers have a breadth of knowledge at their fingertips. The focus from the beginning of this book is to provide you with that breadth of knowledge from the foundations of .NET all the way to Windows Forms and Web Forms application development. Welcome to .NET.

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