Visual Basic 2008

Look Mom, no parameters! Relaxed delegates in Visual Basic 2008 (VB9)

Mike McIntyre [MVP Visual Basic] — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:59:00 GMT

Relaxed delegate conversion, introduced in Visual Basic 2008, enables you to assign subs and functions to delegates or handlers even when the signatures are not identical. Therefore, binding to delegates becomes consistent with the binding already allowed in method invocations.

In Visual Basic prior to 2008:

Sub OnClick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles RunButton.Click
MessageBox.Show("Visual Basic prior to VB 2008")
End Sub

In Visual Basic 2008 (VB9)

Sub OnClick() Handles RunButton.Click
MessageBox.Show("Look Mom, no parameters!")
End Sub

Details: Relaxed Delegate Conversion

Mike McIntyre
www.getdotnetcode.com

PInvoke Interop Assistant (FREE) - Making PInvoke Easier to Use

Mike McIntyre [MVP Visual Basic] — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:29:00 GMT

Jaren Parsons of the Microsoft Visual Basic Team created PInvoke Interop Assistant. In a blog announcing the tool he says: “The motivation behind this tool is writing PInvoke is a hard and often tedious task. There are many rules you must obey and many exceptions that must be taken into account.”

Read about the tool and get a link to download it at: Making PInvoke Easy

Visual Basic 2008 Books (UPDATED)

Mike McIntyre [MVP Visual Basic] — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:30:00 GMT

The list has more than doubled since I first published it here.

Below, in alphabetical order, is a partial listing of Visual Basic 2008 books. Some have already been published, some will be published over the next several months.

Accelerated VB 2008 (Accelerated)

Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008 - Programming Techniques

Beginning VB 2008 Databases: From Novice to Professional

Beginning Microsoft Visual Basic 2008

Clearly Visual Basic: Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2008

Introduction to Programming Using Visual Basic 2008

LINQ in Action

Mastering Microsoft Visual Basic 2008

Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition: Build a Program Now!

Microsoft Visual Basic 2008: RELOADED

Murach's Visual Basic 2008

Pro VB 2008 and the .NET 3.5 Platform

Programming in Visual Basic 2008

Programming Visual Basic 2008: Build .NET 3.5 Applications with Microsoft's Popular RAD Tool for Business

Programming Windows Services with Microsoft Visual Basic 2008

Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 2008 in 24 Hours: Complete Starter Kit

Simply Visual Basic 2008

Starting Out With Visual Basic 2008

Visual Basic 2008 For Dummies

Visual Basic 2008 for Windows and Mobile Applications: Introductory

Visual Basic 2008 for Windows, Mobile, Web, Office, and Database Applications: Comprehensive

Visual Basic 2008 How to Program

Visual Basic 2008 Programmer's Reference

Visual Basic 2008 Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach

Mike McIntyre

Get Dot Net Code

Visual Basic 2008 - Local Type Inference

Mike McIntyre [MVP Visual Basic] — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:05:00 GMT

Local type inference is an important new concept to grasp as one approaches Visual Basic 2008. Many new features in VB 2008 are dependent on it. Below is a brief introduction to local type inference followed by a link to a MSDN resource where you can learn more.

Introduction

In Visual Basic 2008 you can get strongly typed local variables without using the 'As' clause to explictly set the variables type. Here is an example of declaring a strongly typed variable in prior versions of Visual Basic for .NET and assigning it an integer literal:

Dim myInteger As Integer = 10

In Visual Basic 2008 you can get the same result - that is a strongly type variable - like this:

Dim myInteger = 10

The Visual Basic 2008 complier will strongly type the myInteger variable by infering the type from the integer literal. It analyzes the value assigned to the local variable myInteger (the integer literal 10), determines it is of type integer, and strongly types myVariable as in integer.

More Information

For more info click -> Local Type Inference

Deck the Halls with REM and Sub Main...

Mike McIntyre [MVP Visual Basic] — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 08:50:00 GMT

Visual Basic 2008 Books

Mike McIntyre [MVP Visual Basic] — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 08:09:00 GMT

Below, in no particular order, is a partial listing of Visual Basic 2008 books. Some have already been published, some will be published over the next several months.

Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 Step by Step

http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/12202.aspx

Amazon.com: Visual Basic 2008 For Dummies

http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Basic-2008-Dummies-Computer/dp/0470182385

Amazon.com: Accelerated VB 2008 (Accelerated)

http://www.amazon.com/Accelerated-VB-2008-Guy-Fouch%C3%A9/dp/1590598741

Wrox::Visual Basic 2008 Programmer's Reference

http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0470182628.html

APRESS.COM : Beginning VB 2008 Databases: From Novice to Professional

http://www.apress.com/book/view/1590599470

APRESS.COM : Pro VB 2008 and the .NET 3.5 Platform

http://www.apress.com/book/view/1590598229

Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008 - Programming Techniques

http://www.springer.com/west/home/computer/programming?SGWID=4-40007-22-173744606-0

Amazon.co.uk: Mastering Microsoft Visual Basic 2008

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Microsoft-Visual-Basic-2008/dp/0470187425/ref=sr_1_3/202-8329653-2242231?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191767779&sr=1-3

Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition: Build a Program Now!

http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/12282.aspx

Programming Windows Services with Microsoft Visual Basic 2008

http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/11309.aspx

Deitel & Associates, Inc. Visual Basic 2008 How to Program

http://www.deitel.com/

Silverlight

Mike McIntyre [MVP Visual Basic] — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:20:00 GMT

Below are some of the links I have found useful for learning about, and developing with, the Microsoft Silverlight technologies.

As a Visual Basic programmer you may want to start learning what Silverlight development is all about. Because Visual Basic in .NET can be used as a static or dynamic language, there are some unique opportunities emerging in Silverlight development for Visual Basic programmers.

Microsoft Silverlight (WikiPedia)
Abstract:	Microsoft Silverlight (code-named Windows Presentation Foundation/Everywhere or WPF/E) is a proprietary runtime for browser-based Rich Internet Applications, providing a subset of the animation, vector graphics, and video playback capabilities of Windows Presentation Foundation.
Title:	Microsoft Silverlight - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
URL:	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Silverlight

Microsoft Silverlight (Microsoft)
Abstract:	Microsoft Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. Silverlight offers a flexible programming model that supports AJAX, VB, C#, Python, and Ruby, and integrates with existing Web applications. Silverlight supports fast, cost-effective delivery of high-quality video to all major browsers running on the Mac OS or Windows.
Title:	Silverlight
URL:	http://silverlight.net/

Getting Started

1 Getting Started Video.htm
Title:	Silverlight: Get Started
URL:	http://silverlight.net/GetStarted/

2 Download the Runtime and Tools.htm
Title:	Silverlight: Get Started
URL:	http://silverlight.net/GetStarted/

3 Learn from Samples and Documentation.htm
Title:	Silverlight: Get Started
URL:	http://silverlight.net/GetStarted/

Other Starlight Videos

How Do I with Silverlight 1 0.htm
Title:	Silverlight: Videos
URL:	http://silverlight.net/learn/learnvideos.aspx#cat2

How Do I with Silverlight 1 1.htm
Title:	Silverlight: Videos
URL:	http://silverlight.net/learn/learnvideos.aspx#cat2

MIX 2007 Key Note.htm
Comments:	This is a long video but really worth watching to understand where Silverlight fits into the application development framework. Ray Ozzie introduces the high level vision. Scott Guthrie gives the 'hands on' demos.
Date Accessed:	26 Sep. 2007
URL:	http://sessions.visitmix.com/view_07.asp?pid=KYN001

MIX 2007 Silverlight Sessions.htm
Title:	Silverlight: Videos
URL:	http://silverlight.net/learn/learnvideos.aspx#cat4

Using Blend with Silverlight 1 0.htm
Title:	Silverlight: Videos
URL:	http://silverlight.net/learn/learnvideos.aspx#cat3

Mike McIntyre http://www.getdotnetcode.com

Visual Basic 2008 - Introducing Extension Methods

Mike McIntyre [MVP Visual Basic] — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:19:00 GMT

Note: This article is based on Orcas Beta 2 (Visual Studio 2008).

Extension Methods

Visual Basic 2008 extension methods enable you to "add" functionality to existing types without creating a new derived type.

Types That Can Be Extended

· Classes (reference types)

· Structures (value types)

· Interfaces

· Delegates

· ByRef and ByVal arguments

· Generic method parameters

· Arrays

Extension methods make it possible to create a method in a Visual Basic module that can be called as if it were an instance method of another type.

An extension method can be a Sub procedure or a Function procedure. You cannot define an extension property, field, or event. All extension methods must be marked with the extension attribute from the System.Runtime.CompilerServices namespace.

The first parameter in an extension method definition specifies which data type the method extends. When the method is run, the first parameter is bound to the instance of the data type that invokes the method.

In the following example an extension method is defined for the .NET String type.

Example – Add ‘Display’ extension method to .NET String type

The following code defines a Display extension method for the .NET String data type. The method uses MessageBox.Display to display a string. The type of the aString parameter of the Display method, establishes that the method extends the String class.

' You must define type extensions in a Visual Basic module.

Module ExampleTypeExtensions

'All extension methods must be marked with the extension attribute

' from the System.Runtime.CompilerServices namespace.

Public Sub Display(ByVal aString As String)

MessageBox.Show(aString)

End Sub

End Module

The following code, in a button click handler in a Windows form, calls the String ‘Display’ extension method defined above.

Public Class Form1

Private Sub DisplayStringButton_Click _

(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _

Handles DisplayStringButton.Click

Dim name As String = "John Doe"

name.Display()

End Sub

End Class

Result

The name 'John Doe' is displayed in a message box.

Notes

You can use extension methods to extend a type’s methods, but not to override them.

All that is required to be able to run extension methods is that they be in scope. If an extension method is in scope, it is visible in IntelliSense and can be called as if it were an ordinary instance method.

Notice that when the ‘Display’ extension method is invoked in example, no argument is sent in for the first parameter. Parameter aString in the extension method definition is automatically bound to the instance of String that calls them.

Because the first parameter specifies the data type that the extension method extends, it is required and cannot be optional. For that reason, Optional parameters and ParamArray parameters are excluded.

When an extension method has the same name as an existing method but a different signature, both methods are allowed as long as the signatures do not conflict.

When an extension method has the same name and signature as an existing method in the type being extended, resolve ambiguity by using the fully qualified name to specify the extension method you are calling. In the example the Display extension method is defined in a module named ExampleTypeExtensions, the fully qualified name is ExampleTypeExtensions.Display.

In general, it is recommended that you implement extension methods sparingly. When possible, client code that extends an existing type should do so by creating a new type derived from the existing type.

When using an extension method to extend a type whose source code you cannot change, you run the risk that a change in the implementation of the type will cause your extension method to break.

Mike McIntyre

http://www.getdotnetcode.com