Chapter 1. Visual Studio
The new features of Visual Basic 2005 are actually provided by three
separate components: the enhanced Visual Studio 2005 IDE, a new
version of the VB compiler (vbc.exe), and the
revamped .NET 2.0 Framework. In this chapter, you'll
start by taking Visual Studio 2005 for a spin.
Note: At first glance, Visual Studio hasn't
changed too radically in its latest incarnation. However,
it's worth taking a moment to orient yourself to
Microsoft's newest IDE.
Tip: Visual Studio 2005 is the direct successor
to Visual Studio .NET, and it provides the most complete set of tools
and features. Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition allows you to build
Windows applications, console applications, and DLL components (but
not web applications). Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition
allows you to build only web applications.
However, all three of these programs are really variations of the
same toolVisual Studio. As a result, the menus, toolbars, and
behavior of these applications are essentially the same.