VB.NET


Tale of the Cryptic Encoding

Someone named Robbie had created a posting asking for assistance in resolving a problem with a simple Visual Basic .NET console application. It was used to retrieve and process product registrations and credit card transactions via the Internet for a piece of niche shareware.

Is Visual Studio LightSwitch the New Access?

The LightSwitch RAD platform generates apps with "no coding required." What's in it for you? .NET apps that are easier to maintain and extensions built on the Managed Extensibility Framework.

All Things to All People

Bigger is better. At least, that seems to be the philosophy at the Microsoft Developer Division.

Visual Basic and C# at the Crossroads

How the Microsoft co-evolution strategy has shaped the two flagship languages of the .NET Framework, and what it means for developers going forward.

Make Objects Look Alike... and Tell Them Apart

Here's everything you need to know to simplify your code about how to make classes look alike and then, when you need to, tell them apart.

Deleting all Data from a SQL Server Database (Part 2)

In part 2 of a series, On VB columnist Joe Kunk provides a Visual Basic program to generate a SQL script that clears all the data from a SQL Server database.

Deleting All Data from a SQL Server Database

There are times as a developer that you will want to be able to delete all the data from a database as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, doing so may not be as easy as it seems.

The Logic Behind Modern Maintenance

When the big merger was announced, the IT staff of both corporations was a little bit nervous, and with good reason: The day after the announcement, many redundant positions were eliminated.

Surfacing the Visual Basic Templates in WebMatrix

WebMatrix is an exciting new tool for creating ASP.NET Web applications. Unfortunately, Visual Basic developers face an additional challenge because Microsoft only surfaces C# templates. Here's how to get access to the VB templates.

Failure's Secret Sauce: Poor Project Management

On VB columnist Joe Kunk says coding errors can lead to trouble, but the vast majority of big mistakes are due to poor or misguided project management.

Get Started with Visual Basic Development for Windows Phone 7

Tips on Windows Phone 7 development and app design with sample code for a Windows Phone Pivot application.

My Biggest VB Programming Mistake

When "Oops!" becomes "OMG!" On VB columnist Joe Kunk shows how a simple oversight when using SQL Server 2000 Data Transformation Services (DTS) nearly ended in disaster.

BigInteger for Astronomically Large Numbers

On VB columnist Joe Kunk explores the new BigInteger structure in .NET 4 and how it lets you work with astronomically large numbers.

To Comment or Not to Comment

On VB columnist Joe Kunk explores the benefits and drawbacks of commenting source code, and finds that the answer is not as clear cut as many might think.

Discarding More Dependencies

Nearly all applications need to open or save data files. Use the common file dialog APIs to easily avoid another unneeded dependency and sidestep some system bugs as a bonus. (Part 2 of 2)

Discarding Dependencies

Why tempt fate by making your application dependent upon an easily replaced component? Karl Peterson shows how you can begin reducing external dependencies in your VB apps.

5 Traps to Avoid in Visual Basic

Visual Basic .NET possesses naturally expressive syntax that is almost always clear in its intent. Even so, there are still surprises in Visual Basic that can trip up even experienced VB developers.

Using Memory-Mapped Files in the .NET Framework 4

Find out how to use memory-mapped files to index and search the contents of document collections.

Honoring Hidden Fonts

Windows 7 hides a number of locale-inappropriate fonts by default, and allows users to toggle this property as well. Here's how to honor that setting.

Microsoft Moves WebMatrix to Beta 2

WebMatrix Beta 2 is integrated with NuPack, a new open-source package manager Microsoft announced today. The company also released the ASP.NET MVC 3 Beta, which supports the Razor view-engine.

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