1. The Basics

   1. Chapter 1 Introduction

      1. Why VB.NET?
      2. What Is VB.NET?
      3. What Can You Do with VB.NET?

   2. Chapter 2 Program Structure

      1. Getting a VB Program to Run
      2. The Structure of a VB Program

   3. Chapter 3 Variables and Data Types

      1. Variables
      2. Declaring Variables and Constants
      3. Data Types
      4. Arrays
      5. Object Variables and Their Binding
      6. The Collection Object
      7. Parameters and Arguments

   4. Chapter 4 Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming

      1. Why Learn Object-Oriented Techniques?
      2. Principles of Object-Oriented Programming
      3. Classes and Objects
      4. Inheritance
      5. Interfaces, Abstract Members, and Classes
      6. Polymorphism and Overloading
      7. Accessibility in Class Modules

   5. Chapter 5 The .NET Framework: General Concepts

      1. Namespaces
      2. Common Language Runtime (CLR), Managed Code, and Managed Data
      3. Managed Execution
      4. Assemblies
      5. Assemblies and VB.NET

   6. Chapter 6 The .NET Framework Class Library

      1. The System Namespace
      2. Other Namespaces

   7. Chapter 7 Delegates and Events

      1. Delegates
      2. Events and Event Binding

   8. Chapter 8 Attributes

      1. Syntax and Use
      2. Defining a Custom Attribute
      3. Using a Custom Attribute

   9. Chapter 9 Error Handling in VB.NET

      1. Error Detection and Error Handling
      2. Runtime Error Handling
      3. Dealing with Logical Errors
      4. Error Constants

2. Reference

   1. Chapter 10 The Language Reference

3. Appendixes

   1. Appendix A What's New and Different in VB.NET

      1. Language Changes for VB.NET
      2. Changes to Programming Elements
      3. Obsolete Programming Elements
      4. Structured Exception Handling
      5. Changes in Object-Orientation

   2. Appendix B Language Elements by Category

      1. Array Handling
      2. Clipboard
      3. Collection Objects
      4. Common Dialogs
      5. Conditional Compilation
      6. Conversion
      7. Date and Time
      8. Debugging
      9. Declaration
      10. Error Handling
      11. Filesystem
      12. Financial
      13. IDataObject Interface
      14. Information
      15. Input/Output
      16. Integrated Development Environment
      17. Interaction
      18. Mathematics
      19. Program Structure and Flow
      20. Programming
      21. Registry
      22. String Manipulation

   3. Appendix C Operators

      1. Arithmetic Operators
      2. Assignment Operators
      3. Concatenation Operators
      4. Comparison Operators
      5. Logical and Bitwise Operators
      6. Operator Precedence

   4. Appendix D Constants and Enumerations

      1. Visual Basic Intrinsic Constants
      2. ControlChars Class
      3. Visual Basic Enumerations

   5. Appendix E The VB.NET Command-Line Compiler

      1. Compiler Basics
      2. Command-Line Switches
      3. Using a Response File

   6. Appendix F VB 6 Language Elements Not Supported by VB.NET

1. Colophon

Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. The animal on the cover of VB.NET Language in a Nutshell, Second Edition, is a catfish. Catfish can be found all over the world, most often in freshwater environments. Catfish are identified by their whiskers, called "barbels," as well by as their scaleless skin; fleshy, rayless posterior fins; and sharp, defensive spines in the dorsal and shoulder fins. Catfish have complex bones and sensitive hearing. They are omnivorous feeders and skilled scavengers. A marine catfish can taste with any part of its body.

Though most madtom species of catfish are no more than 5 inches in length, some Danube catfish (called wels or sheatfish) reach lengths of up to 13 feet and weights of 400 pounds. Wels catfish (found mostly in the U.K.) are dark, flat, and black in color with white bellies. They breed in the springtime in shallow areas near rivers and lakes. The females hatch eggs in their mouths and leave them on plants for the males to guard. Two to three weeks later, the eggs hatch into tadpole-like fish, which grow quickly in size. The largest recorded wels catfish was 16 feet long and weighed 675 pounds. Catherine Morris was the production editor and proofreader for VB.NET Language in a Nutshell, Second Edition. Ann Schirmer assisted with the copyedit. Sarah Sherman and Claire Cloutier provided quality control. Judy Hoer wrote the index.

Pam Spremulli designed the cover of this book, based on a series design by Edie Freedman. The cover image is a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. Emma Colby produced the cover layout with QuarkXPress 4.1 using Adobe's ITC Garamond font.

David Futato designed the interior layout, based on a series design by Nancy Priest. Neil Walls converted the files from Microsoft Word to FrameMaker 5.5.6 using tools created by Mike Sierra. The text and heading fonts are ITC Garamond Light and Garamond Book. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia FreeHand 9 and Adobe Photoshop 6. This colophon was written by Linley Dolby.