1. Chapter 1 Introducing .NET

   1. Before .NET

   2. Back to Introducing .NET

   3. The .NET Object

   4. The Parts of the .NET Framework

   5. From Source Code to EXE

   6. What About Visual Studio and Visual Basic?

   7. Visual Studio 2008

   8. Summary

   9. Project

2. Chapter 2 Introducing Visual Basic

   1. The History of the Visual Basic Revolution

   2. Visual Basic from the Inside Out

   3. The Basics of Logic and Data

   4. Data Types and Variables

   5. Intermission

   6. Comments

   7. Option Statements

   8. Basic Operators

   9. Using Functions and Subroutines

   10. Conditions

   11. Loops

   12. Creating Your Own Procedures

   13. Other Flow Control Features

   14. Events and Event Handlers

   15. Namespaces

   16. The My Namespace

   17. Summary

   18. Project

3. Chapter 3 Introducing the Project

   1. The Library Project

   2. The Needs of the Users

   3. The Life of a Project

   4. Summary

   5. Project

4. Chapter 4 Designing the Database

   1. Relational Databases

   2. SQL Server 2005

   3. SQL

   4. Using Databases in Visual Basic

   5. Documenting the Database

   6. Summary

   7. Project

5. Chapter 5 .NET Assemblies

   1. What Is an Assembly?

   2. What's Inside an Assembly?

   3. Assemblies and Applications

   4. The My Namespace and Assemblies

   5. Directives and Assemblies

   6. Summary

   7. Project

6. Chapter 6 Data and Data Types

   1. The Nature of Computer Data

   2. Data in .NET

   3. Visual Basic Data Types

   4. Literals

   5. Constants

   6. Enumerations

   7. Variables

   8. Variable and Constant Naming Conventions

   9. Local Type Inference

   10. Operators

   11. Static Variables

   12. Arrays

   13. Nullable Types

   14. Common Visual Basic Functions

   15. Summary

   16. Project

7. Chapter 7 Windows Forms

   1. Inside a Windows Application

   2. Windows in .NET

   3. Making Forms Useful

   4. Summary

   5. Project

8. Chapter 8 Classes and Inheritance

   1. Object-Oriented Programming Concepts

   2. OOP in Visual Basic and .NET

   3. Related Issues

   4. Summary

   5. Project

9. Chapter 9 Functional Programming

   1. Lambda Expressions

   2. Object Initializers

   3. Error Handling in Visual Basic

   4. The Nature of Errors in Visual Basic

   5. Unstructured Error Handling

   6. Structured Error Handling

   7. Unhandled Errors

   8. Managing Errors

   9. Summary

   10. Project

10. Chapter 10 ADO.NET

    1. What Is ADO.NET?

    2. Overview of ADO.NET

    3. Data Sets Versus No Data Sets

    4. Connecting to SQL Server with Visual Studio

    5. Interacting with SQL Server in Code

    6. Database Transactions

    7. ADO.NET Entity Framework

    8. Summary

    9. Project

11. Chapter 11 Security

    1. Security Features in .NET

    2. Cryptography and Encryption

    3. Encryption in .NET

    4. Other Security Features

    5. Summary

    6. Project

12. Chapter 12 Overloads and Extensions

    1. What Is Operator Overloading?

    2. What Can You Overload?

    3. Other Operator Overloading Issues

    4. Extension Methods

    5. Summary

    6. Project

13. Chapter 13 XML

    1. What Is XML?

    2. The XML Rule

    3. XML Content

    4. Using XML in .NET: The Old Way

    5. Using XML in .NET: The New Way

    6. Summary

    7. Project

14. Chapter 14 Application Settings

    1. A Short History of Settings

    2. Settings in Visual Basic 2008

    3. Summary

    4. Project

15. Chapter 15 Files and Directories

    1. Traditional Visual Basic File Management

    2. Manipulating Files Through Streams

    3. File Management with the My Namespace

    4. Summary

    5. Project

16. Chapter 16 Generics

    1. What Are Generics?

    2. Variations of Generic Declaration

    3. Summary

    4. Project

17. Chapter 17 LINQ

    1. What Is LINQ?

    2. Anonymous Types

    3. LINQ to Objects

    4. Basic Query Expressions

    5. Converting Results to Other Forms

    6. Aggregate Queries

    7. Advanced Query Expressions

    8. LINQ to XML

    9. LINQ for ADO.NET-Related Data

    10. Deferred Execution

    11. Summary

    12. Project

18. Chapter 18 User Interface

    1. Overview of GDI+

    2. Selecting a Canvas

    3. Choosing Pens and Brushes

    4. Flowing Text from the Font

    5. Imagining Images

    6. Exposing Your True Artist

    7. Paths: Drawings on Macro-Vision

    8. Keeping It Regional

    9. Twisting and Turning with Transformations

    10. Enhancing Controls Through Owner Draw

    11. Windows Presentation Foundation

    12. Enhancing Classes with Attributes

    13. Summary

    14. Project

19. Chapter 19 Localization and Globalization

    1. Defining Globalization and Localization

    2. Resource Files

    3. The My.Resources Object

    4. Localizing Forms Within Visual Studio

    5. Adding Resources Outside Visual Studio

    6. Manually Compiling Resources

    7. Other Localization Features

    8. Summary

    9. Project

20. Chapter 20 Printing

    1. Printing in Windows

    2. Printing in .NET

    3. Printing a Document

    4. Print Preview

    5. Counting and Numbering Pages

    6. Printing in "Raw" Mode

    7. Summary

    8. Project

21. Chapter 21 Reporting

    1. Report Options in .NET

    2. Using Reporting Controls in .NET

    3. Summary

    4. Project

22. Chapter 22 Licensing Your Application

    1. Software Licensing Options

    2. License Agreements

    3. Obfuscation

    4. The Library Licensing System

    5. Summary

    6. Project

23. Chapter 23 Web Development

    1. How the Internet Works

    2. Programming the Internet

    3. ASP.NET Features

    4. Trying Out ASP.NET

    5. More About Events

    6. State and View State

    7. Data Validation

    8. Database Integration

    9. Windows Communication Foundation

    10. Summary

    11. Project

24. Chapter 24 Adding Online Help

    1. Windows Online Help Options

    2. Designing HTML Help

    3. Accessing HTML Help

    4. Summary

    5. Project

25. Chapter 25 Deployment

    1. What's Involved in Deployment?

    2. Deployment Methods Within Visual Studio

    3. Summary

    4. Project

26. Chapter 26 Project Complete

    1. The Library Project

    2. Visual Basic Flexibility

    3. The Programming Mindset

    4. Summary

1. Appendix Installing the Software

   1. Download the Software

   2. Install the Software

   3. Install Project Templates

   4. Install Code Snippets

   5. Bar Code Support

2. Appendix Software License Agreement

   1. Terms of Use

3. Colophon

The animal on the cover of Programming Visual Basic 2008 is a bufflehead duck (Bucephala albeola). The name bufflehead derives from the words "buffalo" and "head," referring to the bulbous head shape distinctive to this species. Male buffleheads are black and white with a large white patch extending from the eye to the back of the head; females are paler, smaller, and have a small white cheek patch. Both sexes are characterized by short necks and narrow gray bills.

Ranging in size from 13 to 16 inches and 9 to 22 ounces, buffleheads are the smallest diving ducks in North America. Unlike other diving ducks, they are able to take flight directly from the water without having to run along the surface. They live by lakes, rivers, and bays in Canada and the northern U.S., migrating to coastal water on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts as far south as Mazatlan in the winter months. They nest in aspen and poplar cavities excavated by northern flickers and pileated woodpeckers.

The bufflehead diet consists of fresh- and saltwater insects, snails, crustaceans, and plants. They dive for their food and swallow it underwater. Bufflehead ducks tend to stay in a group, one or two of them feeding while the others stand watch for any potential danger. Although not prized among duck hunters, buffleheads are hunted for sport in the U.S. and Canada and comprise approximately two percent of North American waterfowl hunting. Their status is not currently threatened, but habitat degradation is an increasing concern. Because the ducks return to the same breeding ground each year, overharvesting and deforestation could have a devastating impact on their population if not carefully monitored.