Introduction to the Visual Basic .NET edition The original version of this book was released in 1998 in both print and web versions. The version of Visual Basic at that time was 5.0. No changes were required for Visual Basic version 6.0 which followed. The projects in this book continued to be used by teachers in classrooms around the world. Visual Basic .NET, also called Visual Basic 7.0, is a major change in the way Visual Basic programs are designed and programmed. The differences go far beyond the significant changes to the Interactive Development Environment. These changes suggested the need to update this book, especially the Instructors Notes, to reflect the programming changes required by changes to the Visual Basic .NET language. All screen captures were created with Visual Studio .NET running on the Windows XP operating system.

This book includes a set of Visual Basic .NET projects available through Mainfunction.com. This book is designed to supplement and enhance existing and developing curriculum at the secondary and post secondary level. There is a growing need for trained programmers in the work force. Visual Basic is one of the programming languages in highest demand. Some companies are paying bonuses for trained Visual Basic programmers. More and more schools recognize the need for Visual Basic training for School to Work programs and are developing courses to fill that need. College preparatory schools are finding that Visual Basic is an ideal first programming language for their students. In any programming course, there is a need to projects that both develop necessary skills and hold student interest. The projects in this book are designed to supply additional projects for instructors to use.