Starting out/Avoiding pitfalls

[Guest AnakinVB]

I am an intermediate VB 6.0 programmer.

 

I have heard plenty of nightmarish tales from people who have

tried going to VB.NET. Things like "the standard edition isn't

sufficient and doesn't work" "operating system wasn't sufficient"

"impossible to figure out"

 

So I do not get caught up by the common obstacles, can anyone

recommend what I need to do to start using VB.NET?

 

I have Windows XP home edition.

 

a) Do I need to own a server?

 

b) Is there a fairly inexpensive way to get VB.NET Studio?

 

c) Will it conflict with Microsoft InterDev?

 

d) Can someone just tell me the best way to get started

with VB.NET (nightmare-free)?

Thank you

Anakin

[Guest TheIrishCoder]

I would suggest you download the .Net Framework SDK. It's a big download but it's free. Maybe you could get it on a magazine's disk or something if the download time is too much.

Either way once you have it you can test out code by writing them in notepad and using the vbc compiler to compile it. Alot of the microsoft documentation that comes with SDK includes details on how to compile their samples.

With XP home you won't be able to write ASP.Net apps until you can get IIS which I think needs some jigery pokery to get runnig on the Home Edition but until then you should have no problem working with Windows forms.

For a good tutorial on your first Windows Form with controls and how to properly compile it then try out this amazing one written by me [shameless plug] at http://www.developerfusion.com/show/2433/

 

Once you've tried it an you like it you'll probably want to get a hold of Vs.Net somehow becuase it's an excellent IDE that makes things incredibly easy.

 

Your server question only really applies to IIS for Asp.Net. You'll need that if you want to use asp.net. As far as inexpensive ways of getting vb.net I think the vb.net only version of vs.net isn't that expensive. Check it out.

 

.Net will not interfere with any other development software you have. I have VS 6 installed and it works fine.

[Robby]

Seeing that TheIrishCoder answered your questions already, I just wanted

to add that I got VS .NET last week and it has an amazing IDE. The first

couple of days I felt like a non-programmer, novice, know-nothing...

 

There is so much documentation to read on MSDN that it's a bit overwhelming.

 

There is an Upgrade-Wizard (converts VB6 to .NET), this helps you compare both versions and understand what's going on.

 

Also there are many sample projects which allow you to follow step by step .

 

Good luck.

[anthony]

vb .net and xp home edition

 

The vb .net standard edition is pretty cheap to purchase and seems well

worth it.You can also write web applications with the windows xp home

edition and vb .net ,the server you use must have the IIs installed though.

I have the windows xp home edition but would consider an upgrade

to the xp pro.The xp pro comes with the IIs and you wouldnt have

to rent a server all the time.You could write web applicasions locally.

[Robby]

Anothony, you can download IIS from MS at no charge.