Visual Studio 2010 All-in-One For Dummies

886 Pages·2010·16.02 MB·English

by  Andrew Moore

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It’s new and better than ever! Software Development & ProgrMamicmroisnogf/t Extending the Family Going the Extra Mile Data Access Building Applications Coding Getting Started OverviewVisual Studio 2010 Making Everything Easier!™
Learn to use Visual Studio 2010
with this book
Developers, listen up! Visual Studio 2010 offers many interface • T h e Olapngeuna gthese o bf .oNoEkT and find: Vis Visual Studio® 2010
changes and a dizzying array of editors, controls, designers,
• Advice on installing Visual Studio u
and other tools. Whether you’re starting from scratch with
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Visual Studio or need to boost your knowledge of coding, • Basic info about object-oriented
building apps, or accessing data, you’ll find what you need programming Al S A L L - I N - O N E
to be productive. • Tips on handling exceptions and L
debugging Lt
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• Get what you need — newbies can learn Visual Studio basics Iu
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while more experienced developers can focus on what’s new in • How to lay out a Web site
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the 2010 version O
• Why you need ADO.NET
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• Code mode — create source code with the code editor, explore Eo
• How to build applications for
class anatomy in .NET, and debug, analyze, and test your code
Facebook ®

• Building blocks — explore types of applications you can build; 2
learn to create C++, Windows, and Web applications; and deploy • What the Visual Studio Team
0
them on the cloud System offers
1
• Digging data — look at the new data access code-generation
0
features in Visual Studio
• Take control — manage the build process and apply source
7
code control BBOOOOKKSS
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IN
Visit the companion Web site at www.dummies.com/go/
Go to Dummies.com®
vs2010, where you’ll find a section featuring source code, for videos, step-by-step examples,
resource links, and sample applications for each minibook. how-to articles, or to shop!
• Visual Studio 2010 Overview
• Getting Started
• Coding
• Building Applications
• Data Access
$39.99 US / $47.99 CN / £27.99 UK • Going the Extra Mile
Andrew Moore is an experienced software developer with expertise in ISBN 978-0-470-53943-9 • Extending the Family
C, C++, and C#. Currently a senior software engineer, he has development
experience with air traffic management, discrete-event simulation, and
most recently with VoIP and multimedia business communication systems.
Andrew Moore
Moore
Visual Studio 2010
®
ALL-IN-ONE
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Andrew Moore
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Visual Studio® 2010 All-in-One For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
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Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction ................................................................ 1
Book I: Visual Studio 2010 Overview ............................ 9
Chapter 1: What Is Visual Studio? ..................................................................................11
Chapter 2: Exploring .NET ..............................................................................................19
Chapter 3: Modern Software Development ..................................................................27
Chapter 4: The Languages of .NET.................................................................................49
Chapter 5: The Many Editions of Visual Studio 2010 ..................................................61
Chapter 6: New to Visual Studio 2010 ...........................................................................73
Book II: Getting Started with Visual Studio ................. 79
Chapter 1: Installing Visual Studio Professional ..........................................................81
Chapter 2: Browsing Visual Studio ................................................................................91
Chapter 3: Making Connections with Visual Studio ..................................................105
Chapter 4: Upgrading .NET ...........................................................................................113
Book III: Coding ...................................................... 125
Chapter 1: Programming with Visual Studio 2010 .....................................................127
Chapter 2: Understanding Data Types ........................................................................145
Chapter 3: Get Some Class ............................................................................................179
Chapter 4: Wiring Up Events in the User Interface ....................................................205
Chapter 5: Getting Productive with Visual Studio 2010 ............................................223
Chapter 6: Exploring Web Services .............................................................................251
Chapter 7: Handling Exceptions and Debugging ........................................................275
Chapter 8: Testing Code with Visual Studio ...............................................................301
Book IV: Basics of Building Applications with
Visual Studio 2010 .................................................. 317
Chapter 1: Getting Smart about Smart Clients ...........................................................319
Chapter 2: Building Smart Client User Interfaces ......................................................339
Chapter 3: Building Visual C++ Applications ..............................................................365
Chapter 4: Building Web Applications ........................................................................381
Chapter 5: Using AJAX for Rich Web Pages ................................................................407
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Chapter 6: Laying Out Your Web Site ..........................................................................419
Chapter 7: Exploring ASP.NET Services ......................................................................447
Chapter 8: Using Threads and Timers ........................................................................465
Chapter 9: Writing Network Applications ...................................................................483
Chapter 10: Parallel Programming ...............................................................................499
Chapter 11: Writing Silverlight Applications ..............................................................525
Chapter 12: Programming for the Cloud .....................................................................541
Book V: Getting Acquainted with Data Access ........... 549
Chapter 1: Accessing Data with Visual Studio ...........................................................551
Chapter 2: Show Me the Data .......................................................................................569
Chapter 3: Working with Strongly Typed DataSets ...................................................605
Chapter 4: Working with XML ......................................................................................641
Chapter 5: Under the Hood with ADO.NET.................................................................659
Chapter 6: Using Visual Studio with SQL Server ........................................................697
Chapter 7: LINQ ..............................................................................................................725
Book VI: Going the Extra Mile ................................... 731
Chapter 1: Building Solutions and Projects ................................................................733
Chapter 2: Deployment Options ..................................................................................751
Chapter 3: Checking Out Source Control ....................................................................777
Chapter 4: Writing Custom Facebook Applications ..................................................795
Book VII: Extending the Family ................................. 817
Chapter 1: Exploring Visual Studio Extensions ..........................................................819
Chapter 2: Being a Team Player with Visual Studio Team System ..........................827
Index ...................................................................... 843
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Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................. 1
Who Should Read This Book? ........................................................................2
About This Book ..............................................................................................3
Foolish Assumptions .......................................................................................4
Conventions Used in This Book .....................................................................4
Stuff you type .........................................................................................4
Menu commands ....................................................................................4
Display messages ...................................................................................5
How This Book Is Organized ..........................................................................5
Book I: Visual Studio 2010 Overview ...................................................5
Book II: Getting Started with Visual Studio.........................................5
Book III: Coding ......................................................................................5
Book IV: Basics of Building Applications
with Visual Studio 2010 .....................................................................6
Book V: Getting Acquainted with Data Access...................................6
Book VI: Going the Extra Mile ...............................................................6
Book VII: Extending the Family ............................................................6
About the Companion Web Site .....................................................................6
Icons Used in This Book .................................................................................7
Book I: Visual Studio 2010 Overview ............................. 9
Chapter 1: What Is Visual Studio?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
From Source Code to Application: How Software Is Written ...................11
The Role of the Integrated Development Environment ............................13
Tools beyond the basic three ............................................................14
Enter Visual Studio ..............................................................................14
Visual Studio as the Hub ...............................................................................16
The Keeper of .NET .......................................................................................17
Chapter 2: Exploring .NET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Following the Evolution of .NET ..................................................................19
Getting Acquainted with the .NET Components ........................................21
.NET freebies ........................................................................................22
No free lunch ........................................................................................23
Peering into the Future of .NET ...................................................................24
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Visual Studio 2010 All-in-One For Dummies
Chapter 3: Modern Software Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Examining the Software Development Process .........................................27
Looking at Software Engineering in Action ................................................28
Have process, will repeat ....................................................................29
Practicing what you preach ................................................................32
Building a developer’s toolbox ..........................................................33
Working with your partners in development ...................................35
Components Defeat Monoliths ....................................................................35
Architecture evolution ........................................................................37
Component management in .NET ......................................................39
Managed Code Execution .............................................................................42
Taking Out the Garbage ................................................................................45
Allocating memory...............................................................................47
Releasing memory ...............................................................................48
Chapter 4: The Languages of .NET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
More than Just a Pretty Face: A Windows Application .............................49
Looking at the Languages of .NET ...............................................................50
Visual Basic...........................................................................................51
Visual C# ...............................................................................................52
Visual C++ .............................................................................................53
F#............................................................................................................54
Choosing the Right Language for the Job ...................................................55
Becoming a Good Programmer ....................................................................57
Learn the syntax ..................................................................................58
Write your own code ...........................................................................58
Chapter 5: The Many Editions of Visual Studio 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Making Sense of the Visual Studio Editions ...............................................61
Visual Studio Express Editions ..........................................................62
Visual Studio Professional ..................................................................63
Visual Studio Team System ................................................................64
Choosing the Right Edition ...........................................................................64
Subscribing to the Microsoft Developer Network ...........................65
Weighing your options ........................................................................66
Developing When It’s a Team Effort ............................................................68
Managing projects with Team System ..............................................68
Architecting software ..........................................................................69
Developing software with Team System ...........................................70
Testing with tools ................................................................................71
Collaborating with Visual Studio Team Foundation ........................71
Chapter 6: New to Visual Studio 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Exploring Additional Programming Paradigms .........................................73
Parallel programming ..........................................................................74
Cloud computing ..................................................................................75
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Table of Contents
Reaping the Benefi ts for Development Teams ...........................................75
Enhanced user interface .....................................................................76
Better development lifecycle management ......................................76
Better programming productivity .....................................................77
Better Web development tools ..........................................................77
Gaining Databases Support ..........................................................................77
Book II: Getting Started with Visual Studio .................. 79
Chapter 1: Installing Visual Studio Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Installing Versions Side by Side ...................................................................81
Taking a look at all the .NETs .............................................................82
Getting help from Visual Studio 2010 ................................................82
Meeting System Requirements ....................................................................85
Stepping through the Installation ................................................................86
Launching Visual Studio for the First Time ................................................87
Chapter 2: Browsing Visual Studio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Making Your Way around Visual Studio .....................................................91
Dealing with Windows Galore ......................................................................92
Docking windows .................................................................................93
Working with tabbed documents ......................................................94
Managing windows ..............................................................................94
Building Solutions with Visual Studio 2010 ................................................95
Using the Solution Explorer to manage
solutions and projects .....................................................................97
Working with solution and project menus .......................................99
Using the Properties Window ......................................................................99
Browsing Servers .........................................................................................100
Writing Code with the Code Editor ...........................................................101
Using the Forms Designer ...........................................................................102
Taking a Look at Other Designers .............................................................102
Chapter 3: Making Connections with Visual Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Getting Help ..................................................................................................105
Opening and navigating the help documentation .........................106
Searching and fi ltering search results .............................................108
Customizing the start page ...............................................................108
Staying in Touch with the .NET Community ............................................109
Pursuing certifi cation ........................................................................110
Viewing Webcasts ..............................................................................111
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Visual Studio 2010 All-in-One For Dummies
Chapter 4: Upgrading .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Making the Business Case for Upgrading .................................................113
What happens to Visual Studio code in an upgrade? ....................114
What are alternatives to upgrading? ...............................................115
How do you upgrade from pre-.NET languages? ............................115
Considering Your Conversion Strategies .................................................116
Converting Windows applications and class libraries ..................117
Converting Web applications ...........................................................118
Running Web applications side-by-side ..........................................120
Using Visual Studio 2010 with .NET 2.0 .....................................................122
Book III: Coding ....................................................... 125
Chapter 1: Programming with Visual Studio 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Using the Code Editor .................................................................................127
Simplifying your common tasks .......................................................128
Using visual cues................................................................................136
Browsing and navigating code .........................................................137
Exploring Visual Basic and C# ...................................................................138
Organizing programs .........................................................................138
Getting started ...................................................................................140
Chapter 2: Understanding Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
The Rules of Data Types .............................................................................145
Making a Declaration ...................................................................................146
The .NET Framework’s Common Type System .......................................148
Understanding the type hierarchy ..................................................148
Throwing it on the stack or the heap ..............................................149
Completing your assignments ..........................................................150
Popular value types ...........................................................................152
Popular reference types ....................................................................155
Creating Your Own Types ..........................................................................155
When There’s More than One ....................................................................158
Using arrays ........................................................................................159
Using System.Collections ..................................................................161
Iterating through arrays and collections ........................................164
Collections in the real world ............................................................165
Converting Types ........................................................................................166
Meet the Nullable Types .............................................................................168
Browsing Types ...........................................................................................169
Setting the scope................................................................................170
Setting the view ..................................................................................171
Viewing data types.............................................................................172
Viewing source code .........................................................................174
Accessing Types in Your Source Code .....................................................176
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