Visual Basic .NET Class Design Handbook: Coding Effective Classes

Since the announcement of Visual Basic .NET, a lot has been made of its powerful object-oriented features. However, very little discussion has been devoted to the practice of object-oriented programming at its most fundamental level―that is, building classes. The truth is, whatever code you write in Visual Basic .NET, you are writing classes that fall within the class hierarchy of the .NET Framework. Visual Basic .NET Class Design Handbook was conceived as a guide to help you design these classes effectively, by looking at what control you have over your classes and how Visual Basic .NET turns your class definitions into executable code.

This book will give you a deep and thorough understanding of the implications of all the decisions you can make in designing a class, so you are equipped to develop classes that are robust, flexible, and reusable. In short, this book will take you from a theoretical understanding of the basic principles of object-oriented programming to the ability to write well-designed classes in actual applications.

Andy Olsen is a freelance consultant engaged in training, consultancy, and development work in Microsoft .NET and related technologies. Andy studied physics at Southampton University in England, and he began his professional life as a C developer. As the 1990s came and went, Andy migrated to C++, Visual Basic, Java, and object-oriented analysis and design using UML. He has been using Microsoft development tools and technologies since 1987, and has fond memories and many tall stories to tell of times gone by.