Audience

This book is for absolutely anyone doing development in Windows at all. If you're an MFC, C++, STL, ATL, COM, Win32, Visual Basic, C#, HTML, XML, ASP.NET, database, web application, web service, Windows Service, standalone client, or component programmer targeting Windows or the Windows variants (i.e., Windows CE or the PocketPC), VS.NET is calling your name, and this book was written for you.

This book is broken up into two major sections. The first section is about getting the most out of VS.NET as it comes out of the box, including the following topics:

• Solutions and projects

• Files and the various file editors

• Debugging

• Web projects

• Database projects

• Setup projects

The second section is about extending VS.NET, including the following:

• Integrating controls and components with VS.NET

• The VS.NET automation object model

• Macros and add-ins

• Custom wizards

• The Visual Studio Integration Program (VSIP)

We also provide a number of reference appendixes:

• Project types

• Project item types

• Keystroke shortcuts

• Source code control

• Solution and project file formats

• Text editor settings

Along the way, we go beyond what you'll read in the documentation to include using VS.NET in ways that the authors and the community at large have found to be useful.