.NET Framework Using C++/CLI

Microsoft .NET is an advance in programming technology that greatly simplifies application development, both for traditional, proprietary applications and for the emerging paradigm of Web-based services. .NET is a complete restructuring of Microsofts whole system infrastructure and represents a major learning challenge for programmers developing applications on Microsoft platforms. NET 2.0 includes C++/CLI, which enables the popular Visual C++ language to fully participate in the new .NET Framework. But learning the new programming language is only part of the challenge. The much greater challenge is learning the .NET Framework and all its capabilities.

This three-day course is designed to provide a sound introduction to the .NET Framework for programmers who already know the C++/CLI language and the fundamentals of Windows Forms. It is current to .NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005. The course focuses on core portions of the .NET Framework that are common across many application areas.

The course starts with an introduction to the architecture and key concepts of .NET. It then discusses class libraries, assemblies, versioning, and deployment, which constitute a major advance in the simplicity and robustness of deploying Windows applications, ending the notorious DLL hell. The next two chapters discuss important topics in the .NET programming model, including metadata, reflection, I/O, and serialization. The following chapter continues the discussion of the .NET programming model, including memory management, threading, and application domains.

.NET Security is introduced in some detail, with an emphasis on code access. The next chapter covers interoperability of .NET with COM and with Win32 applications, as well as C++ interop, exploiting the capability of C++/CLI applications to contain both managed and unmanaged code. The course concludes with an introduction to database programming using ADO.NET. SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is used in database examples.

The course is practical, with many examples. The goal is to equip you to begin building significant applications using the .NET Framework. The student will receive a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes and all the programming examples.

The student should be an experienced application developer or architect with a working knowledge of C++/CLI, including building simple GUIs with Windows Forms. Suitable preparation would be Object Innovations course 431, C++/CLI Essentials.

On completion of this course, the student should be able to

• Gain a thorough understanding of the philosophy and architecture of .NET
• Acquire a working knowledge of the .NET programming model and .NET Security
• Learn how to implement database applications using .NET

3 Days

Instructor-led course, with practical computer-based exercises.

• 1. .NET Fundamentals
  • What is Microsoft .NET?
  • Common Language Runtime
  • Attribute-Based Programming
  • Interface-Based Programming
  • Metadata
  • Common Type System
  • Framework Class Library
  • Language Interoperability
  • Managed Code
  • Assemblies and Deployment
  • Web Services
  • ASP.NET

• 2. Class Libraries
  • Components in .NET
  • Building Class Libraries at the Command Line
  • Class Libraries Using Visual Studio 2005
  • Using References

• 3. Assemblies and Deployment
  • Assemblies
  • Private Assembly Deployment
  • Shared Assembly Deployment
  • Using SDK Tools for Signing and Deployment

• 4. Metadata and Reflection
  • Metadata
  • Reflection
  • Late Binding

• 5. I/O and Serialization
  • Directories
  • Files
  • Serialization
  • Attributes

• 6. .NET Programming Model
  • Memory Management and Garbage Collection
  • Deterministic Cleanup in C++/CLI
  • Threading and Synchronization
  • Application Domains

• 7. .NET Security
  • Authentication and Authorization
  • Configuring Security
  • Code Access Security
  • Code Groups
  • Evidence
  • Permissions

• 8. Interoperating with COM and Win32
  • Mixed Managed and Unmanaged Code
  • .NET Client Calling a COM Server
  • PInvoke

• 9. Database Programming Using ADO.NET
  • ADO.NET Overview
  • .NET Data Providers
  • Using DataReaders
  • Using DataSets
  • .NET 2.0 Data Binding
  • Interacting with XML Data

Course exercises require Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and MSDN on Windows XP. SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is required for the database chapter. See the appropriate course Setup Guide for details.

A good minimal hardware profile for this course would have a Pentium 1 GHz or equivalent CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and at least 4 GB of free disk space for tools installation and courseware.