Appendix E. .NET Framework Differences
In this appendix we discuss two new versions of the .NET Framework: versions 3.0 and 3.5. Visual Studio 2005 was based on version 2.0 of the .NET Framework. Visual Studio 2008 is based on the .NET Framework 3.5. With the release of Vista, .NET Framework 3.0 was released. Version 3.0 included broad new features to support Vista and version 3.5 included smaller incremental changes.
What's New in the .NET Framework: Major Additions since Version 2.0
The .NET Framework 3.0 introduces four main features. These features are discussed in detail in Chapter 6, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, and Appendix D of the book. Here is a brief summary of each.
Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF): Introduced with Vista, WPF is the latest graphical subsystem that is used with Visual Studio 2008 WPF applications. With WPF, you can build richer applications with true separation between user interfaces and business and data logic layers. Technologies like 3D graphics, video, audio and animation are greatly improved in WPF applications.
Windows Communication Foundation (WCF): This messaging subsystem allows programs to interface similar to web services. WCF was designed to support service-oriented architecture (SOA). As a developer, this means that now .NET Remoting, web services, message queues, and others can now be built with a single SOA programming model.
Windows Workflow Foundation (WWF): This feature introduces the ability to manage task using workflows in any application. ...
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