Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET) is a multi-paradigm, object-oriented programming language, implemented in the .NET Framework. Microsoft launched VB.NET in 2002 as the successor to its original Visual Basic language. Although the ".NET" part of the name was deleted in 2005, this article uses "Visual Basic [.NET]" to refer to all Visual Basic language versions since 2002, in order to distinguish between them and the classic Visual Basic. Along with Visual C #, it is one of the two main languages that point to the .NET framework.
The Microsoft integrated development environment (IDE) to develop in Visual Basic .NET language is Visual Studio. Most editions of Visual Studio are commercial; the only exceptions are Visual Studio Express and Visual Studio Community, which are freeware. In addition, the .NET Framework SDK includes a free command-line compiler called vbc.exe. Mono also includes a VB.NET command-line compiler.