VB 2008 and the CLR

Abstract

In this chapter, we’ll look at the .NET runtime, called the common language runtime (CLR), and how it compiles and executes your code. In order to master Visual Basic (VB) development, it is important to understand the components that comprise the CLR and how they work. This helps you write more optimized code that performs better. In addition, understanding how the CLR manages objects in memory helps you troubleshoot any performance issues that may arise. We’ll look at how VB is compiled and then how compilation to native code works. Finally, we’ll look at the assemblies and metadata—information about those assemblies—which the compiler creates.