.NET Programming Languages Improved in Visual Studio 2012

Visual Studio (VS) 2012 brings updates to the .NET Framework-based C#, Visual Basic (VB), and F# programming languages. C# and VB can now be used to develop Modern applications for Windows 8 and Windows RT and receive improvements to help developers write more responsive applications using asynchronous implementations. F# enhancements focus on connecting to services and databases, which could be useful for mobile and cloud-connected applications. The upgrades are mostly backward compatible, but teams should consider the effort and time needed to convert to VS 2012 and the impact of upgrading deployments to .NET 4.5, which is required in some cases.

C#, VB Get Similar Improvements

C# 5.0, included in VS 2012, is the latest version of the first Microsoft programming language designed specifically to target the .NET Framework. C# debuted in 2002 and has become the most popular language for developing managed code (programs that are executed by the Common Language Runtime, or CLR, engine included with the .NET Framework). Further, C# ranks as one of the most popular languages overall, as it contends with others such as Objective-C (used for Apple iOS applications), Python, Java, and JavaScript.