Visual Studio .NET Professional enables developers to build the next generation of Internet applications with XML Web services, database applications with XML, and RAD for the .NET Server. It enables developers to build solutions for the broadest range of clients--from Web applications to Windows to thin-client devices to smart devices. The RAD capabilities provide a shared IDE and a choice of programming languages, including Visual Basic, C++, C#, and Java. Visual Studio .NET Professional is RAD for the programmable Web.
In XML, Visual Studio .NET developers can build data-driven applications using built-in ADO.NET tools that target a variety of databases, including SQL Server, Oracle, or any other XML source. With support for XML, ADO.NET enables developers to share data across computing platforms. Additionally, Visual Studio .NET includes the Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE), a SQL Server-compatible database that provides programmers with a viable development database and natively supports XML.

Visual Studio .NET allows programmers to create and deploy critical server-based programming. With Visual Studio .NET, developers can visually compose middle-tier components using the Visual Component Designer (VCD). The VCD enables developers to drag and drop nonvisual objects such as message queues, timers, and event logs to a design surface, automatically discovering all necessary server-based resources and configuring required components.