Windows Forms is the new platform for Microsoft Windows based application development. It is based on the .NET Framework and provides a clear, object-oriented, extensible set of classes that enable you to develop rich Windows-based applications. Additionally, in a multi-tier distributed solution, Windows Forms can act as the local user interface.

A form is a representation of a window. Most forms are used to display controls that display information to the user or collect input from the user. A form is an object with properties that define its appearance, methods that define its behavior, and events that define its interaction with the user. You can use the properties, methods, and events of a form to suit your needs. For example, you can change forms to create standard windows, dialog boxes, multiple document interface (MDI) windows, or display surfaces for graphical routines. We take a closer look at some of these applications of forms in the following sections.

The .NET Framework also allows you to inherit from existing forms to add functionality or modify existing behavior. When you add a form to your project, you can choose whether it inherits from the Form class provided by the framework, or from a form you ve previously created.

The .NET Framework provides a common, object-oriented framework for all languages in Visual Studio .NET this framework is Windows Forms. Windows Forms give the Visual Basic programmer control that was previously available only in other Visual Studio languages.