# Visual Basic > Slow Chat with the Microsoft Visual Basic team >  Language and Framework Changes in '08

## brad jones

I'm doing a presentation on Thursday on some of the new features in Visual Studio '08. Do you have a list -- or can you mention here -- some of the specific language changes that occurred in Visual Basic going from VB '05 to VB '08?  I also am curious as to all the key Framework changes, but that might be a bigger quesion than fits here. I'd also be interested in knowing which of the changes were a result of adding LINQ and what changes were not.  :Smilie: 

Brad!

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## funkyonex

Hey Brad,

There are a LOT of new language features in VB and yes, a lot of them are to support LINQ. Off the top of my head...

Supporting LINQ:

Local Type Inference
Anonymous Types
Object Initializers
Extension Methods
Query Expressions - and there are more supported query expressions in VB.  (for example: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...38(VS.90).aspx)
Lambda Expressions
Nullable Types

Other new language features:

XML Literals and Axis Properties
XML IntelliSense
Relaxed Delegates
Partial Methods
Ternary Operator with IF()


You should be able to search the MSDN Library for explanations. Post back if you need examples and I can dig some up. A good set of short demos you can do regarding LINQ are from the LINQ How-Do-I videos: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vba...ectionsee#linq

I'm doing a presentation tonight as well on "What's New in VS 2008" so I'll be thinking of you  :Wink: 

-B

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