Declares the name of a module and introduces the definition of the variables, properties, events, and procedures that the module comprises. A `Module` statement defines a reference type available ...

Clearly, Visual Basic can do static classes. But for reasons of history and clarity, it retained an earlier Module-based syntax, rather than adding a "Shared Class" syntax to its .NET implementation.

The table also communicates an important implementation difference between the two languages: The lack of a "static" modifier for Visual Basic classes. Visual Basic includes the Module type, which ...