A major portion of the DIII-D program includes studies of the L-H transition, of the VH-mode, of particle transport and control and of the power-handling capability of a divertor. Significant progress has been made in all of these areas and the aim is to summarize the major results. An increased understanding of the origin of improved confinement in H-mode and in VH-mode discharges has been obtained, good impurity control has been achieved in several operating scenarios, studies of helium transport provide encouraging results from the point of view of reactor design, an actively pumped divertor chamber has controlled the density in H-mode discharges and a radiative divertor is a promising technique for controlling the heat flux from the main plasma.