Product Description
Bradley; Programming in Visual Basic 2010The author team of Julia Bradley and Anita Millspaugh remain the guiding light for countless students around the world in Programming with Visual Basic 2010. How better to master the most popular object-oriented programming language than to use the bestselling textbook? Be at the cutting edge of technology with examples, feedback questions, and a full Hands On Programming Example.Apply the concepts yourself with Case Studies and Exercises.Screen captures, step-by-step exercises, and thorough appendices ensure that Programming Excellence Begins Here. ... Read more

Product Description
Here is the latest edition of the perennial VB market leader! Written by the leading VB proponent, this book offers beginning and experienced VB programmers comprehensive coverage of VB 2005. The "VB 6 to VB 2005" feature makes this resource especially useful for VB 6 programmers who want to get up to speed quickly on VB 2005's new features. With twelve new chapters, updates of all current topics, a clear tutorial style, and lots of real-world examples, you will surely learn how to use VB 2005 effectively. The CD-ROM contains all of the code examples and the large sample applications developed throughout the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Life saver!!!
This book saved me!After looking through several other books and numerous web researches I was about to jump out of the window, but thank God this book came along.It answered my questions relating to the use of collections which many other books simply touch upon without sufficient explanations and examples because it's considered an "advanced" topic.Well, I am working on my first real world web application and I need to use collections!So skip those beginner books (because their life on your shelf will be short) and buy this one because it covers a lot more and yet still present topics in a way that a biginner like me can follow!

Belongs in your reference collection
I borrowed this first from the public library, then I recommended it to my boss and we ordered several copies.Covers a vast scope of applications.I haven't been thru the complete book (almost 1400 pages) but every time I have looked up topics, it has been helpful.It stays off the shelf and on my desk most of the time.

Good book - missing pages.
While I bought this book for reference it appears to be a very good book.

If you do buy the book...check for pages 963-994.My copy has excluded these pages and were only found while attempting to use it as a reference.

I've contacted the publisher and at this point it does not look good for correction since my purchase is over 90 days.My purchase was 6 months ago and I've sent them the receipt.

May be a good reference but don't purchase to learn VB
I purchased this book to learn programming in a visual environment. I have not programmed since I took some courses back in college programming on a main frame. There are many typos in this book and the code Does not work in many of sections. I am trying to learn by following along with the code in the book and get hit with many errors. When you look at the code from the web site it is completely different from what he has in the book which is taking huge amounts of time to figure out what he has done. I would not refer this book to anyone trying to learn the language.

OK Entry Level
This book provided good entry level coverage of the VB2005 language.I found it a little on the elementary side as I am a very experienced programmer in VC++.If you are just learning to program in VB or are just beginning to code in an Object Oriented environment than this books would be an OK book to buy.However, for beginning programmers I always reccommend "Deietl" books for the very structured system of teaching you programming concepts.

If you are an experience OO programmer in another language (VC++ or Java) looking to bring those skills into the VB2005 language then I don't reccommend this book.I highly reccommend "Visual Basic 2005 : The Language" as it covers the more advanced features and methods available and is a great reference to learn VB. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

No fluff, just useful stuff.
I really, really like this book. If you are new to programming, this might not be the best book. Get an introductory book, then get this one. If you are a vb.net coder beginning asp.net, this is THE book. Jesse Liberty covers in a few hundred pages, what other books take six or seven hundred to do. Excellent book. I will be buying more from this author. Very professional.

fun read, but slightly incomplete.
If you got this around the time it was published, it was gold.after 2007, probably not so much.Some of the chapters reference software that needs to be downloaded from the publisher/author's website.Can be problematic.Skill set and info is pretty darn good, though.

Great Second VB Book
I have been through many VB books including expensive college texts.I immediately found this to be the best one.I picked it up at a Borders (oops...) because I was sick of ordering books online and not liking them when I finally got them in the mail.After I read the first chapter in the book store, I didn't want to wait to get started so I paid the $40.

I found that something simple like naming conventions or form design can ruin a potentially great book.Jesse Liberty uses the standard naming convention (txtName, btnSelect, etc.) and is not nearly as strict with form design as most books I have been through.

I recommend this as a second book because, though chapter 15 and 16 are superb in describing the basics, the complete beginner may be better off with a "For Dummies" book or something like that.

Some SQL knowledge also makes the book go down easier.

Jesse Liberty Fails to Update the Errata
After spending many hours trying to figure why the sample code didn't work, I found the answer buried on Jesse Liberty's message board.A fellow reader points out an error on Jan 21 and as of June 26 Jesse has yet to update his errata.Most tech books have a decent size errata and that is to be expected, but for an author to fail in his responsibility at the cost of many collective hours by his readers is extremely inconsiderate.This book is in my trash can at the moment.

Not a complete transition to VB.Net
I absolutely love Jesse's books and articles. However, this book does not have a page dedicated to ADO.Net nor does Jesse talk about the debugging methods of VS 2005.

I understand writing a book is not easy, but I feel these are two critical components of .Net development ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book for newbies wanting to learn Visual Basic
I was looking for a book that is cheap and would teach me Visual Basic in general. This book is for great beginners, because one: It's a big bargain. it does not just teach you The Visual Basic edition of Microsoft Visual Studio, it also teaches you 2 other parts of VB: VBScript, & programming databases with VBScript. This book is very helpful to people looking to create Web Sites with VBScript, looking to create databases with Visual Basic, and the core language. It gives you a few paragraphs on a specific subject(really in-depth), Then dives right in and throws an example project at you. BUY THIS BOOK; IT WILL SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY!!!

Very Good for newVB users
This is for students using VB and those new to VB.Great for showing how to develop the Users Interface and how to place code in buttons (objects) to execute the programs.Clearly written and shows the logical steps needed to make programs work.Remember this is only the first book to start with.You will need more comprehensive texts to complete the picture. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents Visual Basic programming to those with no prior experience or knowledge of programming. Provides the background knowledge on what programming is , & guides you through the steps that professional programmers take when they're tackling a programming job from start to finish. Paper.Amazon.com Review
The problem with a lot of computer programming books is thatthey assume too much. Learn to Program with Visual Basic 6assumes almost nothing. It then builds upon that modest base untilreaders have a very solid--and fairly deep--knowledge of computerprogramming. If you want to learn from the ground up how to makecomputers do things with Visual Basic, this is the best book foryou. Even if you'd like to learn another language, you'll gain a lotby absorbing the background information in Learn to Program withVisual Basic 6.

This book presents itself as an account of acollege course, taught by Smiley, in which the students developed aprogram that allows the customers of a china shop to get price quoteson different table settings. As they work toward delivering theprogram to the merchant, Smiley's students learn all about figuringout product requirements, designing software, and the many technicaldetails that define Windows programming in general. After quite a bitof planning, Smiley details the mechanics of writing code in VisualBasic 6 (a limited copy of which appears on the book's companionCD-ROM), which eventually enables his students to deliver a workingprogram to the shopkeeper.

Smiley's classroom-stylepresentation--complete with Aristotelian dialog--means you need toread this book from cover to cover and work through the proceduressequentially at least once. After that, you'll be ready to experimentindependently and read more specialized Visual Basic books. --DavidWall ... Read more

Customer Reviews (307)

From a 56 yr old!
The only programming I have done is with Allen Bradley PLC's which doesn't really count. BUT, I have always be interested in the how to of programing so on a lark I purchased this book and started at it. If you want to learn and feel like you are making progress then this guy's books are for you.
In the book it say's, e-mail me @ blablabla and I will get back to you, I figure, ya, right, well I snagged, my fault, and I needed an answer so I did e-mail. And much to my amazement, no kidding, I got an answer back the same day. With the answer I needed. If you are scared to try, don't be, this John Smiley guy is for real. NO, I am not related, never met, never spoke to this man. I am impressed that there is still people out there that do what they say and how they say. Thank you for your time.

What Is A Title?
I have worked through the first 7 chapters of "Learn to Program with Visual Basic 6" written by John Smiley and published by Active Path with the latest reprint September 2001. I will finish the remaining 8 chapters in a few days.

This is a good book to work through the uses of the basic VB6 controls.

But the book is nearly useless for providing a quick way to understand VB6 code syntax. The VB6 program provided with the book has the HELP disabled. So, one is always "googling" to get syntax and examples. Plus, the program will not produce executable runtime VB applications.

The cover states about the software "...including a fully working version of Microsoft Visual Basic..." I consider runtime and HELP to be an integral part of a *fully* working version.

As to the title of this review, one should be be careful with which Smiley "Learn to Program..." book one is buying.

But, I would buy again. Just wanted to let you know what you were getting.

Great allegorical approach to programming in VB
After programming in various languages, such as C and Perl, and using the Win32 API to write Windows applications, my company bought the rights to a product built on VB and ActiveX. The Visual Basic language, which in my mind was relegated to "script kiddies" and fly-by-night vendors, had found its way into our hallowed halls.

I found this book enlightening and very informative. John's treatment of the SDLC was very brief, yet helpful. Wheras most techical manuals border on mundane, this book was anything but boring. The "classroom" setting was a great medium to keep my attention page after page. It catered to the beginner in me, which was a relief.

Some books will just gloss over functional parts of development tools. Not only does this book come with a working version of Visual Basic 6.0, John goes to great lengths to walk through the menu system, debugging functions, and certain control parameters.

Each section in each chapter contains a discussion (this is the "classroom" converation part) about the exercises. I found that each exercise works as written in the book. At the end of each chapter is a Summary and a Quiz. The Quiz answers can be found at the back of the book, however, I found that some of the Quiz answers were wrong, but was glad I had enough knowledge from John's writing to recognize a wrong answer.

If you have a desire to learn how to program, have some knowledge of windows operating system, and enjoy good stories, then this book is for you. Keep in mind that John only covers the tip of the iceberg. You will truly need another book to actually do anything more than create simple forms and process the "Click" event (read the book to see what I mean).

Good for learning VB, but not for learning about programming
If you are a busy person, you work a lot with programmers and you need a general understanding of programming, this is not the book for you.
If you have time on your hands, and you want to learn VB, this could be the book for you.
After I bought this book I realised I was fooled by the title.It should be called 'Programming in Visual Basic for beginners'. The point of this book is to teach you to program in VB6, not to teach you the basics of programming using VB as an example language.While I can understand that the verbose classroom approach may appeal to some, I found it patronising and time wasting. I eventually bought 'Sams Teach Yourself Beginning Programming in 24 Hours' by Greg Perry which gives a concise summary of programming basics, an overview of the most common languages, and exercises to drive home the lessons. Exactly what I was after.

A must have!
I'm a hobbyist, not an IT professional, and have been programming in BASIC since I bought my first PC in the 70's.When I decided to tackle Visual Basic to write programs for Windows, I purchased five "how-to" books on the subject.Unfortunately for me, John Smiley's book was the last one I bought.If I had ordered "Learn to Program" first, I could have saved more than $100.This is a clear, concise, and sure-fire way for the beginner or experienced BASIC programmer to transition to the powerful yet simple language of Visual Basic.John Smiley's book easily allows the reader to understand the concepts of event driven programming and the differences from procedural driven programming.Consider it a "must have" for the novice with little or no programming experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Helps you build real-world VB6 applications. Includes hundreds of live code programs with screen captures that show exact outputs, extensive exercises accompanying every chapter, & hundreds of tips, recommendations, & cautions.Paper. CD-ROM included.DLC: Microsoft Visual Basic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

Excellent VB6.0 book for intermediate level VB programmer
This is the best VB 6.0 book I have ever had. It answers almost all the questions guiding my VB programming project. Very practical, down to the earth, and examples are easy to follow.

Best
This is the best technical book i have ever read. The reason is it actually has some meat to it. Definatly the best visual basic book out there.
Matt

How To Program VB6
This book is written well and logical, it has many items other books lack.This book is a first year comp sci book and that is why it does not have all the answers in the back; read the intro people. Comparing this to other titles I have used, this one fits my needs very well, easy to read, follow, and understand. You must put an effort into the reading to get the best out of it.If you do not work at it, its true, you will think this book is difficult.Deitel & Deital books fill my programming library now, don't waste money on other books.

Very valuable to the serious student
This is not a book with big pictures and lots of redundant information: it's packed with valuable information, extremely well structured and geared towards the needs of the beginner as well as the more advanced student. Each chapter is preceded by an introduction to the respective topic followed by programming projects exemplifying the use of commands, procedures, data types, etc. It is rounded off by concise recap of the material covered. All programming examples are supplied on the accompanying CD ROM which also includes - lo and behold! - a MS VISUAL BASIC 6.0 Working Model Edition as a FREEBIE. So you do not even have to have your own Visual Basic Programming environment in order to do all the exercises and try out the examples given in the book. Algorithms and theoretical background are supplied where necessary and just add to the fun of learning. A wealth of good tips is summarized for each chapter under the headings of "Common Programming Errors", "Good Programming Practices", "Software Engineering Observations" and "Testing and Debugging". The practical hands-on approach to programming of the book is topped off by self-review exercises at the end of each of the 21 chapters for which solutions are supplied and discussed adequately to make them a true learning experience. More challenging exercises are offered to the more ambitious student. This is one of the most instructive and comprehensive books on Visual Basic I have ever had a chance tolay my hand upon. Highly recommendable!

Confuses you even more
The authors take a subject that's not horribly difficult and make it dautingly difficult in this book.The examples they use are NOT real-world examples that anyone would understand.For example, to explain recursion, their two examples involve factorials and Fibonacci numbers.May I remind them that this is not a book on math and Visual Basic?I had to first learn what Fibonacci numbers were and then try to understand the example.I am unfortunately required to read this book as part of a class and am finding myself reading other books to try to understand what this book is saying.Also, key terms aren't in bold, and the way the book is presented is in reverse order than it should be.The process of VB programming involves first creating the user interface and then the coding behind it.They introduce the coding first and the interface in the middle of the book.I am really struggling to read this and I have a master's degree, work in this general area, and have good reading and vocabulary skills.Why they even thought this book would be applicable to anything for anyone is beyond me. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Thanks a million
The book has minor water damage(not a big deal) and arrived really fast. Thanks for getting it to me before my classes got crazy.

I give it an A...
I needed this book for one of my college classes and the Amazon price was almost 3/4 cheaper then in the schools book store. This book was only used for about 3-4 months and from what I saw from the textbook... it was great. I learned a lot and I might keep it around just in case I need it for a future class. But overall, I give it an A...

Everything you know about design principles but forgot
Pros: A definite must-have book and recommended reading for designers, artists and teachers. Excellent for art teachers seeking project ideas for students in traditional art/design media, also provides a design refresherfor teachers withstudents in digital media, as the principles apply toweb, cd-rom and new media design (but not animation. However, there is asection on objects in 3D space).

This book covers key design principlesand art techniques that you may have forgotten after art school.

Cons: Alot easier to read for precticing artists and designers; may be brainfreeze to art students goggling at the compact knowledge. Not recommendedreading unless student is mature enough/is in the higher years/is trulyinterested.

Initial impression based on format, book thickness and thelanguage used may appear too stiff and seem like very heavy reading atfirst, specially to first time art educators. Read the book in topics youneed in order to digest info better.

After a while the format becomesfamiliar, the information astoundingly clear/well researched and yourealize the book was brilliantly organized. Eureka!

As with allart/design reference book collections, this makes a good backbone book thatcould be supplemented by others, as it cannot cover everything.Ex: Forselecting/using type and organizing layouts try "The Non-Designer'sDesign Book" by Robin Williams, Peachpit Press. There's a web bookversion as well.

Final comment: Basic Visual Concepts and Principles, athumbs up, definitely must have reference. ... Read more

Product Description
Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 for Windows, Mobile, Web, Office, and Database Applications: Comprehensive teaches students the essentials of computer programming using the latest Visual Basic programming language, Visual Basic 2008. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Satisfied customer
I am very pleased with the book and the speed in which it got here.The book was in great condition and I couldn't beat the price.

School
It is a good book, but it splits the chapters in 2 parts so far. I am just in Ch5 now. It is allright but you have to go back and fourth inCh.

Visual Basic 2008 Book
I was very happy with the purchase. It arrived quickly and is in very good condition. I am very satisfied.

Most excellent seller!
The book came quickly and in perfect condition.There was plenty of packaging around it so it wouldn't get damaged.Thank you very much.

I really didn't care for this book
I had to buy this OVERPRICED book for a visual basic class I took. I agree with some of the other reviewer's points, the mobile and web apps sections should be either one big auxiliary chapter at the end or appendix items.

I also felt the author was often way too verbose and when into too much detail covering things that required less than a couple sentences. Then keywords like "Me." were not introduced, but just started appearing. The only clarification I could find was a short ambiguous sentence. This just about summed up the book for me.

The book went on and on about using public and private variables but didn't go into classes and inheritance until the end of the book. I was a newbie and didn't get exactly what a class was until I got the end of the book. I had no clue what the difference between a procedure and a class was until the end.

The examples were hard too follow, each chapter was set up like a tutorial, but not one that you can follow along with, it would introduce concepts that weren't part, didn't fit in with the chapter project, then at the end there would be a walk through. Far too often the way the page was laid out the wasn't enough room to fit complete lines of code, so most of them were two concatenated lines, so frustrating.

This book is like a great, yet very sloppy rough draft, it needs to be trimmed down(way, WAY too much discussion about how great Microsoft is and how much they do for the world), some clarification added and rearranged. If this book were like 20 bucks, I'd say if you can spare the cash and are desperate to learn VB (heaven knows why) then this might be the book for you. And sadly there don't seem to be too many decent VB.NET books out there.



... Read more

Product Description
A Volume in the Wiley-Interscience Series on Laboratory Automation.

The complete, step-by-step guide to using Visual Basic(r) in a laboratory setting Visual

Basic(r) is fast becoming the de facto laboratory programming language, yet existing books typically discuss applications that have nothing to do with science and engineering. This primer fills the gap in the field, showing professionals seeking to improve the productivity of their laboratories how to use Visual Basic(r) to automate laboratory processes.

Automating Science and Engineering Laboratories with Visual Basic(r) helps laboratory professionals decide when and if to use Visual Basic(r) and how to combine it with the many computing technologies used in modern laboratories such as RS-232 port communications, TCP/IP networking, and event-driven control, to name a few. With an emphasis on getting readers programming immediately, the book provides clear guidelines to the appropriate programming techniques as well as custom-developed software tools. Readers will learn how to build applications to control laboratory instruments, collect and process experimental data, create interactive graphical applications, and more.

Boasting many working examples with the complete source code and backward compatibility to previous versions of Visual Basic(r), Automating Science and Engineering Laboratories with Visual Basic(r) is an indispensable teaching tool for nonprogrammers and a useful reference for more experienced practitioners. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Worth the money
It feels good to spend money on something worthwhile. Especially after recently getting duped on another similar book. This one has MEAT.

Excellent
Excellent text for engineers seeking to interface their projects with the PC. I waited for a long time for a text like this to emerge. It contains all the practical stuff you won't see in generic computer science texts. Highly reccommended.

Useful addition to your reference library...
I am surprised at some of the negative reviews of this book. This book contains some very useful material especially the TCP/IP and Parser Class topics. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is because of the space wasted on a review of the Visual Basic Language. I used some of the ideas in this book in a VB Human Machine Interface (HMI) application that I developed. The source code is available at ....

Nice book on Automation with Visual Basic
If you want to study Visual Basic with this book, it may not be a right choice. However, if you want to do automation with VB, this is a right book. Several topics in this book are very useful to me. 1)Communication methods with VB. One of the foundamental thing in automatic control of devices/instrument is to establish the communication between computer and devices/instrument. Several useful methods are covered. They are Dynamic Data Exchange(DDE), RS232(computer serial communication), and TCP/IP. This book will not enable you to understand in deep details what's really going on in RS232 or TCP/IP communications, but this book will definitely enable you to implement these methods. Actually, in most cases if not all, we do not need to know what's really going on in RS232 or TCP/IP communications at all. 2)Device control and data handling. This part covers how to handle the data transferred in communication--parsing, and control multiple devices/instrument. 3)Graphic interfaces, which will enable developers to build a friendly interface between the control system and end users. Please do not overlook this, it is most probably that the users' commends on your system depend a lot on this interface, because this is what they can see and handle with.

This book is one of the valuable books on my shelf, and I would like to recomment to other people. Anyway, all depends on what you need and what you expect. This is just my 2 cents.

Good luck in finding a book valuable for your use.

Waste of Time and Money
Based on the earlier reviews, I though this is a good book to read.But I was wrong.I think all earlier reviewers (other than one review that rated it one star) probably do not know how to use help in Visual Basic.If you want to use PCs for monitoring project, just read VB help for comm port control.This book is full of examples and not much explaination about understanding of serial communication.I totally agree with review of December 9, 1999 that any one who has any knowledge of VB should not buy this.Reading this book was a total waste of time and money. ... Read more

Product Description
Visual Basic .NET Programming With Peter Aitken uses a logical and understandable approach aimed at beginner and intermediate level programmers.A revised and updated edition of the successful Visual Basic 6 Programming Blue Book, this book covers all of the fundamental programming tools plus advanced programming with subclassing, and new Web, multimedia, and object-oriented features.Presenting a 3-tier approach to database programming, the book also walks the reader through creation of three databases ranging in complexity.The companion CD-ROM contains source code for the book's projects as well as shareware, freeware, and demo programs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Better late than never!
I can't believe that I'm actually the first to rate this book! I have a copy of this book and it is only now that I got the time to create a review. The topic on reading XML is quite good and its the technique I employed when reading XML files here at work, although basic, it gets the job done! So many info can be found in thisbook and the way the topics are written will get you to speed in programming VB.net. Highly recommended and i'm still waiting for a 2005 or 2008 version of this book from Mr. Aitken. For beginner to intermediate VB programmers. ... Read more

Product Description
Visual Basic 6 is the powerful new version of Visual Basic, which you will master in no time with this book. By using lots of hands on examples and hundreds of screenshots, this book will act as a roadmap for you to learn Viusal Basic programming. It will take you on a comprehensive and fun tour of everything you want to know about programming in VB - from your first programs through to ActiveX controls, graphics, and the important new ADO database tools. At the end of the book you will even be ready to look at some professional programs and case studies. All this will add up to a lot of fun as you build a solid foundation for your own future career as a professional VB programmer.Amazon.com Review
If you have no Visual Basic experience but have a desire tolearn about the language, you'll find Peter Wright's BeginningVisual Basic 6 useful. Furthermore, you'll find it useful for morethan a week--the author covers advanced problems as well as languagefundamentals. He begins with some introductory information about thedevelopment environment's interface and moves on to key aspects of thelanguage, such as graphical controls, variables, arrays, loops, andother control structures. The book then explores different kinds ofresources, one at a time, before ending with a series of casestudies.

Throughout, Wright's style is clear and informed. He ofteninserts a program's source code into his commentary and then proceedsto examine it in depth. This Talmudic approach proves quiteenlightening. His examples aren't overly academic, either. Forexample, you'll find a database-aware program to manage a library'scollection in the text. Indeed,database programming--the bread and butter of professional VisualBasic programmers--is covered very well.

Coverage of ActiveXcontrol creation, one of Visual Basic 6's most important features,isn't as lavish as that of other topics, but real-life Visual Basicdevelopment still focuses on stand-alone applications, afterall. --David Wall ... Read more

Customer Reviews (102)

Good Reference
This was a good reference book. Especially for the money. I find it helpful to have 2-3 ref. books per language for review in case I need them. Amazon does an awesome job supplying thses type of books at a low price.

Beginner's Delight-.-.-.-.-.-.- Experience'd Fright
I picked up this book after reading the one of the great books published by Wrox (Beginning Visual C++) and so forgive me if I bend towards comparison .... Well the title says it all ... this book is meant for a complete novice to computers ..... I wouldn't recommend it to a someone who already has some experience in programming .... beginners knock urselves out ... plenty to learn for u guys.... nothing more to stay ... Titles can be so misleading ... Beginning Visual C++ was so great and I learned so much from it so thats why I picked up this book but I am dissappointed.....

Good book
This is good book but not for a stone cold beginninng programmer. You will find that most if not all of the wrox books are good choices for learning a new programming language. Keep up the good work wrox !

An excellent intro to VB6
I read this book about 2 years ago to teach myself VB6. A friend of mine recently asked me to recommend a book for him to learn basic object-oriented programming on windows and this book is the only one I can think of. The book is very clearly written as is any programming book published by Wrox. Nowadays, VB.net is much more popular. I guess if you want to learn VB, buy a book on VB.net instead.

OKAY only for beginners!
If you already have some experience in programming, I'd suggest you get a book that covers VB topics in a little more detail, rather than one that just tells you how to open a window,drop a control on the form and set properties in a space of five to ten pages - you get the idea, coz thats exactly what the book does all through.
Agreed that this is supposed to be a book for beginners but hey, anyone who has even a little bit of programming experience and possesses the intelligence of even a high school kid, does not need to be told things that are so obvious.
However for complete novices, who have no programming experience at all, this book may be of good use. All in all this is good buy for those who don't have any experience in programming at all. ... Read more

Product Description
Microsoft's Visual Basic has become the standard language of programming. In addition to teaching Visual Basic, this unique programming guide will teach readers the fundamental programming concepts they need to grasp in order to learn any computer language. This non-intimidating reference enables readers to take the skills they learn and apply them to their own situations. A truly one-of-a-kind book, this guide assumes the reader has no programming experience and offers the fun approach of game creation as a teaching tool. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fun topics, experiece needed.
Allow me to begin by stating that while I am an experienced Basic programer, I am a beginner to Visual Basic.NET. This is the background from which I write this review. My understanding of Basic programing in general gives me some advantages which someone totally NEW to programing will not share.

The trouble with many books on Visual Basic is that they focus so strongly on fundamentals that you never get to the fun stuff until very late.

For example, I bought a different book; 'Visual Basic.NET How to Program', by Deitel as my introduction to VB.NET. (Please note: If you have NO experience in Basic, the Deitel book is not for you.) The book is wonderful. It goes into great detail on the topics and is information-dense. But it is a dry read doesn't get to the FUN stuff, like timers and simple graphics until late in the book. After pouring over that book for the better part of a week, I was ready for a break. I wanted to do some FUN stuff!!

Browsing over the selection at the book store I finally settled on 'Visual Basic .NET Programming for the absolute beginner'. This book has many strong points and a few flaws. The flaws have been spelled out by other reviewers, so let me focus on some of the things I really liked.

First, if you read many VB book reviews you will see that a common complaint is that a book was written using a beta version of Basic .NET and that the examples do not work, or do not work well with the final release. This book does not seem to suffer from that flaw. That is GOOD!!

Second, the author has a great writing style which is a refreshing break from the rather dry text of my main instructional book. The author gives some excellent explanations on important core concepts, such as classes, inheritance and OOP. I found the second perspective on these topics very helpful to my understanding of them.

Third, the author does some Fun Stuff. You will learn, through the example of an arcade game how to use a timer to control events in a program. This knowledge will give you the keys for implementing your own ideas, be it writing a savings calculator which actively shows your hypothetical savings as they grow month after month and year after year, or writing your own graphing-programs which plot in real time.

The author also covers sequential and random access files, which are an important function for many programs.

My main lament is that the book does not cover page flipping, sprites, collision detection and buffered screens. For any book supposedly focusing on game programing, this is a serious lapse to my way of thinking.

Still, the author probably left those topics out because the book was supposed to be aimed at beginners, but this is no book for beginners! You are going to need some VB experience if you hope to get any real benefit from this book, so the absence of those fundamental programming topics is keenly felt.

That having been said, I am not being fair in faulting this book for failing to be what it was never intended to be so my complaint is neither relevant nor valid.

The intent of the book was a good one; to be a fun introduction to Basic .Net for the absolute beginner. But the authors good intentions may have been sunk by an aggressive editor and/or other publishing constraints (price or page count). That is too bad. This could have been a 5 star beginners book (or a 10 star gamers book!)

Conclusion: Here is a good complimentary book to your main VB.NET studies, but definitely not a stand alone text. If you are on a budget and totally new to Visual Basic. NET, this is not the book for you. If you have some Visual Basic experience and are looking for some fun and another perspective on key topics, you could do worse than to buy `Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Programming for the absolute beginner'.

Visual Basic...but not for the Absolute Beginner
...I liked its approach of using games and "fun" lessons for teaching Visual Basic.I've already completed SAMS "Teach Yourself Visual Basic in 24 Hours" so I'm not the "Absolute Beginner" that is the target audience of this book.With that in mind:

1) This book is NOT for the absolute beginner.There is little if any discussion on how to use Visual Basic/Studio at all.No handholding at all.Often, items are mentioned only in passing (like how to do comments in your code) with little explanation.It seems an effort was made to make the book less intimidating by keeping it under 350 pages.The net result is a book with far too little explanation and information.

2) Throughout the book, when it comes time to add controls to your programs, you're simply given a chart listing all the controls and *some* of the properties you have to set.So what's the problem?The chart doesn't list any of the size or placement properties for the control!So you constantly have to flip back to the screenshot of the program - usually several pages earlier - to give yourself some idea where the item is supposed to go and how big it's supposed to be.In another example, in the animation program from chapter 3, you're supposed to assign a picture to 9 image controls.Problem?You're never told the NAMES of the picture files to assign!The author simply says that the images can be found on the CD with the book.Only they're not there!They're included as one large bitmap file on the CD which won't work for the program being worked on!

3) Code errors - in chapter 3, the author twice makes mention of using a particular Boolean variable in his program, making sure to allocate it by using "Dim".The problem?It's never used!All he does is allocate it, it never gets put to use!

4) Also in chapter 3, the author mentions the "Keydown event, which you've already seen earlier".I couldn't remember seeing it earlier, so I looked in the index.Turns out that "Keydown" is discussed only once in the book - IN THE SENTENCE THAT SAYS IT WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER.

That said, there are some good things to be gained from this book, as the author uses some events and controls that other beginning books don't touch as relate to games, so that's good.But if you're a true beginner, forget it.

This book is mis-named
I do not think this book is for the "absolute beginner".It has been frustrating trying to build the programs in the book, because, even in the first chapter, the author does not explain how to do things, he just says "do it".I am sorry I bought the book.I am now using "Visual Basic 6 Complete", which I find much better for a beginner like myself.

Thumbs Up From Mrs. Programmer
I've had the book for a couple of months, but I've only recently been able to wrestle it away from my 15-year old son. This is a great way to learn Visual Basic. Finally, a teaching tool that takes advantage of how fun programming really can be. I can't wait to check out other books in the series. They're already on my kid's Christmas list. ... Read more

Product Description
If you have basic programming experience, this book is your ideal guide for writing games using Visual Basic .NET and Managed DirectX 9.This Second Edition includes almost entirely new coverage. While coverage of game design and 2D artwork remain, this edition includes more detailed coverage of the DirectX game code and utilizes the free Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition compiler. A true beginner's guide, this book covers each essential step for creating your own complete role playing game, including a character creation screen and a combat system. This book serves as a comprehensive introductory guide for readers who are new to programming or new to programming for games. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Comment from the author
This book was not intended to be a game project book, like "Build your own RPG MAKER in 10 easy steps", but unfortunately that is the impression that many readers seem to have, and it's a false assumption. This book is about learning to program VB.NET 2005 or 2008 with Managed DirectX. That's a very difficult subject, so the game was intended as a way to improve learning. This book teaches how to program 2D games in VB.NET and Managed DirectX, with an emphasis on top-down tile based scrolling. A very large scale tile-based game world is developed using a world editor called Mappy, with tutorials on how to create your own game world. The book even recommends creating your own game levels, and that the one presented in the book is only an example.

Please, if you don't know VB.NET, don't buy this book as your introduction to the language! This is a very difficult subject to master! DirectX9 should only be approached after one has learned VB.NET first. So, please read a primer and learn the language, and then give DirectX a try. =)

Here is the outline for the book:

Part I: The Game Engine
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Introduction to Visual Basic .NET
Chapter 3: Introduction to Managed DirectX
Chapter 4: Sprites: The Key To 2D Games
Chapter 5: Printing Text and Getting User Input
Chapter 6: Tile-Based Scrolling
Chapter 7: Entity Management
Chapter 8: Playing Sound Effects and Music

Part II: The Game World
Chapter 9: Designing The Celtic Crusader Game
Chapter 10: Creating The Game World
Chapter 11: Exploring The Game World
Chapter 12: Adding Scenery and Objects

Part III: The Characters
Chapter 13: Creating The Player Character
Chapter 14: Building The Celtic Crusader Engine
Chapter 15: Keeping Track of Inventory
Chapter 16: Adding NPCs and Monsters
Chapter 17: Engaging in Combat

what not to do when making a game
The book was interesting for the first few chapters, but then it became frustrating.The classes for the games were constantly modified on the source disk from chapter to chapter without notifying the reader of any changes.The reader either has to open the source file for each chapter and type the changes into their source code, or the reader has to use the source code itself. One thing not to do is load the whole map.Its okay for a small map, but the author loaded a 48000 X 64000 pixels or 1500 X 2000 32X32 pixel tiles.In addition, the map is refreshing every 10 milliseconds.When I tried to run the completed game from the source disk and found out it took 300+ MB of RAM, and this is not a complete game.This takes more RAM than some 3D games I played like Orochi Warriors on PC.The game also drained 30% of from the battery from my friends laptop in less than five minutes.When testing out the actuall game play, I found that I was killing enemies behind me when I was attacking the one in from half the time.When printing text on the screen, the author .png files and placed the them on the screens like tiles.This method would make it really difficult to print text in other languages like Japanese and Chinese that contain thousands of characters.It will take a lot of effort to modify the author's code to make the a more efficient game.

Shot the editor
I like the concept of the book, but there are a lot of inconsistencies in the code for the projects.Up until the fifth chapter I was fully ready to endorse the book to my district as a textbook for an advance Visual Basic class on game programming. I like the fact that he builds a game one step at a time, starting with an experiment to illustrate the concept, then building and testing a class for the game. However, when he got to the fifth chapter, he changed his naming conventions and added code to the classes with no mention in the book of these changes. This can be frustrating especial to high school students or any new programmer. There are several places though out the book where he made changes to the classes on the CD that he does not mention in the book. Then he adds the class method to the current project and your left wondering where it came from. I felt he needed to make changes in the book, so that the code was consistent though out the book and matched what on the CD.

In my opinion, His editor should have caught this. Thomson as a publisher is starting to get a repetition for there badly coded books. It is obvious that an editor should be reviewing the code in a book along with the grammatical errors in the book and Thompson fails to do that. If you understand visual basic and you are looking for a book on game programming concepts the book is good. However I would not recommend this book if you are new to Visual Basic and I would definitely not recommend it for teenager, it will only frustrate them.
... Read more

Product Description
This revision of Schneider’s best-selling guide is designed for readers with no prior programming experience. It focuses on developing good problem-solving skills, building a strong foundation that will give readers a sustainable understanding of programming.  KEY TOPICS: Based on Visual Basic 2008, the book starts with a brief review of the preliminaries of Windows, and then focuses on problem-solving. A broad range of real-world examples, section-ending exercises, case studies, and programming projects gives readers significant hands-on experience.  A useful reference for both beginning programmers and those moving from another language and that want to learn more about programming with the latest version of Microsoft’s Visual Basic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Depends on the class you're taking...
I ended up getting this book on Amazon because efollet had it on backorder for weeks.

The Seller I got it from was great!

The book, eh, it depends on how your professor wants to teach the course. I'm taking a Intro to Visual Basic class - HOWEVER, the professor prefers to teach the course via using console application, not GUI like the book. So, to me, the book is "useless" when it comes to using examples in the book and modeling them to your own programs. If your professor teaches the course following GUI, then I think you'll appreciate the book because there are tons of examples and exercises to practice with.

Useful
While I don't particularly enjoy the class, this book is a very clear, step-by-step walk through of what I'm told are the main controls of Visual Basic. The examples are very clear and at times have illustrations matching exactly how they appear on the screen and the practice projects at the end of each chapter are really useful.
Overall a pretty valid purchase.

Pleased Customer
The book that I bought was the cheepest one I could find.However, quality was still very good and the condition of the book was as good if not better than what the seller had described.

Helpful for Beginners
If you are beginning your programming career, Visual Basic is an excellent start.This book is good for beginners.It is easy to read and follow.

Relatively Difficult to use
The book is written for intermediate learners in programming. I would not recommend the book for beginners. The assignments are hard to comprehend and the integration between the exercises and the samples are so extensively different.Use this book only if required. ... Read more

Product Description
The Visual Basic 6 Developer's Handbook helps everyVB programmer become a pro. The book's complete discussions clearlyexplain the most difficult, and most important, topics faced by VisualBasic programmers today. Coverage includes new Internet tools, newHTML tags, advanced client/server programming, and VBA/VBScript'sintegration of Windows 98 and other Microsoft applications. Written bytwo leading VB developers who have created commercial applications forclients such as COMPAQ, Exxon, Texas Instruments, and NASA, thisresource offers a variety of topics and depth you won't find in anyother book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

What a waste!
This is POORLY written book. Many sample programs do not work or even compile. Many of the variables still use the name "RDO" instead of ADO. Obviously, the author(s) never tested their sample programs, because they do not run. So be careful what book you buy. You could waste $....

Do not waste your time with this book.
This is a POORLY written book. The author(s) simply changed their old RDO book to ADO, and sold it as new for VB 6. Many of the samples will not work or compile, because they forgot to change connection/recordset from RDO to ADO.

Best VB6 book out there
I have read about half of the book and it has have already answered more questions and given me more insight into Visual Basic than any other book I have read! The coverage of database connectivity and API calls is outstanding as is the section on Programming for the WEB. I found the writing style to be very easy to read. I recommend this book to all Visual Basic developers.

Poor sybex support for this full of errors/missing files
basically good book, but with a lot of references to missing from the CDfiles, and no support from sybex. there are better books and moresupported(e.g. wrox)

a lot of that should have been in, is missing
The book is full with examples, but a lot of them needs some files fromthe CD, and very much of them are missing from the CD, poor sybex supportfor such problems !!! ... Read more

Product Description
Updated to cover all the new features of VBA language and how to build robust applications with each of the pieces of Microsoft Office, this book leads the reader through the process of recording and modifying macros, introduces the reader to VBA language, and explains how to create stand-alone Windows applications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Congratulations
Thank you very much. This was the first time that I had purchased something out of my country by Internet and every thing was attended. I would say to keep their work with this philosophy.

The Best Written Book I own for Visual Basic/Studio/App
I own nearly a dozen books on Visual Studio(VS), Visual Basic(VB), and Visual Basic for Applications(VBA). For the past 3 years, I have architected personal / workplace solutions, and have been mostly self-taught through books and online learning opportunities.

After finding "Using Excel Visual Basic For Applications," by Jeff Webb, it has become hands-down my primary resource."The Excel Bible," by John Walkenbach used to be my book of choice, but where Walkenbach concentrates more on explaining Excel, Jeff Webb has developed his effort to elaborate on VBA, and is focused on object-oriented programming.

For instance, Chapter 5 of 21 includes a section on the 'Application Object.'Starting with an explanation of what is an Application Object, a chart spanning three pages, consistingof 'Properties and Methods' applicable to an Object follows.It is analogous to VB's Object Browser, since both provide the Developer a directory listing. Then Jeff Webb steps into each entry and provides explanations of what happens to the object, like VB Help, and a code snippit.For example:

[Application.]ActiveCell

Bracketed items being optional, this example would mean the snippit is merely 'ActiveCell', and can be inserted into the code of a function or subroutine ie.

Sub Subname()
ActiveCell
Exit Sub

This procedure will return the range of where the Excel cursor is, also known as the "Input Focus."

If what you have just read makes sense to you but don't understand, you could benefit from owning "Using Excel Visual Basic for Applications." If there is no comprehension, I suggest reading, 'Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Bible' by John Walkenbach from WILEY Publishing.

PS. I am not affiliated with QUE, Jeff Webb, WILEY, or John Walkenbach, and did not receive any compensation for this commentary about either book, just in case the thought occurred...

Hopelessly out of date
This book is just not useful anymore.The code is old and the dialog boxes don't look or function the same anymore.I'm not new to programming, but a beginner would be totally lost.As it is I am going to send this one back and get a more up to date one, just in case I can't jam my way out of it.There also might be (and probably are) newer features not covered in this book.

Aside from that, it looks as if it could have been a great book in its time.When are you guys going to publish an up to date one?

Useless, useless, useless and what happened to English...
I had some elementary knowledge about VB beforehand and I borrowed this book from a friend in order to look up certain things.I found it to be useless and hard to read.It might be just me, but if I wanted to buy a book on VB and Excel I would stay very far, far, far and AWAY from this one.

Code doesn't work
I have some knowledge of VB and wanted to get a look at VBA, so a friend loaned me this book.It seems to be very complete and well organized, but so far the code examples I have tried don't work.This may be because I am using Excel 2000 and the book was written in 1996.I have been able to make the code samples work by just fiddling with the code until it runs.However, this is a frustrating experience for someone who likes to learn hands on, and would probably be a disaster for a brand-new programmer. ... Read more

Product Description
Quickly harness the full power of the Windows(R) 32-bit operating system using Visual Basic. This best-selling guide covers every key element of the core Win32 API--from Windows management and drawing operations to advanced process control and interprocess communication techniques. Dan Applemen shows you how to translate C and C++ based Win32 documentation to Visual Basic, how to port 16-bit applications to 32-bits, and how to design applications to run on different versions of Windows. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

Must have for Professional VB/VBA Programmer
This was just what I needed to develop a special VBA program with Access. The Win32 API's let you get a little closer to the Window operating system than most standard languages.

A must have book
After buying many useless books on the VB API programming I bought this one after I read the reviews, and it is the ultimate reference ever.

If you are thinking of buying it, read the other reviews - they describe it more than I do - and go ahead and get it. It's worth every ounce of its weight in pure gold.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK
This book is useless for any work or learning.

All samples are made with authors' functions which are in compiled dll written in C++ !?

Each chapter has at least 30% about porting from Win16 to Win32.

And book is filled with listings of forms and projects.

If you remove all this from book, the rest is less than 100 pages with confused explanations.

Do not buy this book. There are much better books around.

It's the Bible
For as long as there's been an API for VB developers, Dan has been THE source for reference on how to use it.He is the definitive authority.(How many people can earn that title about anything?)

Use this book FIRST.Then check with other sources of you need to.

dan appleman is the API god
it works well as a desktop reference but it also takes a little time to explain some of the more hardcore concepts.i recommend this book to ANYONE wanting to start and sucessfully finish an API project.
from this book it is apparent that mr Appleman believes VB can do ANYTHING by using a little API and, after owning it for a few months, you'll know it's true and you'll know how to make it happen too.a must-have for any self-respecting vb programmer ... Read more

Product Description
Regardless of your level of experience with database programming, you will gain insight into the world of .NET by reading Mastering Visual Basic.NET Database Programming. This book is a hands-on guide that provides you with both the architecture and code for writing applications that work with SQL Server 2000 systems. You will learn best practices at constructing a distributed system using VB.NET.

This book will help you understand the .NET database technologies and show you how they all fit together in a way that will enable you to architect .NET WebServices, Windows, and ASP.NET applications. There are also many satellite technologies that surround database systems. This book delves into working with all these languages and tools, such as XSL Transformations, XPath Queries, accessing SQL Server 2000 using HTTP and XML, the VS .NET XML Designer, ADO.NET and the .NET data providers. By taking an around-the-world tour of all these technologies, you will better be able to design your systems to take full advantage of the leading-edge technologies and tools. The information provided in this book will enable you to reduce the cost of delivery and increase your productivity using the .NET Framework.

The explanations provided in this book are very crisp and concise. You’ll get a clear understanding of how to build your own VB.NET database systems by following step-by-step walkthroughs or loading the actual Visual Studio .NET solutions from the accompanying CD. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Great book for biginners or intermediate programmers
I have been programming in VB for about 9 years now - 4 years in VB.Net. Whether you are biginner or intermediate, you really need this book if you want to master the concept and skills of programming in vb.net. Even advanced programmers will discover things they have never thought about using this book. I am really impressed. This is the book that covers rearly all aspects of VB.Net and .Net framework en general that you as programmer will need to develop a professional programme. If you get this book, I sueggest that you read all chapters. Even the chapters that you think you are familiar with the topic; you will be surprised what you will discover that you did not know. If you are familar with the topic, just scan it and see.
This is a great book

IF you are serious? This book is too ..
This is not the book for a light superficial reader. This is a book for a serious learner. I have been dancing around the idea of database programming in VB.net for several months now. But this is the book that has really got me started.

I admit I threw away this book after reading 6 pages in the first chapter. It has got me confused and overwhelmed by all the new glossary and high detail level. But a couple of weeks later I have decided to give it another try. And I thank God I did so.

Skipping the first two (basic science) chapters you can start rightaway by the third (visual database tools) chapter and still keep up. Beleive me if I said that each single word from there on is an essential piece of information.

Although I haven't finished reading it but I thought it's quite fair to clarify the above points about this great and serious book.

I am really enjoying reading it, I take it with me everywhere. And I have started already practically verifying examples to help me through the course of learning which is by the way "Amazing"...

I did not understand it
I did not like this book to much.
it gives you information that you dont need
and not enoughinformation that you do need

i could not get some directions to work right

Got to give it credit to teach in VB and not in C#

it did not work well with my learning style

Just barely worth the cost of its paper
This is the worst VB book I've read in all of my life, I needed to get to speed with ADO .Net, and as this book's title says "Mastering" I thought this could be the one I needed, especially after reading some of the other reviews.

If you are an absolute and complete beginner in database programming this book might help you, but if you already know your basics, step away from it and get David Sceppa's book instead. Half of this book is about the basics of Transact-SQL, but the really basics, not the advanced stuff, and after that you get a bunch of really dumb examples of the database objects that will rise too much doubts in your head, instead of helping you, you'll just get more confused.

I gave it two stars, because I was able to use a couple of examples in one of my applications, but that was after I had read Sceppa's book.

What a dissapointment.

Great book.
I think that a book for computer programming can only be evaluated by the manner how we use it.
Almost a year passed since I bought the Mastering Visual Basic .NET Database Programming and this book is still on my desk and is used regularly for advice.
The book covers nearly all areas of .Net Framework technology and it is exceptionally useful for people who like me do not have a programming, but rather an engineering background.
As marine engineer I can say that this book helped me a lot in my job.
I am sure that a lot of my colleagues are a little bit upset about the continuous changes of the software environment.
The people who write the software for the marine industry did not completely understand the marine terminology and engineering logic on board.
As customers we still cannot find a `ready product' that is suitable for our purpose.
I presume that a lot of my colleagues try to write their own applications as is requested on board. Therefore I would say without hesitation that this book is exactly written for people with a similar background to mine in an exceptionally simple and comprehensible language.
Of course the technology is changing by hour, but the basic knowledge one should know can be found in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Visual Basic.NET Database Programming For Dummies covers everything you need to get up and running with this substantially changed version of Visual Basic and to begin creating databases for the new Microsoft .NET Platform. This book introduces programmers to quick database solutions with Visual Basic.NET; provides step-by-step instructions on how to design and build databases from scratch; and shows you how to create reports, validate and index data, and create custom controls. The book also demonstrates how to connect your database to the Internet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Don't bother
This is a total waste of paper. Save the forrest, do not print books like that!
Most of the stuff from this book can be easily found on the net. And also the book does not cover most of the topics. There is not a single part of the book that describes well any of the .NET concepts

Where's the errata sheet or web address?
I'm a beginner and already have hit errors on page 47:
Start>Programs>MS SQL server>Configure SQL XML support in IIS

My computer yield the following:
Start>Programs>MS SQL server>
>Books online
>Client network utility
>Enterprise manager
>Import and export data
>Profiler
>Query analyzer
>Readme.txt
>Server netowrk utility
>Service manager
>Uninstall SQL server 7.0

There is no mention of Configure XML support in IIS!

I'm tired of buying books with sloppy technical editing.Oh, to read just one book on VB .net that didn't have an error in the first 50 pages.

This book is clear and simple, and you will understand quick
I am really please with this book :
In this book you will find clear, efficient examples explained step by step.(you can download the examples from the WEB).
You will have to read only what is necessary to do your job.
You don't loose time and you don't have to read from the beginning of the book to understand. You can read directly only the chapter you need.

You don't have to read useless comment or sentence which bring you no practical skill. This book explain really only what you need .
And you can adapte the example of the book to your need.
This book is more clear and efficient than "VB.NET" Professional of the Wrox Team.

In conclusion, this book is made in a way that you can understand fast and well. This is good and practical book.

Emmanuel Evrard ... Read more

Product Description
Provides complete, accurate business examples, quick reference, and an easy-to-read format. Covers Visual Basic 6.Softcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

Excellent Book
I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to get into Visual Basic programming.The section on ADO was excellent, and the examples are very clear.Overall very good.

Good for beginner
This book is very good for u if don't have any knowledge about vb6. By reading only 45 pages of this book I, was able to make my first programmme.He has put everything in a very neat manner which makes it interestin to read. The examples r also very good.
If u want to learn VB6 this book is for you.

Excellent learning book
I have been programming with access for over 10 years and found the transition to Visual Basic a difficult one.I purchased several books to try to teach myself VB to no avail.When I discovered this book (having been away without my reference book), I thought it was very easy to understand.When I got back home, I literally read 13 of 15 chapters in 4 days and accomplished all of the exercises.The following day I began programming a professional database for one of my clients.I am confident and attribute my success to this book.

I also agree with the review that states if you are a total beginner with no experience at all, it probably isn't the book for you.I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to understand the world of VB.

Not for the raw beginner- updated
In 1983 I learned BASIC programming for the VAX. It was my best subject in college. I figured it would be easy to learn Visual Basic 6. It probably is but this book teaches more about the Microsoft Programming Environment than it does about writing computer programs.
The easiest way for me to learn is by studying examples. It uses the same example through several chapters.
Information in this book is often presented in non-linear form. Step F is sometimes presented between Steps A and C. I find this annoying.
I "ground" through this book page by page for Six chapters. I feel I learned the material but it wasn't easy. When it got to database programming I lost interest although I would like to learn it.
In all fairness to Murach I should metion I haven't used a computer in almost twenty years. I was learing Windows 98 in conjunction with VB6.
I plan to try another beginner book and return to Murach's to finish it.
UPDATE: After taking a few VB6 and SQL classes, I have a new appreciation for this book. I frequently return to Murach's VB6 to quickly see how something is done. It's a great reference. I still don't think it's for someone with no programming experience but I'm upping my rating from two to four stars.

Great Book for Beginners & Intermediate Level VB programmer
This is the only VB book I found that provided a "complete" database solution for ADO.I bought several in my search. It steps you through both a bound and unbound solution (program).Each chapter of this book challenges you with a practical program to develop that reinforces the topics discussed.I did have to change the name of a file to match the actual database that I downloaded.Not a big deal!The 1st four chapters present the basics for a new VB programmer, including an excellent tour through MS Visual Studio for VB.Beginning in chapter 5, you work with databases, ActiveX, SQL, Classes, DHTML, and IIS.You get 15 chapters that pretty much cover the gammit, bringing you up to a VB intermediate level.It gives you a good flavor of what VB can do.There is a lot more to VB, though.You just have to continue to read more about VB or seak out more coding examples.I had a question about one of the programming examples, and received an answer right away.Murach is committed to providing solid computer books and welcomes your suggestions towards improving their products.You won't be disappointed with this book.It will encourage you to learn more about VB.This would be an excellent text for a VB course. ... Read more