5 comments about Doing Objects in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.

1. Ms. Kurata is obviously an expert, but she often tells us too much. The book is too wordy for a great introduction to objects, so it's only fair in that area. (Try Peter Wright's books instead - they're great.) But it's not detailed enough and includes too much introductory material for an advanced objects book. (Better to try Rockford Lhotka's books for that.)

   Bottom line - it's neither fish nor fowl. When the VB4 version came out, it was groundbreaking and there was an excuse for it being too verbose. With two chances to clean it up, it should be a lot clearer and to the point by now.




2. This book was a major disappointment for me, considering Ms. Kurata's earlier book 'Doing Objects in VB 4.0' was so wonderful.

   The main problem with the book is that it does not lay a sold foundation to the subject of OOP. The topics are not presented in a systematic way where each topic builds on the ones already presented.

   Although the author builds a single application throughout the course of the book, the relation between each programming topic and the code examples is just not clear. If I had not already been programming in OOP for a year and a half, I would have been completely lost in this book.

   Also, the whole first half of the book presents a proprietary OO design methodology (GUIDS) that is not helpful. It doesn't tell me much more than what I know from the old-fashioned structured analysis and design methodologies. The book would be much stronger if the first half was just omitted.

   There is some useful information to be gained from the book if you already know OOP. (I learned some things that I have not seen in any other books.) But if you already know OOP, then you can skip over this one entirely.

   For a topflight intro to Object Oriented programming in VB, read Peter Wright's book 'Beginning VB6 objects'. Wright's book should be required reading for all VB programmers.




3. I wanted to give this book zero stars but amazon wouldn't let me. This book is junk, don't waste your money. If your in taking a visual basic course and they are using this as a text get some other books that have a point or can explain what they are trying to say. I recommend the Wrox book "Beginning Visual Basic Objects"



4. This is a good book for beginner and expert. For those who want to learn on how object oriented ptogramming (OOP)concept and how to apply it to VB, Please buy this book now.A part of it, u will learn about class, an how to make use from the class to create object then what u can do with the object.Basicly, what i can conclude, many effort have been done to write this excellence book. You will never regret to buy this book. thank you



5. The whole first half of the book presents a complete OO design methodology (GUIDS) that really helped me keep organized and focused. The problem was that as my programs got longer and more involved they became confussed with redundant code and new features and bugs creeping in.

5 comments about Professional MTS and MSMQ Programming with VB and ASP (Wrox Professional Series).

1. This book is by far the best I've read in a long time. It is apparent that the authors themselves knows whats important to focus on regarding development using IIS, MTS and or MSMQ. If you have planning to or already are working in a internet/intranet/mts project this book is it. And it's a book for developers, not for administrators as some of the reviewers seems to think. Recommended!



2. If you are unfamiliar with MTS and MSMQ, this is a great introduction to both technologies. Once you've read this book, you'll understand the big picture and be ready to delve into the details. Good example code, and well written. It's a real page turner.

   Only minor quibble is a few minor production issues. For example, in my copy, there's a sticker on one page to cover up the typos!




3. If you are new to MTS and MSMQ (which a good number of organizations are), this is a great place to start. Even after a year and a half of MTS/MSMQ programming, I still refer to this book every once in a while for helpful tips and hints. Unfortunately, though, I don't consider it a professional level book. Amidst all of the code samples and screen shots, real technical information is missing. So, if you're looking to get into MTS and MSMQ programming, this book can get you on the right track, but if you're an experienced developer make sure you obtain other resources.



4. This book should never have included MSMQ in the title. It is mostly an MTS book; from 1998. MTS is now part of COM+ and while most of the concepts have survived, the implementation is different.

   Don't buy it. You can get everything you need out a fifteen minute browse in your local bookstore.




5. If you like examples and short concise descriptions this is the book for you. There are some typos, but overall is a great book. If you want history and philosophy try the MS Press books.

3 comments about Office XP Development with VBA.

1. I was very disappointed in this publication. As a neophyte to VBA, I was looking for a presentation that is easy to understand, with many "hands-on" programming examples. This book does neither. The author says that the book is for beginners, but I found myself quickly lost; this book is clearly geared toward those having an intermediate level of VBA prowess, or at least some familiarity with VBA. Also, in one of the very few step-by-step programming examples Mr. Aitken does include (a program sending an e-mail to every contact listed in an Outlook address book), there were typographical errors in his code that set off my debugger!

   If your looking for a VBA book that has easy-to-follow examples, save your money and buy something else. This one's a "dog with fleas" for a rookie like me.




2. I bought this book (along with the Microsoft Office Xp Developer's Guide by MS Press) hoping to learn about Office Xp development. What a disappointment! Fully one-third of this book (chapters 12-21) covers very elementary VBA syntax like datatypes, loops, writing procedures, error handling etc. Lord knows there are more than enough books with those topics. This VBA material should have been put on a CD or a website to download for free.
   
   I was looking for a book that assumes VBA knowledge and uses that as a starting point to thoroughly cover Office Xp development. My area of interest, Word development, occupies just 1 chapter consisting of 30 pages. To be a little fair, some of preliminary chapters were useful for setting the scene. Looks like I'm going to have to piece things together from the MSDN website along with web searches and the MS support/KB articles - AGAIN.
   
   Other books that sound like they could be good for Word development: 1. Word 2000 Developer's Handbook by Guy Hart-Davis; 2. Learn Word 2000 VBA Document Automation by Scott Driza; 3. Writing Word Macros by Steven Roman. update to this review: I've used book 3 and it is quite good.



3. I'm a VBA programmer working in Office 2002/XP, and this book and Steve Roman's "Writing Word Macros" are my main references. The book (Aitken's "Office XP Development") has a useful 12 page chapter on Powerpoint VBA, (very handy, since there are NO books on Powerpoint VBA development available, and very little info on the web), and also has an introduction to the Windows API (which saved my life).

   Since the book covers all six Office apps, and then some, it naturally can't provide the level of detail of a single application book, but I think it's a useful addition to a VBA programmers bookshelf.

   It's very readable, and explains some tricky concepts well. On the whole, I think it's a great alternative to buying six separate books to cover the Office suite.

5 comments about Visual Basic .NET Windows Services Handbook.

1. I read through this book in one go and found that it serves as an excellent reference for those who would like to author windows services using the .NET framework. This book has been well organized, starting from the ground-up, explaining the anatomy of a windows service and goes on to cover advanced topics like threading and installation. A must have for people who would like to write windows services. I hope they would come up with a C# version soon (but C# guys can still use this one as a reference).



2. The book is kept short and precise, very well structured. It fills a lots of gaps currently open in MSDN. It's the only one book you need for writing professional Windows services. Highly recommended.



3. If you like Windows Services, you'll enjoy this handbook. As an entry-level systems administrator, I wasn't exactly sure how I could leverage .Net. I was taught C and C++ for windows services, but not everyone wants to learn, peer review, and maintain that.

   As for the handbook, each chapter did a nice job of keeping my attention (that's good seeing as how I'm a generation X'er) and the overall structure, prose, and subtle humor kept me glued to each page.

   Visual Basic .NET Windows Services Handbook gave me direction and purpose regarding future .Net services on our company's infrastructure. This handbook is a great tool for setting your sail in the seas of .Net Windows Services.




4. the first four chapter was very good in explaining
   how and when to use windows services
   The chapter 5 and onwards was very poor.
   I am expriencing non workable programs and i am currently
   debugging them. no thanks to the author.
   Only the first half of the book is OK. The rest is very shabby.



5. If you no absolutely nothing about Windows Services, I still wouldn't recommend this book. You can find more useful information from one Google search than this entire book contains. Also, the link to the book's code is incorrect. The code is available via another site but is different than the code in the book. My recomendation...keep shopping!

3 comments about Developing Web Services with Java APIs for XML (JAX Pack) with CDROM.

1. Developers who are either new to, or considering using, the Java Web Services Developer Pack will find this book to be one of the best guides to get productive in or familiar with this environment.

   The book is a comprehensive examination of web services development using the JAX Pack (Java XML Pack) part of the environment, covering processing XML documents with SAX and DOM, XML transformations, using the JSP Standard Tag Library, writing SOAP clients and servers, using XML-based RPCs, web services locators, and Java SSL. In addition the book covers installing and using JWSDP tools in the Windows NT and Linux environments.

   Aside from way the book provides you with a fast start, it is also exceptionally well written and laid out. I like the use of screenshots, tables and code examples that are on practically every page. These make learning the JAX part of JWSDP, as well as learning the basics of JWSDP itself, a lot easier than going through the volumes of Sun's documentation. Plus, you're stepped through developing practical artifacts, such as a SOAP client and servlets, and SAX and DOM parsers (among other useful components).

   The publisher also does something I've not before seen - the book comes with a 1-year upgrade plan that provides monthly mailings and additional material when you register the book.

   About half the book is about using JAX and JWSDP, and the other half is about actual development. If you are looking for a book that strictly focuses on coding and code you may not be 100% satisfied, but if you want to jump start yourself or a team this is an ideal book for that goal.




2. This book is essentially a rewrite of the free Java Web Services Developer Pack Tutorial from Sun. The book's writing is clear and the explanations are good but the text covers only introductory level topics. I expect a good textbook to go into a topic in depth, to point out problem areas, advanced techniques and the "gotchas" of a library (e.g., Jason Hunter's excellent "Java Servlet Programming"). All the screenshots and double-spaced code examples hide the fact that there's not much information here.

   The security chapter has nothing to do with Web services at all but is an introduction to JSSE; nice, but not what I paid for.

   Also, one of the book's advertised features is a web site with an "Ask the Author" section but I never got a response to either of my questions.

   Deitel's "Java Web Services" is a far better choice.




3. I've gone through several web services books looking for information about SOAP with Attachments. When I got to this book, I was surprised that it was actually giving incorrect information. Regarding SwA it says that binary data can't be sent inside of XML, so you need to use SOAP with Attachments (pg. 208). This is completely wrong, since binary data can be embedded in XML.
   
   The book was already written pretty poorly before I got to this part. Once I hit this part, I knew this book was bad. The author obviously does not know much about XML, so how could you trust him/her on any uses of XML?
   
   I give this a 2 over a 1 just because it does cover the very basics.

1 comments about Word 2003 Visual Basic Programming.

1. The book is a good presentation but too simple. Typical book by programmers. They don't really want to tell you how to do something useful. Changing fonts or their sizes via a program! give me a break. How about making a selection and then replacing with another string. I figured everything out after rummaging through the 1400 page reference!

5 comments about Microsoft Access 97 Developer's Handbook (Solution Developer Series).

1. This book was not very well written. Examples also didn't work.

   I would not recommend if you are under the gun on a project and just want a book that shows the quickest way to do something. I wish I read these reviews before I spent 33.00 on it. C'est le vie. Also, the pictures at the end are not very complimentary of the authors. Sorry guys but you look way geeky.




2. I have some experience with Microsoft Access. However, most of the applications I developed were created using the wizards, creating basic applications, with basic forms, basic queries, and basic reports. Then I needed to create some utilities and more complex applications in Access that required the programming of modules. I needed to learn this fast. I already had 3 books on Access97, including the Access Bible. I spent hours in bookstores to find what these books didn't tell me. The last thing I needed was another book on Access that would give me all the information I alredy knew. When I opened this book I found what I needed. I believe the evaluation of this book depends on what you're looking for. This is not a book for beginners. For me it was just right so I give it 5 stars.



3. I had one evening to learn what Data Access Objects were and implement them in a project I was working on. I had tried previously to learn about them unsuccessfully. This book was my last chance. The information clicked for me. It took me no time at all to bang out the code I needed. Understanding higher level material is not easy. One author's way of writing may not make sense to you while another author's explanation will. This books works for me.



4. ATTENTION: Did someone tell you to get the Access97 Developer's Handbook? Then this is not the one you want. I don't know what Microsoft Press is doing publishing a book with almost the same name as the Sybex edition.

   The books are NOT the same. The Litwin et al book has been around since Access 2 and is a must-have for any serious Access developer. The Litwin book is tested, (the code on the CD actually works) and has a loyal following.

   Bottom line: don't get confused by the almost identical titles. This book is not the one that Access developers have built their careers on.




5. It may not be the Sybex book..but it's got nicely set up chapters that someone new to VBA programming can actually read and understand. I found new tricks in the 1st 3 chapters I could employ right away.

5 comments about Inside Microsoft Visual Basic: Scripting Edition (Microsoft Programming Series).

1. As I have developed my expertise in this area, I put the book down and use other resources. I end up coming back to it at a higher level.
   Eg First I was interested specifically in scripting syntax, then the object model (IE3). Now I'm making sense of oleisapi servers etc through the book.



2. As a programmer I have purchased dozens of books on computer languages, and this book is one of the best. I just got the book yestarday(!) and my pages are already

   FILLED

   with interactivity. I now have the countrol over my sites that I have always wanted. Soooo much better then my JavaScript book.



3. I've had this book for an entire year here at Microsoft and have yet to use it to any satisfaction. Currently it is making a good door-stop. Instead I have found much more support for vbscript in my web pages from books like Professional Active Server Pages (both 1st and 2nd versions).



4. Maybe I was looking for the wrong type of book, but as soon as I looked through it, I realized this book wouldn't be very helpful at all and promptly returned it. This isn'y for you if you want to do ASP.



5. This book was printed in 1996. Just the foreward talks about the "recent release of Visual InterDev 1.0." The language syntax and the scripts used in the book are still valid, but there are many books that are much more recent which cover today's topics. This book is defenitely out-of-date!

No comments about Microsoft Visual Basic Quick Access.

5 comments about Hands On Visual Basic 6.

1. I found this a great book for beginners who want to actually DO something with the language once they understand something about it.



2. This book has been reviewed at VB Techniques (vbtechniques.com). The book takes a unique approach to teaching VB while at the same time showing how to build realistic applications. The user will be able to take skills from both tasks to future projects.



3. If you are beginning Visual Basic then I highly recommend this book. Ms. Podlin presents basic Visual Basic in a way that is light and fun . The flow of the projects are very good, with a real-life small project feel. The book gives the fundamentals of the language and Environment in a clear and hands-on manner, and then gives the reader a taste for a number of different ways in which VB 6 can be used: automation with Office apps, objects, and database access. From these projects, you can decide which was the most fun or intriguing for you and pursue that usage of the language. The downside of the book, as mentioned by another reviewer, is the need for more explanation on the integration with Excel and Word. I guess, though, that this gives more insight into the intricacies of the language.



4. Based on the title and content, this appears to be aimed at beginners (to VB, or programming in general).

   I have quite a bit of programming experience, but not in VB. I found the book useful, but other books would definitely need to accompany this one to get a sense of the possibilities with VB6.

   There was barely a reference to the rich function library VB6 has, and v. little emphasis on reusability (controls) and developing components vs. implementing them - understandable for a beginner's book. Knowing more about the capabilities of VB6 than the book revealed, I found it was a little "lite." However, my perspective is as an IT professional so perhaps I'm being unfair.

   I would have rated the book with a 4 had it not been for the following shortcomings:

   1. The projects, though useful, did not go far enough. Again, they didn't leverage many built-in functions (or show how to browse them), and the discussion of the ADO model was v. high level. Didn't get down to fields/items levels which any real application would need to do.

   2. Project 2 (even the solution on the CD) had run time errors when adding and deleting records. This is because the authors had not taken into consideration the child recordset. In other words, adding and deleting parent records gave no consideration to the impact on the associated child recordset. Just testing each option would have quickly revealed the problem, and it would have been a GREAT example had the authors included what it takes to sync. parent and child recordsets.

   Definitely a worthwhile introduction, and the hands-on approach was beneficial.




5. Overall good book after a slow start. The book claims to be intended for "Intermediate to Advanced" users but is too simple for anyone with any experience. It's five chapters before the reader launches Visual Basic and then continues to move fairly slowly. I didn't expect so much hand holding in a "hands on" "intermediate to advanced" book. Author occasionally meanders during tutorials when the meandering material would have been better served in an appendix. There are some good tips and the author points out good programming practices/conventions but inconsistently follows them. There are some misspellings, omissions and inaccuracies between the text and the CDROM but nothing that should preclude the reader from finishing the tutorial projects. Overall a good primer.