5 comments about Wrox's Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition Starter Kit (Programmer to Programmer).

1. I've already been writing some code in VB6 and wanted a basic primer for VB 2005. I chose this book because it's short; a starter kit as the title says. I figured a short book would not be so verbose as many of the Wrox titles tend to be. I was NOT disappointed. It's concise and covers a lot of ground. It's been a great introduction to VB 2005 for me and a good learning tool.
   However, I've been VERY impressed with the author. I discovered a problem (as many others have) on the 'Try It Out' on page 126. I wrote the author, thinking that if lucky I might hear back from him in a day or two. He was back to me within minutes. We worked through the problem through emails over the next several hours and finally discovered that it was a bug in the Microsoft VB 2005 engine. (Imagine!!). It really doesn't affect the book however, since this 'Try It Out' is for example only. The final version is 3 pages later where the database is attached using code and not the Microsofts 'drag and drop', code behind technique.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone who has some experience with VB6 or other Object Oriented Programming Languages.



2. I wasted two days on the book's project code, only to realize that they do not function. After downloading the code from Wrox's website and trying to use that code, it didn't function either.



3. I bought this book to get up and running in Visual Basic 2005 and was not disappointed. The book is well-written by a knowledgable and thoughtful author and is extensive in what it covers. The code and all examples work as stated and I learned a great deal from reading through each chapter and performing the Try It Out exercises. I plan on going through the book again to refresh the many concepts that I learned.



4. I bought this book because of the CD containing the compiler and SQL server since it took too long to download the free version with my dialup connection. It started off OK, and I was easily able to set everything up. Then I wrote the usual `Hello World' program which proved the installation was OK.
   However Chapter 2, with the complex web based starter kit kind of threw me. I followed directions and downloaded the web enabled version but by this time I decided to skip the entire chapter and get on with learning to code.
   There wasn't enough information on using the IDE. I couldn't find anything on how to rename a project or to delete one using the IDE. Also, I wish the instructions gave name to each project and gave some information on how to organize all the stuff you write.
   I finally came to this site and purchased two more books on VB which I hope to use to actually learn to program.



5. I purchased more advanced titles on VB thinking that I could get up and running quickly. Though books such as "Mastering Microsoft Visual Basic 2005" by Evangelos Petroutsos are excellent books also, I needed something that I could skim through and get up and running quickly.
   
   If you need is similar to mine, this is the book for you. The explanation are concise, to-the-point, and clear and the examples are simple enough to gain an understanding of Visual Basic. The author touches on all of the major topics such as database connectivity, web connectivity, controls, classes, and even XML.
   
   There is nothing too deep or complicated in this text. It does what the title says it will do; gets you started.
   
   After reading this text I believe that I will be ready to tackle the more complex (and more voluminous) books that are out there.

5 comments about Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Developer's Workshop.

1. This book is obviously not for beginners - it already said in the introduction . And it's not written in any order. It's a good idea to just jump around the book and read the sections you 're intersted in - Most chapters discuss a new area and not related to the previous one.

   This book is well explained - I personally like the User Assisstance , most book doesn't cover on this . Overall , this book will not teach you basic concepts but to enhanced your skills.




2. This book has MANY provocative examples of things that can be done with VB6. The examples are non-trival and not necessarily to be comprehended in one sitting (by me at least). This is definitely a book to work with while learnng to use VB6 and its many features (like the Microsoft msscript.ocx control (p. 506) which has really grabbed my attention). I give the authors high marks for producing this book.



3. I can't say it's a bad book but it wasn't for me. If you are relatively new to Visual Basic or you want to know what version 6 can do, take a look to this book.

   Beside that, look for more specific books like those from Wrox on VB6




4. Although the book wasn't all I was looking for, it gave me more than I originally expected. I bought this book because I was tired of skimming through 10 different VB web sites looking for a quick and dirty answer to a question - and SAMPLE CODE. :)

   This book met my expectations very well, it answered more than half of the questions I had...and had answers to some questions I hadn't yet thought of asking. Although it doesn't hit many of the real advanced topics I was really hoping for (i.e., calling/using C DLLs...besides just knowing you can do it), I am more than happy with it -- and recommend it to other non-VB gurus. :)




5. I got this book about 2 years a go when I was starting on VB. It helped a lot on my learning. This is a cook book or "How to..." book that teaches you how to do many usual things so it's very useful when you are a beginner so you don't have to figure out how to do this things and It save you many time. Once you get in practice probably you won't need it any more.

5 comments about Visual Basic 6 Black Book: The Only Book You'll Need on Visual Basic.

1. When buying this book I had assumed it to a pure form of Visual Basic, I have found other "Black Book" titles to be a great reference and also a great starting point. However this book, well how can I say, lacked a point. I found myself half way through the cut, copied, and edited version of msdn's reference manual, that Steven Holzner happened to call a "Black Book" around chapter 7 I found that he was just starting to mention a simple checkbox. I don't believe that anyone needs a book this dull or a book this slow. If your in the mood to search through endless pages in the form of any second rate edited extensive reference manual, then you can have fun blowing your pay check.



2. When buying this book I had assumed it to a pure form of Visual Basic, I have found other "Black Book" titles to be a great reference and also a great starting point. However this book, well how can I say, lacked a point. I found myself half way through the cut, copied, and edited version of msdn's reference manual, that Steven Holzner happened to call a "Black Book" around chapter 7 I found that he was just starting to mention a simple checkbox. I don't believe that anyone needs a book this dull or a book this slow. If your in the mood to search through endless pages in the form of any second rate edited extensive reference manual, then you can have fun blowing your pay check.



3. If you are new to VB6, don't let the size and wide coverage of topics scare you. Between this and google, you can tackle most problems and understand most VB6 code that you read. (Except maybe, very object oriented or API-laden code).
   
   If you are just learning, get this and read it cover to cover even if you don't understand everything. You'll remember that there was an example to do just want you wanted. His examples, while usually VERY simple, usually give you enough to get a good start.
   
   Mine is so worn out the pages are coming out. It is never more than an arms length from my desk.



4. This is a GREAT book that goes into detail on how to use all the major controls and components. It does NOT go into detail about the fundamentals of the language, like functions, routines etc. If you're brand new to the language, this book will show you everything you want to know about controls, but you won't be able to write a program with it. Excellent as a supplemental book.



5. Product was in perfect condition and service was great. I'll purchase again from this vender.

3 comments about Understanding the FFT, Second Edition, Revised.

1. This book contains all the necessary info to obtain a working knowledge of DFT and FFT. It contains many GWBASIC example programs so the reader can get a good grasp of what the algorithms are supposed to do. "C" progammers would have no difficulty rewitting these algorithms in "C".
   Notes:
   (1) most GWBASIC programs run without modification under QBASIC.
   (2) the ones that don't run under QBASIC contain graphics statements and are easily fixed using QBASIC help.
   (3) if you hate to enter source code, the software is available on diskette from the publisher for a small fee ...(includes GWBASIC and QBASIC examples)
   (4) I've discovered "BASIC programmer" web sites where both GWBASIC and QBASIC are available for free download.



2. I needed to learn some basics about the DFT and FFT. "Understanding the FFT" seemed to be loaded with computer programs. I found very little to help me learn the concepts. "Who Is Fourier? A Mathematical Adventure" by the Transnational College of Lex and "Introduction to Fourier Analysis" by Norman Morrison where the books that helped me the most.



3. I bought this book to gain a practical understanding of Fourier Transforms and how to implement them with real data. I already had a conceptual understanding of FTs but not a practical one to where I could use them. This book bridged that gap for me and it seems as though that was among the author's intentions were when he wrote it. I would recommend this book and its companion to anyone in the same position.

5 comments about Access 97 Macro & VBA Handbook.

1. It's a good book, but i think it could be better if you don't be so tecnical



2. When I flipped through the book in the store, it looked pretty good, better than the other book I looked at. (Access 97 Power Programming) Unfortunately, once I got down to using it, it left a lot to be desired. The main thing I was hoping for was a good, in depth, lesson on DAO. The examples are about on par with the ones in the online help, ie. they cover the trivial case, but don't really help with more typical cases. Also, as mentioned by someone else, there are far to many typos, especially in the examples. I didn't come close to trying every example, but there were several that didn't work as printed. Finally, why were the tables and appendices put on the CD instead of in the book where they belong? For the first day I had the book, I couldn't look at any of the tables, since my computer at work doesn't have a CD-ROM drive. All in all, it's not a bad book, but I can't recommend it at its full retail price. By the time bookstores are blowing it out cheap, it'll be 3 versions out of date, so there's really no reason not to buy something else.



3. This is not a good book to cuddle up with. I am a not-so-newbie with Access and when I had a difficult problem it was this book that saved me. There are two kinds of difficulties I have with Access: the obvious problems whose answers are staring me in the face, and the non-intuitive nit-picky boring problems that last for a week. This book is for the second type of problem



4. This could have been a good book, but Query by Form does not work as described in the book. Page 395 indicates that you can choose the Remove Filter/Sort command in the Records menu... and all records are displayed. Not true. Also, automated filter removal using macros (chapter 9) and DoCmd (chapter 18) do not work. You cannot drag Customer ID from the field list to the form, it is not in the list using the database on the supplied CD. Too many errors and omissions to be a usefull book.



5. This is my second book on Access. I find this book to be very well written. Many users are complaining about examples that don't work. I think this is intentional on the part of the author. I look at it as an impromptu test. Any good instructor will give you periodic exams. Look at the examples that don't work as exams.

2 comments about Genomic Perl: From Bioinformatics Basics to Working Code.

1. Combines intuitive derivations of most key algorithms, thoughtful use of key references to illustrate solutions of main problems with a detailed example, and develop well documented, carefully programmed,perl toolkit. The 65 routines on the CD in UNIX, Windows, and Mac formats perform most of the essential maipulations of GenBank sequences. I only miss Hidden Markov Model routines.



2. This books tries to combine and explain both bioinformatics and perl programming yet fails miserably at both. Though I have taken a class on learning perl this code is difficult to read and poorly explained. The bioinformatics is useless because the examples are simply stupid. For example instead of using free energy to determine RNA folding the author uses hydrogen bonding which is completely irrelavent or predicting species by using %gc or %at content between two organsims also useless. If you are looking for bioinformatics programming tips this book will not help you.
   Variables are introduced that are not explained and the program is written in the most condensed possible way making it difficult to read and leaving you wading through each line. I am thankful I have taken programming perl and bioinformatics or this book would be of zero value. If I could I would give this book a -5 stars. Check it out at a library before you BUY!!!!!!! Even if perl.com reviews the book favorably the biology is at best completely WRONG!!! Buy O'Riely's advanced bioinformatics.

5 comments about VB.NET Language in a Nutshell.

1. Let me say this: THIS IS NOT A "HOW TO" BOOK. Aside from that, anyone who is using VB .NET will love and rely on this valuable and well-organized reference. The "In a Nutshell" series by O'Reilly is among the best out there.



2. I think the book stands up to it's title. It's a quick tour of the VB.NET language for the pro(specially for VB6 users). After i took some courses in VB.NET i was looking for books to read further and this out of many i read has the most clarifying and to the point examples. Certainly has not detailed explanations but that's not it's purpose. It's an overview and i think a bright one.



3. A very handy reference manual. Be aware that the included CD will not integrate the book into Visual Studio.NET 2003.



4. This is basically a reference book to VB.NEt Functions.
   
   The book is divided into 2 parts.
   
   Part 1: Gives you A very simplified introduction to VB.NET
   and is only 143 small pages.(If you put them together it is only 71 normal page). So do not expect much from this book.
   
   Part 2: about 400 pages is only a reference to the functions.
   
   
   Button line:
   Do not buy this if:
   You want to learn VB.NET throughly.
   
   Still I bought it, only because at $2.5(I bought it for that price) it is a good deal for an Index book.



5. I absolutely highly recommend this book.
   
   Having read through several .NET books with no rhyme or reason whatsoever as to how they're put together, I was hoping this book would become a concise _beginning_ point of reference for me.
   
   Boy was I wrong! I use this book constantly. The first week I had it, I referenced it almost daily, and not just for the quick-fix-reminders (in which order do those stupid DateDiff arguments come?). There are nine chapters before the actual reference, which are a veritable tome of information not found anywhere else (at least, not by me). In fact, I'd venture to say that the chapter on OOP should be required reading before you can even download the framework. There are a lot of concepts in that chapter that are required even to build simple apps in ASP.NET (not to mention VB.NET) that in Classic ASP were not necessary.
   
   So, who is VB.NET in a Nutshell good for? The book goes into great detail about the differences between VB 6 and VB.NET: each chapter includes the relevant differences to the topic at hand; and each reference entry includes a section on VB6/VB.NET differences. So if you're looking for a book to ease your transition to the .NET world, this is all you need. If you are new to programming, then you have several chapters on the major concepts, as well as a roughly 450-page section on the VB.NET Language. In fact, on page xi of the preface, it actually says (and I paraphrase): Developers who know Visual Basic; developers who know other programming languages; and developers who are new to programming. Well, shucks, that's pretty much anyone who's reading this review, isn't it?
   Stop reading now. Buy it.
   
   I said stop.

5 comments about Mastering Visual Basic .NET.

1. This is really an excellent book if you want a very good introduction to the basics of Visual Basic.Net. The book is good read, good examples, very comprehensive. If you are want to start with Visual BAsic.Net, GET THIS BOOK.



2. This is an excellent book for beginners or intermediate programmers.
   Good points:
   This book explains subjects that most other books on VB .Net ignore. If you are considering buying any other book on the dot net environment, look in its index and see if it covers FileStream, ArrayList, SortedList. Most do not cover these, but Petroutsos's book does and they really simplify life. They add to the power of your programs and cut down on the amount of work you have to do. This book has a lot of other similar features of the environment that other books skip.

   Bad points:
   I am appalled by the number of errors in the programming examples and descriptions. Be aware that when he writes "to the right" he often means "to the left" and vice-versa. Be aware that he likes to declare variables that do absolutely nothing in his code segments: they are declared, they use up memory, and the program never refers to them after they are declared. Be aware that the code given in the book does not always conform to the code sample in the CD that accompanies the book.
   There iss an errata sheet for the text on the Sybex web, but I have never succeeded in getting them to correct errors I point out to them.

   Conclusions:
   You can overcome the bad points above so they are minor speed bumps, however annoying. What you cannot do is find a better text for learning the basics of .Net and also learn to use the tools that make you never want to go back to VB Version 6..




3. Unlike so many programming books this one is relatively easy to understand. Even if you don't have any programming experience. Unfortunately, examples contain some errors. Nevertheless, one of the best books for beginners.



4. I'm an intermediate programmer having worked sporadically in a variety of Object Oriented languages (Java, C++ etc.). I have to ramp up very quickly in order to do a VB.NET app, and bought this book for two reason. First: I wanted to gain a quick familiarity with the Visual Studio IDE, which I had never used before. I also needed a quick primer on the syntax and functionality of VB.NET.
   
   On the first score--understanding the IDE--the book did a fine job of quickly getting me up and running with the basics. That was a few hours of work.
   
   On the second score, I found this book to be alternately easy going and profoundly infuriating. Petroutsos' writing style is fluid and colloquial, essentially talking through many of the basics of the language. As a non-beginner, this served me well. I was able to read through chapters such as the overview of the VB language, quickly identifying areas which I understood from previous programming experience.
   
   However, that easy-going writing style seems to lead to an absolutely unforgivable lack of attention to structure, rigor and detail. Despite much of the book being conceptually familiar, several areas were brand new to me. In the area concerning variable scope, Petroutsos introduces the idea of module level scope without defining a module or explaining what it is. Frustrated, I consulted the Contents and the Index but was unable to find any other place in the book where a module was discussed. Eventually, I pretty much got it through context in other chapters (and a background in OOP). I can't imagine how someone who wasn't already intimately familiar with OOP would fare trying to get through such a concept.
   
   This book also doesn't do much hand-holding through the construction of the code samples, often leaving the reader on his/her own in assembling the code and figuring out what each line/routine does. Again, fine for an experienced programmer--not so fine for a beginner.
   
   And this book is just rife with oversights such as these. This book is clearly targeted at relative beginners (if not absolute beginners) as it explains concepts which are familiar to all programmers (i.e. what is a variable?). And yet I can't imagine a beginner who wouldn't be very frustrated trying to figure out what the Petroutsos merely glosses over.
   
   Finally, the editing of this book is horrible. While the prosaic style generally reads well, the author often re-states the same explanations several times within a chapter. It's clear that this is not for emphasis (since it doesn't read that way) but bad editing. A good editor will strip out such redundancy and help make a much more concise book.
   
   Ultimately, this book served its purpose: a quick primer on a new software platform. I got what I needed out of it. However it was frustrating at times for the reasons I mentioned above. It doesn't succeed as a beginner's learning tool, nor can I imagine that it would succeed well as instructioin on advanced programming techniques.



5. The book is great once you know your way around. However, the coding style is very poor. It looks more like code for VB6ers who are too dumb or too lazy to switch to .NET but want to use it anyway to get rid of the "Wanna-be coder" attribute. VB has grown, but unfortunately, some authors haven't. I prefer books from authors who can pick up changes quicker than that.

5 comments about Learn to Program with Visual Basic.NET.

1. John Smiley is a good teacher of computer programming. If you are completely new to prgramming and would like to learn VB.Net then this is the book for you. Smiley's style of class room teaching sometimes becomes a bit tedious yet it is a good method. Though slow, it works. Don't hesitate go and buy it NOW!



2. This is an extremely well written introduction to VB.Net, simulating a classroom setting. It starts off gently
   for novices and builds momentum in a comprehensible way.
   The author is a Microsoft-certified expert but is also
   a teacher by profession with years of teaching experience.
   I also recommend the author's web-based course on VB.Net,
   one of the best Internet training bargains around
   (available at JohnSmiley com).



3. I've never written in a review for a book here before. After reading this book I felt compelled to do just that. I've read more books than I can recall about learning programs. From Access to Photoshop and all things in between. While I learn a lot from these books without fail I hit areas that are just glossed over and I'm left thinking "Okay, but what about ____?"
   
   This book answered every question that came up. I swear it was like John Smiley was reading my mind. Now make no mistake, it is a beginner's book for sure and I did know a fair bit of the material beforehand but all the topics were covered in such detail that without fail I came away with a deeper understanding of things I thought I already knew.
   
   This book wuld be my first recommendation to anyone learning VB.NET. It will give you a solid foundation to build on as you progress into programming.



4. (Sorry for the spelling mistakes, English is not my native language)
   
   This book is perfect for the public it was intended for: BEGINNERS. For those who complain about this book not talking about any advanced (or Intermediate) topic or new feature in VB.Net, they should remember that the name of the book started as "Learn to program...".
   
   It is not like by reading this book you are ready to take a examination for an MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solution Developer) degree, nor will you be able to work on very elaborated programing projects. But you will be able to understand many of the basics of programing, and you will know how to code or read simple (but yet useful) programs. But most important of all, this book will power you with the basic knowledge to start your learning and development as a programer (a knowledge many books seem to expect you to born whit).
   
   By reading this book you will learn in a very understandable way (an also quite complete for a beginers book):
   
   Some things that can be useful to understand programing:
   - Software Developing Live Cycle
   - A very brief explanation on how a computer works (which would cause any Assembler programer to laugh histericaly, but that can be realy helpfull for beginers.
   
   All what you might learn at a beginners class
   - Variables
   - Functions, methods, properties, procedures and events
   - Aritmetic and boolean operations
   - String handling
   - Selection structures
   - Placing objects and menues
   - Using Arrays (one dimension and multidimensional)
   - Creating customized procedures and methods
   
   Some things that due to the rush could not be taught properly in those classes:
   - Disck file operations
   - Error handling
   - Debugging
   - Writing to the windows registry
   - Procedure referencing
   
   However, if your knowledge goes beyond the 50% of this, maybe you should consider chousing another beginners (yet faster) book.
   
   About the classroom format: I personaly liked it. Shure sometimes it sounds as he was underestimating you, and like 60% of the questions might seem too obvious. But it pays in being quite a lot more pleasant to read (as it is your first programing book), and the 40% left of the questions can be really usefull, some few times you would just say: "Hey, I was about to ask that"
   
   Advice?
   
   1.- You are new to all programing forms = buy it, buy it and buy it!!!!!
   
   2.- You are new to windows (and object oriented / object based) programing = strongly consider buying it (you might need to skip 1 or 2 chapters, but you will enjoy the other 13)
   
   3.- You are new to Visual Basic .Net but you come from C++, C# .Net, Java, etc... = You could buy it and you might still learn something from it, but there are better choices in this cases.
   
   4.- You already know to program in VB.Net and you are loking for information about ADO.Net, OOP, ActiveX, ASP.Net, XML = THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU!!!!!
   
   
   Anyway, if you decide to buy it, you should consider buying another book (Intermediate level maybe, or a faster beginner's one) soon, this is only the first step into mastering VB.Net programing.



5. This book is good; I'm a definate beginner although I've read other books on the subject and have played around with vb .net. Really never broke down and really studied to learn. Decided I should; in most technical books I very much doubt that beginners will notice errors unless they are obvious. It was not until chapter 5 that I noticed one. Involved renaming the checkboxes 2-7 if I remember correctly which are in groupbox1. In the book it said groupbox2 which is where the radiobuttons are at. This popped out as a definate error; went online to: (...)
   and yes it was there.
   
   Still recommend this book; caveat, always look up the errata page on any technical book if your a newbie and even if you have some professional background. Didn't realize until after the errata page that there were minor errors beforehand and now I know where to look for those ahead to prevent any difficulties in an otherwise good book.
   
   "see the errata"

5 comments about .NET Framework Essentials.

1. Very well written primer on the .Net framework, internal workings of the CLR and language fundamentals. Great book.



2. IMHO, OReilly tends to have the best technology books (I own many) but this book isn't one of them. This book is lightweight even as an introduction. This book is certainly fine for managers, senior architects, and business types, but if you plan to design and write software I recommend Jeff Prosise's "Programming Microsoft .NET" and Jeffrey Richter's "Applied Microsoft .NET Framework Programming", though a bit dated, both cover the .NET framework essentials and then some.



3. This book delivers exactly what it promises - an excellent overview of essential .NET Framework. Easy to read format, good chapters on IL,Framework,COM+ Interop. Unfortunately very little or no .NET serialization, memory management or threading. But a lot of information for the size of this book. Gives excellent foundation to learn upon.



4. As the title says, this book gives the essentials of the .NET framework. It is not an exhaustive treatment, rather, it touches on the main features of .NET. The book assumes that the reader is fluent in object-oriented and component-based programming. Overall, the book was fairly well written with the main features of the .NET framework being clearly explained. The book has no distractive "fluff" in it, so one can easily dive into learning about .NET. The authors give an overview of .NET, and then present a description of the common language runtime (CLR). The common programming model and working with .NET components follow. XML data and web services are clearly explained with a lot of code snippets being given. The book concludes with chapters on ASP, Windows Forms, and mobile devices. The appendices are useful, as sometime acronyms aren't defined in the main text, but are explained in the appendix.
   
   Overall, I found the book well written. The coverage of topics is actually fairly decent. The authors have done a good job of focusing on the essential aspects of .NET. If you're looking for a book that gives gives an overview of the heart of .NET, this is a good book. If you're looking for an exhaustive reference, than you'll probably want something else.



5. I went to my local bookstore to get a functional understanding of ".NET". My previous readings had been hit and miss and provided little understanding of the new platform.
   
   This book provided that understanding. The writeups on the CLR, assemblies, garbage collection, net components, web services, etc. were skeletal but quite good. I came away with some understanding of what .NET is, why it was developed and why I believe it should leapfrog Java in the web development world.
   
   It wasn't an easy read since it provided good understanding with little detail, and takes some thought; but again, it serves it's purpose well.