No comments about Complete Basic Programming.

1 comments about Puzzled Programmers: 15 Mind-Boggling Story Puzzles to Test Your Programming Prowess : Solutions in Basic, Pascal, and C.

1. I can't speak for professional programmers, but Puzzled Programmers is a great book for us duffers in the programming world. It contains 15 puzzles of increasing difficulty, held together by a surprisingly interesting narrative about programmers and a tech writer at a Silicon Valley company in the 80's. The puzzles, which would be difficult, if not impossible, to solve by hand, are intended to be solved by computer. The puzzle for the reader is to write a program that solves the puzzle.

   The book is a bit dated, having been written in 1987. The answers are given in Pascal, BASIC, and C. The benchmarks for run times are for an 8 Mhz CPU. But that doesn't matter. The challenge is in analysing the puzzle and developing an algorithm to solve it. How that algorithm gets fed to the computer is of secondary importance.

   All but one of the puzzles deal with recreational number theory. For example, find the smallest integer that is the sum of two cubes in two different ways. The odd one out involves the computation of a probability. The solutions get progressively longer, but number 15 is only about a hundred lines of code in BASIC. Most are much shorter.

   If you like puzzles and learned to program, but never get to do it, this books for you.

4 comments about How to Program Visual Basic 5.0: Control Creation Edition.

1. This book is essential for professional developers. Is easy to learn expert techniques.



2. Most of the book is about the VB IDE and a lot of the rest is about standard VB code. The sample controls are simplistic. You'd be better off using the online help and code samples that come with VB5 CCE.By the way, CD doesn't include VB5 CCE,so if you don't have it you prpbably will need to download it from Microsoft Site.



3. This book is a dream! It explains in a few, well written words what ActiveX controls are, how they differ from regular programs, and what are the parts that you must code to make them work. That means even though 5.0 was long ago and far away, it was still easy for me to create controls today because I understood what "parts" made up the "whole". This book is a thin book. It has been my experience that thin computer books are either garbage, or condensed jewels of knowledge that don't need a lot of words to get their point across. This book falls into the latter category.



4. However, I began to hit a brick wall with some of the examples (after the 5th chapter). Book assumes you know VB language, and that you just need to know how to use it to create activeX controls. Although it wasn't as helpful as I had hoped, I did give it 4 stars because a VB programmer WILL find this book useful. And the stuff that I could do made for some great learning about control creation.

5 comments about PHP 4: A Beginner's Guide.

1. This is my first review. I don't normaly write them except that I found this book to be exactly what I was looking for. I needed to learn php and I had to do it on my own.I am a complete beginner in this area.
   The chapters were clear and concise. The code was explained without 'over explaining" it.
   There are small quizes in each section to help reinforce the learning.
   I didn't find any problems with the source code.
   If you're looking for a place to start with php I don't think you can find a better book.



2. I, for one, don't expect myself to know anything about a topic when I first start reading a book around it - especially when that book has the word 'Beginner' in the title. However, I DO expect the author to know quite a bit, and to pass on that knowledge. Others may find it excusable that, with recent releases of PHP (meaning 4.2.0 and later), the scripts in chapter four won't actually work with a default PHP configuration - but I don't. I found it infuriating to have such a result, especially since it took me about an hour to resolve. (Kudos to php.net's page on 'Using Register Globals' for explaining things.)
   Also, what kind of author calls a project a 'Busy Box?!' C'mon. That's all I can say. C'mon. Osborne has put out some excellent books (such as Herb Schildt's C++ books), but this one is _not_ up to their standard. It's an easy read, and a reasonable way for an experienced programmer to pick up PHP quickly (aside from the aforementioned caveats), but there have GOT to be better books out there.



3. I've orderd PHP4 book and I'm satisfyed with my order, but why does the shipment cost that much?!



4. It is very helpful and includes quick reviews as well as practices to help gain hands-on experience. It starts with some very basic "this is what php is" and goes from there. It's definitely for beginners, and could even be for "Dummies." I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn PHP.



5. Most programming is intuitive, you have to catch on or you don't make it in the programming world... This is a really good intro to PHP. What you start with in this book can then be filled in and filled out with online resources and a sharing community of fellow programmers and techs.
   And yes, PHP5 is in use now... but don't let that stop you from this introduction if you really want to jump in to implementing PHP for secure interactive content on your site!

2 comments about VB 2005 Black Book (Black Book (Paraglyph Press)).

1. This book looks very similar to the Teach yourself vb 2003 in 21 from sams publishing. I liked that book alot. I have to get used to the black book style in which each chapter seems to be separated in 2 sections. Nonetheless, the topics and examples are great.
   
   I wish there would have been a chapter on using chrystal reports and another on using sql server 2005. Also, I wish there was a better online companion for this book. It could be a great book.
   
   One thing happened to me that I hope the publisher has corrected. I had a problem coping ch 5 from the cd to my computer. I contacted the publisher and they let me ftp another copy of the cd.



2. This book is very concise. It is basically a trimmed down copy of the MSDN, as it only shows the "noteworthy" members of classes. It doesn't have detailed examples, but does include a CD with code examples. You can even connect to Paraglyph's FTP server and download examples (you can even get the entire book in .pdf format).
   
   I like that the book shows examples of how to implement something through design-time, then the same example done through run-time (using code).
   
   One thing I noticed is that it lists properties with descriptions, but those descriptions always start with "Obtains..." or "Gets..." which (to me) implies that the property is read-only. There is nothing that tells me if the property is read-only, or if I can set a value.
   
   This is a reference book that is easier to navigate than the MSDN. Don't rely on it for examples.

5 comments about Visual Basic 6.0: Environment, Programming and Applications.

1. Although I don't think this book is for the total beginner, it's a good start for the person who already knows another programming language. I have written Java, JavaScript, and LISP for a couple of years and wanted to get into VB. I started on this book a month ago and have gotten good results. This book is used at my college as a text book and the students hate it. But they hate all their programming textbooks! It's not fair to listen to a student, who has to learn a language from a demanding class, judge his textbook.



2. This book is for someone who already knows another programming language e.g Java, if you don't look for a beginners book. Its Ok for Quick results but remember the first four chapters are missing on the CD, but overall its a good buy.



3. I have read many different programing books and most are just too wordy. I find this one to be to the point and direct. Great for all levels.



4. This book is not for beginners. Worse ever for beginner not enough to support all the examples. Don't buy this book is your a beginner.



5. If you are trying to learn from this book - don't! I am sure that there are others that are better.

   I'm using this book as a text for Visual Basic 6 class. The further you get into the book, the more mistakes (especially in the code for the exercises!). One Exercise (Chapter 11) was so riddled with mistakes that it was a guessing game.
   I don't expect everything to be spelled out.
   I do expect the example code to be complete, consistent and correct. Fortunately, I have a great teacher.

   Also, most good books/publisher have a website where you can download errata/corrections to the mistakes and typos in the book. Prentical Hall has purchased the book. If there is a correction page, I couldn't find it. I usually can find such pages since I have worked in the publishing business.

5 comments about AutoCAD VBA Programming Tools and Techniques : Exploiting the Power of VBA in AutoCAD 2000.

1. Once I learn how to program in VBA, I will look back on this book for reference. It is not a book to help a non-programmer like myself learn how to write code. I am breaking down and going to a local AutoCad dealership for that. Most of this book is just way over my head right now.



2. This book is certainly not for people new to VBA, even though the introduction leads one to believe that is covers the "basics" The second chapter begins with sample program and once the reader finishes that chapter, the authors assume they have taught just about all there is to know about how VBA works. I was hoping the CD would pull me out but it would not open on either win 2000 or win 98+. I learned AutoLISP out of a book in about two weeks and use it regularly but learning VBA from this book is next to impossible



3. AutoCAD VBA Programming Tools and Techniques



4. We can't find no much help on this book. The Cd rom that came with the book was blank and I had to download the examples files on the internet.



5. This is perhaps the worst book on programming I have ever read. I am an advanced autolisp programmer hoping to learn Visual Basic for Autocad and this book claimed to be for me. Unfortunately it wastes its ink on theory and large print than just giving a lot of useful programming examples - which is the best way to learn programming in my opinion.

1 comments about Nitty Gritty Visual Basic 6.

1. For those who learn best by example, this book shows many useful functions I have not found in other VB books. An excellent tool to have for occasional VB coders.

No comments about Advanced Programming in Visual Basic 6.0 - Not Available Individually - Use420243.

5 comments about Beginning E-Commerce with Visual Basic, ASP, SQL Server 7.0 and MTS.

1. I have read certain books i'e Noel Jerkes, ASP unleashed which are for itermediteat to advance but they easy, clear to undertsand than this one. I have also seen reviews problem of custom dll's which abolutely write. Using Stored procedures like Noel's books make you understand the topic.



2. If you want to build the sophisticated and secure E-Commerce web site in ASP and VB, this book is right to you. Many of books conferred about how to build a shopping cart but not the security of the transaction.At first before I buy this book, I want to learn about web security that applied in internet banking or in transaction, so then I start to read several books about SSL, SET, Digital Certificates, PKI, etc. I just find much information about the infrastructures (like an introduction) not the application.At least I find this book and read the index, then I find that all I want to know available in here obviously and completed with the installations (of course it is 600 pages). SSL, Digital Certificates, etc wouldn't conferred to deep/detail, but I think that's no problem, because this book will show you how to actually build the site content and features, I just applied it online. It is like if you can create the animation from Macromedia Flash then not necessary to knowing how Macromedia Flash software created isn't? ^_^.After buy this book, don't forget to download the source code and the explanations of this book. (Only in several KB). You'll find the address in book, where you can download the files.Hei...I just apply the informations of this book to my website...



3. Don't expect any code from this book from the WROX website - the book says it's available but I couldn't find it - and the people at WROX don't answer their email. I like the book, don't like the publisher much.



4. For whatever reason, there are a lot of E-commerce applications still running using Visual Basic 6.0, ASP 3.0, SQL Server 7.0, and MTS (i.e. Windows NT 4.0). These applications may be in the process of being converted to newer technologies or they may be "Legacy" code, but they still need someone to support them. Matthew Reynolds book provides the needed skills to do just that. This is a good book for aquiring those skills.



5. This book is a must have if ASP is the code of your choice in ecommerce. I am a newbie at programming and knew almost nothing about ASP, SQL, n-tier architechure and COM+ prior to reading this book, but it held my hand through each step so that I could follow along and understand what was happening. I liked the way WROX publishing shows you the code, tells you how it works, and then try it out, explaining each line and method.

   Best of all, at the end of the book you actually have a very functional website (I believe according to Microsoft specifications) that can be modified and added onto easily. Our business is now up on the web and we are very happy with the way it works.

   Downloading the source code from WROX is not hard. Although there are a few errors in it they have all been corrected and published in the errata section of the WROX.com website for the book. I actually believe that the author tried out the code and was happy with it before publication.

   Now for the main draw back. If you want to get the most from this book you need to buy some expensive software, which I purchased and found to be a great investment, namely Visual Studio (for the InterDev and Visual Basic) and SQL Server 2000 on a Windows 2000 operating system. As of the middle of 2002 I couldn't purchase the SQL Server 7.0 (it was upgraded to SQL Server 2000) or MTS (it was integraded into the Windows 2000 operating system) so that I could use my Windows98. But, this doesn't apply if you know someone with the above legacy software and they let you use theirs or if you get it from EBay. Happy programming.

   Harry