5 comments about Essential ASP.NET with Examples in Visual Basic .NET (Microsoft .NET Development Series).

1. There are so many books out about ASP.NET it can be a very difficult task to choose one. To me there seems to be two types of books. One is the example intensive (at times over laden) book. The other is the "how it works" type of book. The market seems to be flooded with example intensive books, but appears light in the "how it works" type. This book is a fantastic "how it works" book. It has good examples but is not drowning in them. The book's strength is its explanations of ASP.NET core topics, and the little tips and tricks that readers will pick up along the way.

   This book is well written and flows nicely. Without a doubt it is an excellent book for beginners and intermediate levels, but I would bet that even advanced users would pick up tips and tricks from the book.

   Summary

   Chapter 1: Architecture
   This chapter explains the basic new architecture behind ASP.NET.
   Compilation vs. Interpretation, Code-behind, new Page architecture, Shadow Copying, Directives, and new Intrinsic Objects (HttpRequest, HttpResponse, etc) are a few of the topics covered.
   
   Chapter 2: Web Forms
   This chapter is all about Web Forms. ViewState, HtmlControls,
   WebControls, and Events are some of the items discussed. One section I liked the best was the "Day in the life of a page". It explained the step by step events that occur during a page's lifetime in a very clear and concise manner.

   Chapter 3: Configuration
   This is an excellent chapter that discusses the new XML based
   configuration in ASP.NET. Web.Config, Machine.Config, and
   configuration hierarchy are examined. processModel and other elements are also discussed.

   Chapter 4: HTTP Pipeline
   This chapter goes over the HTTP Pipeline, and all the actions that take place each time a requests comes in. It goes into great coverage of how that request is routed through the architecture. It also goes over Context, Applications, Custom Handlers, and a few other related topics. This is a great chapter.

   Chapter 5: Diagnostics and Error Handling
   This chapter shows us how to get out of the classic response.write method of debugging ASP apps by examining the new diagnostic and error handling capabilities of ASP.NET. Page Tracing, Application-level Tracing, Error Handling, and Unhandled Exceptions are all discussed.

   Chapter 6: Validation
   This is a chapter that explains form validation (client and server-side), validation control architecture, and the validation controls.

   Chapter 7: Data Binding
   This chapter starts by explaining the fundamentals of binding data to controls, and then goes into IDataReader Binding, DataSet Binding, and picking when to use a DataSet vs DataReader. The chapter ends by discussing templated controls (DataGrid, Repeater, and DataList).

   Chapter 8: Custom Controls
   This is the largest chapter of the book (69 pages). This chapter
   covers custom control fundamentals, state management consideration when designing custom controls, composite controls, and user controls. Designer integration with VS.Net as well as validation and data binding within custom controls is also covered. This is an excellent chapter.

   Chapter 9: Caching
   This chapter discusses the new caching opportunities that exist in ASP.NET. Output caching and how it works is discussed. The
   VaryByParam attribute is also examined, as well as page fragment
   caching. The chapter also covers data caching, and consideration and guidelines for using it.

   Chapter 10: State Management
   Application state, session state, cookie state, and view state are all covered in this chapter. I think this is a great chapter because it discusses the pros and cons of each type of state, which will help developers be able to determine which type of state management would be best for their specific situation. Good discussion, with great insights.

   Chapter 11: Security
   A short chapter on security ends the book. Server and client

   authentication start the chapter out, and then we go into ASP.NET security. The authentication and authentication elements in the web.config file are both discussed, as is role-based authentication. System identity is the last topic discussed.

   I give this book a 9 out of 10. It would be a great addition to any developer's library. There is also another version of the book with examples in C# for you semicolon worshipers. Well done!




2. I have about 5 books (mostly ebook format) on ASP.Net from the step by step to advanced and Fritz's book is an eye opener. Most of the ASP.NET books fail to mention why some quirks/details with ASP.Net the way they are. EAN is like a pointer and half way through the book, I had so many 'aha' moments that I was left wondering WHO IS THIS guy? Don't expect explanations about variables and such (go refer ASP.Net Web Developers Gude pub. by Syngress) and thankfully so. You will have a better understanding of ASP.Net by the end of the book than syntax which you would be thankful for when you start writing ASP.Net applications in real world. I have yet to finish the book but I couldn't wait to put in my 2 cents about this book. A definite must on your bookshelf (www.safaribooksonline.com)!!!



3. If you have experience with object-oriented software development, all you need do is read the Preface of this book and you know it's what you are looking for. The book is designed for the experienced Web developer. It's perfectly positioned for those who've been working up the asp.net learning curve for a year or so. If you're not looking for "here's a class, here's a variable, this is what they are for, etc." the book is for you. Clear simple examples walk you through the architecture with lots of astute reinforcing visual aids. Great explanations of event handling, data binding and state management - the nuts and bolts type stuff. I particularly like the insightful two book printing approach one for C# and one VB.NET - no filler here! If you're a bit new or fuzzy with asp.net prime yourself with a beginning type book first or get a beginning type book for reference while reading this one because it is not a beginners book. But don't be shy. The writing style is respectful of learning. I regard this as one of the better technical books. The author is a trainer for DevelopMentor - if you've ever taken one of their courses you know what I mean - it's defiantly a guerrilla of a book!



4. This book reads as if the author was writing personal notes to himself. Right off the bat, the text had a very esoteric and exclusive feel to it. I suppose it could be used as a reference, but for someone trying to expand their knowledge of the language, and especially for people trying to learn ASP.NET for the first time, I highly discourage this as your first purchase.



5. A couple of weeks back I ordered this book based on customer reviews and got a refund without any clear reason. When I called them they just said "We cannot find the book you ordered". I did not understand why this book is still there when they "can't find the book"!!!Essential ASP.NET with Examples in Visual Basic .NET

5 comments about Programming Distributed Applications With Com & Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (Programming/Visual Basic).

1. This is a direct, no-nonsense book on the inner-workings of COM. Ted Pattison diagrams a convincing argument for programming by way of interface based component designs and outlines several strategies for sending data over the wire in a distributed network environment. Pattison has written thorough low-level explanations on the mechanics of apartment threading and remote procedure calls and instructively examined how Microsoft Transaction Server works. I am convinced that understanding this (relatively small) book can't help but make you a better VB programmer.



2. I read this book after trying lots of other VB COM books. This is the one which you need if you want an in-depth but easy to read book on COM and DCOM. For a introductory VB COM book get Microsoft Mastering : Enterprise Development Using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (ISBN:0735609012 ). Thats also a GREAT book. Stay away from VB COM by Thomas Lewis. It's a mess



3. I had no idea about COM and this book helped me a lot to get me started. You should be familiar with object-oriented programming no matter C++, JAVA or Visual Basic. It explains how COM works and describes its threading model. This book also contains few chapters on MTS environment showing how life could be easier with MTS instead of writing complex code to deal with issues such as connection management, thread pooling, and transaction monitoring.

   I don't know why Ted Pattison named this book "Programming Distributed Apps with COM and Microsoft VB 6", of course the author provided few sample code in VB but don't count on that to start developing COM components. Get the "Fitch & Mather" sample code from Microsoft site and study it, that would help be sure of that.

   Even if you are a COM programmer you will still find a lot of tips to optimize your code. I've read this book many times and each time I find few things that helps me. IT'S A MUST for all COM programmers.

   I would also recommend:

   "Creating Lightweight Components with ATL". With these two books and some coding you will master COM and ATL.

   "Inside COM+ Base Services" should be your next book if you want to continue, it will take you to the next stage of evolution of the COM programming model.

   Enjoy it




4. I thought this book was great. I've working with VB for 5 years and developing COM components in VB for 2 years. Did you ever wonder what really goes on when you build COM components in VB? Do you want a clear understanding about how COM really works? If not, this book is not for you.

   The author explains COM programming in a very clear way. I found the book very easy to read and I rarely feel that way about computer books. I don't think this book is for total VB novices that have never created a COM component in VB. This book does not have many examples either. If you are looking for a strictly "how to" book, this is not for you. But, if Visual Basic is you're bread and butter this book is a must read. A little familiarity with C++ would also be helpful to get the most out of this book.




5. I didn't have a very good undersdtanding about internal of COM. This book gave me lot of information regarding COM servers and threading and is a great book i suggest for any VB programmer who wants to know more about how COM works. The presentation of this book is excellent!. Thanks Ted, for your wonderful work.

   Eventhough i tried to read "inside COM" i found it hard for me because i am not a C++ programmer. I don't suggest "inside com" for a VB programmer.

No comments about TRS-80 Colour BASIC (Self-teaching Guides).

No comments about Visual Basic for DOS Inside & Out.

4 comments about Beginning ASP.NET 1.1 Databases: From Novice to Professional.

1. The book is the functional equivalent of the many out there discussing using J2EE to build a dynamical website that is hooked to SQL databases. Foggon and Maharry show how if you are in the Microsoft .NET world, you can do likewise. They give a quick summary of earlier Microsoft efforts, like COM, Data Access Objects and Remote Data Objects. And how ADO 2.0 replaced the latter 2, and in turn is superceded by ADO.NET. The entire book is a not too subtle encouragement to migrate to ASP.NET and C#.
   
   There are solid technical explanations of why it is advantageous to do so. Like the relative ease of hooking to a back end SQL Server database, using high level classes like DataSet to pull stuff from the database, with a minimal knowledge of SQL needed. Then they show how the latest ASP can use this data to make dynamic HTML pages. Much like JSP and Java servlets.
   
   There is even a section on designing a database. Raising issues like normalisation and first and second normal forms. Though if this is new to you, then consider consulting a dedicated book on the subject.



2. One of the first books I bought as a classic ASP developer was the former Wrox's "Beginning ASP Databases", which greatly helped me understand the role, relationship and relevance of database systems in modern web applications. I attacked that title with reckless abandon and limited foundation, acquiring a ton of knowledge. It was with this same fervor that I launched into APress' "Beginning ASP.NET 1.1 Databases" - perhaps my over-exuberance, coupled with the fact that I know a lot more now than I did then, led to slight disappointment with this title.
   
   Don't get me wrong, overall this is a great piece of work, and what it does cover it covers very well. But it did leave out some critical areas that one should know as an ASP.NET developer.
   
   I give high marks for the book's breadth of examples with a variety of data stores, such as MSDE, Access, and MySQL, as well as Excel spreadsheets and CSV files. Curiously though, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and XML data sources were left out - I assume because MSDE so closely resembles SQL Server such would be redundant; and arguably describing XML is too tough to succinctly crunch into three paragraphs and then provide a working example.
   
   The scaled choice of database platforms, highlighted by the fact that ASP.NET Web Matrix is featured exclusively as the IDE of choice, leads me to believe that the book's intended audience would be the migratory developer or the first-time ASP.NET coder without access to enterprise-level resources. This is cool, and necessary in today's market, as too many books these days assume a Visual Studio .NET/SQL Server/Windows 2000 Server setup, which obfuscates the hobbyist. The only caveat is that the book's code samples are so married to Web Matrix that the newbie programmer will be lost without it.
   
   The book's case studies are greatly appreciated, and best practices in single-page coding and application design are enforced throughout. The authors make great use of Five Normal Forms (FNF) in the sample projects. The chapter on stored procedures is likewise great, as is the discussion on error handling, and introductory devs will also much from the samples dealing with transactions.
   
   Unfortunately, the phrase "...will not be covered further in this book..." is uttered on too many occasions for topics this I feel are critical knowledge for an ASP.NET developer of any level. Examples of these are largely skipping many of the important members within the System.Data.SqlCommand class (notably the ExecuteXmlReader() method), and only mentioning the SQL GROUP BY and HAVING clauses, without an exhibition of their use in a query. These clauses are critical learning for database programming, and certainly warrant at least a brief example. Tragically, they were mentioned only and then discarded without exhibiting what they do. This was disappointing.
   
   I also didn't see anything about using the SqlCommandBuilder within the text, which is a great topic for beginners, since it's one of the "ignorance is bliss" features of ADO.NET, doing all the work for you behind the scenes, and is a great way to learn SQL syntax. It's therefore the perfect candidate for this book's target audience. I felt this to be an odd omission, given the fact that the DataSet.Update() method was mentioned. For the same reasons, I was offset by the fact that concurrency was left out (in the .NET world, a topic of debatable complexity - some see it as critical learning, others think it's too far advanced for a beginning book).
   
   Nonetheless, the authors both speak clear and concise about the subject matter, all samples feature code that's simple, consistent and non-intimidating, and the use of graphics and illustrations effectively reinforces the concepts. This book makes a great learning tool for a classroom environment, if not a helpful guide for a professional web shop. This book gives you a look at the options available to you and will get you started and give you the tools to get far enough - but doesn't get you all the way there.



3. I have traditionally called myself a Web Designer, meaning that I developed websites in html and some occasional dhmtl. The sites were static in that the pages are not database driven. Except for size, the sites could forever remain in this fashion. They are mostly informational sites, where the basic information does not change, such as a church site or a religious ministry / teaching site.
   
   Size, of course, becomes a major factor. As minor changes or design changes are made, how does one integrate these changes across several hundred pages? This is not a unique issue, just an issue related to these type of sites.
   
   The answer, of course, is to move to a limited number of design pages while moving the content to the database. Most of those who view themselves as web developers (that is those with a programming background) would find this conclusion fairly obvious.
   
   In my situation, the matter was more complicated because one site would ultimately be a PHP / mySQL site while others would be ASP.NET / MS SQL powered. While some might argue for moving all of the sites to one or the other, I had no choice on the PHP site and my personal preference (at least on the front end) was to use ASP.NET. So, off I went in search of instructional materials.
   
   In the midst of this search, I was blessed by Beginning ASP.NET 1.1 Databases. I have found this book to be of major assistance and help because its sole focus in life is to teach the basics of the database side of the problem. While the work focuses on ASP.NET as the programming language, the focus is on the use of the databases.
   
   There is no sole focus on MS SQL, so the information becomes very portable to all programming languages. Most of the other works I encountered desire to teach the programming language first, then, or side-by-side, teach the database usage. In Beginning ASP.NET 1.1 Databases has the benefit of learning about database usage without attempting to focus on both programming and databases at the same time.
   
   The chapters are well organized and easy to read, while the examples are portable to other situations and make actual application easier to undertake. The real world case study (an HTML Reference system) is a pleasant change of pace from the other works, most of which want to delve into content management or yahoo portals.
   
   This is a well written, well thought out work that makes a great addition to one's reference and learning library, especially if one closer to the novice side of the scale.



4. This is good book, but I don't think you will get what you want if you go from just the title alone. The is book is about database drive web applications using C#. There are two whole chapters on the front end ASP.NET layer using web controls and C#. Not that this is bad, mind you. The text is well written, the organization is fine, the graphics and illustrations are well done.
   
   The book starts with an analysis of the architecture of an ASP.NET data-driven web application. It then goes into hooking up your pages to a database server, running commands on the server, and getting data from the server onto pages and editing it. Stored procedures are also covered.
   
   Part three of the book was the best part for me. It starts with some practical advice about web application design that will save you a lot of time and frustration. It concludes with a case study that illustrates the real world use of what you have learned in all of the preceding chapters.
   
   This is an excellent walkthrough of the basics of ASP.NET. If you are looking for an introductory material then you should definitely consider this book.

2 comments about Microsoft Visual Basic .NET: Introduction to Programming, Second Edition (South-Western Computer Education).

1. this book really helped me to understand visual basics programming. if it wasn't for this book, i might have failed my class!



2. This book is something I would definitely recommend for anyone interested in breaking into programming by starting with Visual Basic. Perhaps the fact that Michael Sprague (the author) has been teaching for many years contributes to the easy-to-understand, no-nonsense flow of this book; I found other books on the same subject a little too daunting after this one. His Step-by-Step approach is very helpful, although it can be a bit tedious at times.

   This is not a "cookbook" or reference book - it does not show you how to learn to program in VB overnight (it has over 75 hours of lessons, but a few "projects" that come at the end of each chapter will probably take you longer to go through the book, especially if you are just starting to program). But each lesson builds on the previous one so you are always practicing what you are learning in this book. If you are a slow folk like me, you feel tremendously rewarded when you figure out a simple task or complete a project, and it really gets you thinking about how powerful VB is and all the things you can do with it once you are proficient at it.

5 comments about Learning REALbasic through Applications (Programming Series).

1. Out of curiousity, I read through enough of this book in Borders to see that it's in right in line with the [lack of] quality I expect from Charles River Media. Anyone who's mistakenly purchased any book from this publisher already knows what a waste of trees their books are, and now so do you. I give this 1 star because the pull-down menu doesn't have an option for no star at all.

   If you're already a crack programmer in some language (any at all), get Matt Neuburg's book (O'Reilly). If you're more of a novice to application programming, start with Erick's For Dummies book.




2. If you are brand new to programming, then this is a good book to start with. Think of this book as a RealBasic product brochure with examples. Working through the chapters gives you a quick survey of the kinds of things you can do with RealBasic, and it teaches you the RealBasic programming approach. Once you have worked some of the examples, you will find that you will start having your own ideas for building new programs. If you get a little more serious, then pick up Matt Neuburg's book and look closely at the documentation that RealBasic provides along with the program. The RealBasic tutorials may seem tedious, but they really are excellent for learning the basics of RealBasic programming.
   
   Reading some of the other reviews here would make me think that this book is a lemon. Not so. It has it's place for the beginning programmer, or someone who wants a fast survey of RealBasic. It's not very detailed. It won't help you very much if you want to go beyond the examples, but that's what Matt Neuburg's book and the included language reference are for.



3. This book is poorly written. It is hard to follow along and reproduce the examples. Worse still, some examples do not work as shown. Plus, the book is way out of date. Save your money.... and find yourself another RB book.



4. REALbasic is a good introductory language that lets you create programs on one platform for multiple platforms. This book, "Learning REALbasic Through Applications" is filled with typos and errors that makes it useless and frustrating for a real beginner. I helped my son through all of the chapters and exercises in this book but we were only able to do it because I already am a programmer and already know REALbasic.
   
   The author, Clayton E. Crooks, is a crook, no doubt, because he asks for money without having done a job of proofing the book or even testing his example code. It reads like he rushed to write the whole book in a sitting and never bothered to actually run the code in the projects or examples from the pages of the book. The result is the code is filled with errors as given and horribly frustrating for the student.
   
   As to the projects he gives, a few of them are interesting but a lot of them are trivially boring. My son was very disappointed with the depth of the projects. They were all extremely short, which makes the large numbers of errors in the code even less excusable. My solution was to expand on each chapter with interesting additions but Mr. Crooks really should have done that in the book. At the very least, in the end of each chapter he should have made suggestions for further activities.
   
   My son and I both found this book to be very disappointing. I got it on sale for $5 and it still felt like a rip-off. The original price of $41.95 is outragious for such a piece of junk.



5. I used to program on a trs-80 as a kid, so anything in terms of visual programing like this seems like science fiction at times. I liked this book, it shows how to flex SOME of the muscle of the RealBasic engine in smart and informative ways. I would say the cover price is a little much. That's why used book stores do business with Amazon. If you are new to RealBasic, I would say get the book, but not for $40.

5 comments about Real World XML Web Services: For VB and VB .NET Developers (Developmentor Series (Dm)).

1. This is a good book but suffers from bad writing style.
   The author uses many "and/or" clauses one is forced to
   pause to understand what he is really attempting to say.
   He also asks questions in the middle of an explanation.

   For example on page 38 section 2.4.7 he says:
   "An element doesn't need to have content;it may be empty. An empty element is an element that has no text content and no child elements. Would such an element be of complex or simple type? it depends; if the element has attributes it is of complex type. Note that attributes are not considered part of an element's content, therefore whether or not an element has attributes has nothing to do with whether or not the element is empty: an empty element may nor may not have attributes."

   Does the author have to use 108+ words to tell us that an empty element is just that. Empty!
   For example read his last sentence and see whether you understand what he is talking about.

   He could simply state the last part: "an empty element may or may not have attributes" for us to understand. Where "therefore whether or not an element has attributes has nothing to do with whether or not the element is empty:" came from I have no idea!

   I am not sure whether the author is affected by English as a second language or whether he bothered to understand what he was writing. In an attempt to simplify the content he ends up in verbosity and ruins what would have been a good book.

   Overall if one can put up with long winded paragraphs it is a good book.




2. Web Services. I can't believe there is anyone left alive in the technology sector that hasn't heard these two words. Everywhere you look there are articles, books, and web sites that talk about this technology. Do a book search for "Web Services" on amazon.com and you will be quite amazed how many Web Services books there are. With so many available picking one buy may seem overwhelming. The good news is it just got a little easier to do.

   Real World XML Web Services is an absolute "must have" for anyone who wants to learn more about XML Web Services. Even if you are not a VB/VB.net developer you will find great value in this book. It goes into extensive detail, and will surely teach even more savvy Web Services folks a thing or two.

   Because of the books detail level, I don't think that it is a first-read on the subject though. I think that someone who really doesn't know much about Web Services will be drowned in the detail (which is incredible). A person can get more out of this book by doing some tutorials, and experimenting with Web Services first. Then, after having a good base of understanding is when this book should be cracked.

   Summary

   Chapter 1. Introduction to Web Services.
   This is a brief intro chapter that gives some history and background info about Web Services. Some of the overview consists of typical Web Service architecture, and when to use (and NOT to use) Web Services.

   Chapter 2. XSD: The Web Services Type System.
   Great chapter. Goes into the concepts of XSD. Topics include the XSD Type System, XSD and XML namespaces, authoring XSD Schemas, and a ton of information about XML Serialization.
   .
   Chapter 3. SOAP: Invoking Web Services.
   This chapter covers what SOAP is, SOAP architecture, SOAP message formats, RPC with SOAP, and also covers error handling.

   Chapter 4. Describing Web Services.
   A chapter all about the Web Services Description Language (WSDL), which is the language used to describe Web Service interfaces. I liked this chapter a lot because Yasser does a great job of really illustrating and explaining it well. Clear, easy to follow examples are used to drive concepts home.

   Chapter 5. The Microsoft SOAP Toolkit.
   As you might have guessed, this chapter is all about using the Microsoft SOAP Toolkit to invoke and expose Web Services. If you would like to know more about the toolkit you will like this chapter. Exposing and invoking Web Services via the high and low-level API's is covered, as well as using header handlers to invoke and expose.

   Chapter 6. .NET Web Services.
   This chapter discusses creating .Net Web Services with Visual Studio .Net, as well as customizing the WSDL of the Web Service to meet your needs.

   Chapter 7. SOAP Header and Fault.
   All about SOAP headers and SOAP Fault. There is some great information about communicating errors in a common way so that any platform can get to it.

   Chapter 8. Interface-Based Web Service Development.

   Explains about Interfaces and the .Net Web Services world. Defining interfaces, implementing multiple interfaces, and programming against interfaces are some of the topics covered.

   Chapter 9. Handling Data IN.NET Web Services.
   This is a chapter that shows how to take data from many different types of sources and be able to manipulate it using XML Schemas, ADO.Net, and the XML Framework. Typed Datasets are also covered.

   Chapter 10. Reusable Infrastructure with Soap Extensions.
   This chapter teaches how to built a flexible and reusable infrastructure using SOAP extensions.

   Chapter 11. UDDI: A Web Service.
   This huge chapter pretty much tells us everything about UDDI that you could want to know. The chapter starts with an explanation of what it is and what it is made of. Then the chapter goes into different usage scenarios and various other UDDI topics. Programming, querying, and publishing Web Services with UDDI are just some of the other topics covered. This is an excellent chapter.

   Chapter 12. Other SOAP Toolkits.
   This chapter talks about Web Services Interop . Different clients are discussed including JAVA clients, VB 6 clients, and NET clients.

   Chapter 13. A Web Service Walkthrough.
   This chapter wraps up the book by walking the reader through building a Web Service. This is a great way to end the book as it ties together all the things that were discussed.

   Appendix A: Data Type Mappings
   Appendix B: .NET Web Services Tips and Tricks.

   Two good appendixes that give us more information, as well as tips and tricks.
   
   I give this book a 10 out of 10. Yasser did a fantastic job on it. Again, although I do not think this is a "first read" book on Web Services, I believe it is a "must have" Web Services book. Any developer that works with, or wants to work with Web Services will find it valuable.




3. Web Services. I can't believe there is anyone left alive in the technology sector that hasn't heard these two words. Everywhere you look there are articles, books, and web sites that talk about this technology. Do a book search for "Web Services" on amazon.com and you will be quite amazed how many Web Services books there are. With so many available picking one buy may seem overwhelming. The good news is it just got a little easier to do.

   Real World XML Web Services is an absolute "must have" for anyone who wants to learn more about XML Web Services. Even if you are not a VB/VB.net developer you will find great value in this book. It goes into extensive detail, and will surely teach even more savvy Web Services folks a thing or two.

   Because of the books detail level, I don't think that it is a first-read on the subject though. I think that someone who really doesn't know much about Web Services will be drowned in the detail (which is incredible). A person can get more out of this book by doing some tutorials, and experimenting with Web Services first. Then, after having a good base of understanding is when this book should be cracked.

   Summary

   Chapter 1. Introduction to Web Services.
   This is a brief intro chapter that gives some history and background info about Web Services. Some of the overview consists of typical Web Service architecture, and when to use (and NOT to use) Web Services.

   Chapter 2. XSD: The Web Services Type System.
   Great chapter. Goes into the concepts of XSD. Topics include the XSD Type System, XSD and XML namespaces, authoring XSD Schemas, and a ton of information about XML Serialization.
   .
   Chapter 3. SOAP: Invoking Web Services.
   This chapter covers what SOAP is, SOAP architecture, SOAP message formats, RPC with SOAP, and also covers error handling.

   Chapter 4. Describing Web Services.
   A chapter all about the Web Services Description Language (WSDL), which is the language used to describe Web Service interfaces. I liked this chapter a lot because Yasser does a great job of really illustrating and explaining it well. Clear, easy to follow examples are used to drive concepts home.

   Chapter 5. The Microsoft SOAP Toolkit.
   As you might have guessed, this chapter is all about using the Microsoft SOAP Toolkit to invoke and expose Web Services. If you would like to know more about the toolkit you will like this chapter. Exposing and invoking Web Services via the high and low-level API's is covered, as well as using header handlers to invoke and expose.

   Chapter 6. .NET Web Services.
   This chapter discusses creating .Net Web Services with Visual Studio .Net, as well as customizing the WSDL of the Web Service to meet your needs.

   Chapter 7. SOAP Header and Fault.
   All about SOAP headers and SOAP Fault. There is some great information about communicating errors in a common way so that any platform can get to it.

   Chapter 8. Interface-Based Web Service Development.

   Explains about Interfaces and the .Net Web Services world. Defining interfaces, implementing multiple interfaces, and programming against interfaces are some of the topics covered.

   Chapter 9. Handling Data IN.NET Web Services.
   This is a chapter that shows how to take data from many different types of sources and be able to manipulate it using XML Schemas, ADO.Net, and the XML Framework. Typed Datasets are also covered.

   Chapter 10. Reusable Infrastructure with Soap Extensions.
   This chapter teaches how to built a flexible and reusable infrastructure using SOAP extensions.

   Chapter 11. UDDI: A Web Service.
   This huge chapter pretty much tells us everything about UDDI that you could want to know. The chapter starts with an explanation of what it is and what it is made of. Then the chapter goes into different usage scenarios and various other UDDI topics. Programming, querying, and publishing Web Services with UDDI are just some of the other topics covered. This is an excellent chapter.

   Chapter 12. Other SOAP Toolkits.
   This chapter talks about Web Services Interop . Different clients are discussed including JAVA clients, VB 6 clients, and NET clients.

   Chapter 13. A Web Service Walkthrough.
   This chapter wraps up the book by walking the reader through building a Web Service. This is a great way to end the book as it ties together all the things that were discussed.

   Appendix A: Data Type Mappings
   Appendix B: .NET Web Services Tips and Tricks.

   Two good appendixes that give us more information, as well as tips and tricks.
   
   I give this book a 10 out of 10. Yasser did a fantastic job on it. Again, although I do not think this is a "first read" book on Web Services, I believe it is a "must have" Web Services book. Any developer that works with, or wants to work with Web Services will find it valuable.




4. I need not say more. Its the best book I have read on web services.



5. I purchased this book from Amazon mainly relying upon the reviews written by other people. As it turns out I can only assume that the other reviews were paid for either by the author or by the press.

   The book is REALLY HARD TO READ, we are talking as dry as the sphinx's arm pit. The CD rom that comes with it contains the examples, however these are a mish-mash of VB6 and some .Net neither of which run easily. The .Net versions require updating in Visual Studio and can have some odd results. Some examples are even written with the server component in VB6 and the client in .Net - confusing to say the least.

   If you want to learn how to practically implement a Web Service using VB then you should NOT look at this book. Most of the first 4 chapters are all about XML schemas and what they mean - with no "Real World" examples of how to create them in VB just the code of the schemas already created.

   And another thing there is a large chunk of information about a "Real World" authentication and encryption implementation, however and I quote "I recommend that you use off-the shelf security implementations" - The author wouldn't even use this code! Microsoft has a Web services extension designed for authentication which the author doesn't mention anywhere.

   Very disappointment to have spent good dollars on this book. I will be trying desperately to get my money back from Amazon.

1 comments about DirectSound Programming With Visual Basic 6.

1. The is 19 pages length. It just guides you, step by step, how to create a VB form (how to drag the controls, telling you how to save the project, etc.) and the code to insert in the events.
   It does NOT show any DirectSound information reference at all, does not explain why they do what they do, and has 0 advantage of downloading the source code from somewhere and just run it.
   (BTW, their page is not available, and the Microsoft's link they provide no longer exists [note that the book is new]).
   In short: find a web site with google and get some code. For sure you'll get better information and save 10 bucks.

1 comments about Essential Visual Basic 6.0 fast (Essential Series).

1. There are dozens of teach yourself VB6 books around; but I found them either far too long (700+ pages) or too basic. This book provides the essentials in a concise and efficient way.

   The book can lack clarity at times and could do with teaching recommended techniques such as object naming conventions, etc.

   Overall, I would recommend this book to people who want to learn VB6 and be productive fast.