1 comments about Augmented Reality: A Practical Guide.

1. Are you a software hobbyist? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Stephen Cawood and Mark Fiala, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that provides all of the information that you will need to quickly start developing your own Augmented Reality (AR) applications.
   
   Cawood and Fiala, begin by showing you how to get started by running AR on your system. Then, the authors explain how OpenGL is used to create computer graphics for AR. Next, they show you how to create OpenGL applications. The authors also show you how to develop AR applications. They continue by showing you how to integrate ARTag into your OpenGL programming to create your own AR applications. Then, the authors show you how to use typical video game design flow to create 3D models in a specialized 3D program and then import them into the AR program you're writing. Next, they show you how to create a 3D AR video game. Finally, the authors also help you build upon the game you started to build earlier in the book.
   
   This most excellent book provides detailed explanations of AR technology--even the math is explained. But, more importantly, the book will show you how to create your own AR applications, using nothing more than a PC and a USB 2.0 webcam.

5 comments about Practical C# Charts and Graphics.

1. Pratical C# Charts and Graphics is an excellent book for those who are interested in learning and using graphic plotting and charting skills. The various problems (examples)introduced require a fair level of mental dexterity and previously learned C# programming skills. Some examples require a good understanding of Trigonometry and Geometry.
   
   I would recommend that it be used both as a learning and reference tool.



2. This is a book very suitable for a c# beginner and it provides a set of code that can be applied in real life. I really learned a lot from it.



3. Hi,
   
   I am learning lot from this book. This is really helpful.
   
   Thank you
   
   Sri



4. This is a great resource. Like other have said, it fills in a blank space in NOT JUST the C# world, but programming in general. 3-D Charts are usually just sold by those who know how to make them - very little exists for those who want to know the best algorithms for making them. This book (and accompanying code) is a fairly comprehensive resource on efficient algorithms in that area.
   
   The accompanying code (Chart3d / 2d lib) is very nice. There are a few dohs! in the Chart3Dlib that I've noticed, that are easily fixed (modifying the original data while performing graphing computations). Comments are present, and the code is well written and understandable.



5. The title says it all: this book is about teaching you how to do charting in C# and it does it very well. From 2D to 3D, most typical charts are covered. The math transforms and data-structures are gradually introduced to give you a fully working charting library that you'll know in and out. Very valuable.
   
   Note: I initially had trouble finding the code for download. An email to the author quickly resolved the issue. Thanks for the support.

3 comments about Beginning C# 2005 Databases (Programmer to Programmer).

1. C# (Pronounced C Sharp) is Microsoft's version of C++ that has modified and extended to fit into it's .NET 2.0 operating environment. One of the major advancements in C# is in its ability to interact with databases. It uses SQL to do the actual database manipulation.
   
   I rank this book as intermediate in nature. As a prerequisite I recommend two other subjects for the beginner. One would be on SQL, and particularly T-SQL, the particular dialect spoken by Microsoft SQL Server. And second a book on programming C# in Visual Studio. This is an integrated development environment that has a lot of features that will be of help in writing C# programs.
   
   While this book does have a section called 'A SQL Primer,' it is just that, a primer. There are a lot of situations where a task can be programmed either in C# or SQL. An example would be to extract some data from the database and depending on its value extract nothing else, or go get some additional data. This will work faster if it is done in SQL rather than C#. The SQL IF statement isn't covered in this book.
   
   The strength of this book is in tying together C# and SQL especially when combined with ASP.NET applications to produce dynamic web pages. At that, it is excellent.



2. I was looking for a begining to start database programming in C# and VS2005 and I took my chances with this book.
   
   I have to admit that it really helped me alot to get started, here are the points I found useful:
   
   1. You will definitely learn about ADO.NET basics and concepts and differences between adapters, datasets, tables and other classes.
   2. The book shows step by step instructions on how to get apply what you are learning
   3. The books gives theory, applications and hints so that all your questions are answered in each chapter
   4. Comes with a real life scenario database "FolksTale" that you will learn how to program. The tales are nice by the way! :)
   
   To get started you need some knowledge in SQL and basic C#/Windows forms skills.
   
   The downside of this book is that some chapters talk alot about Web applications and how to use them with databases.
   Although this can be a plus, but if have no Web programming experience you might feel frustrated and obliged to skip two chapters.
   
   I highly recommend this book!



3. If you read my other reviews you know I don't give five stars to books I've read, but I do here only because as of right now (October 2007), and using the Visual Studio 2005 with ADO.NET 2.0, this is the only book that will give you a step-by-step How To walkthrough on all aspects of SQL Server. It also has a chapter on ASP.NET. As for now, it's indespensible for me, learning this topic. A couple of years from now it might be trash, but that's the nature of computer books. I'm about 1/3rd of the way through the book and no serious errors have been found, just a few things you can fix or figure out yourself. The downloadable code works for the above environment.

5 comments about MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Developing Windows®-Based Applications with Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET and Microsoft Visual C#® .NET, Second Ed (Pro-Certification).

1. I'd just like to say something. I finished reading this book from the very beginning a week ago to the very end this morning, and passed the exam with a score of 940 this afternoon. I don't know any other exam prep book for the same exam.
   
   - Admittedly, the book is pretty shallow: it even teaches you what class/construstor/destructor/inheritance/etc are. To an old day VB'er unfamiliar with .NET/OOP stuff, or to any .NET beginner, this might be nice. But to most, especially to those specilized in C# (very likely also in C++), or to whoever is about to take an exam towards a certified developer, this is not necessary at all. I wish the book had covered some really advanced topics and/or gone deeper on existing topics.
   
   - As for the exam, my personal opinion is that this book should be enough, as long as you also get some hands-on experience by actually messing around with .NET desktop apps for a while. Deskop apps are not my strong area and I rarely develop apps using .NET Windows Forms. But the book helped me with all the questions on the actual exam about desktop apps so I could pass the exam with ease. Without the book I doubt I could get the passing score of 700. A similar book might also help me that much, but I only needed one and this one was what I used.
   
   - I'm not giving the book 5-star because this is going to be a useless book once read or once you passed the exam. I'm also not giving the book 3-star or lower because this is a well-written book after all, and with some hands-on experience, you should have little trouble passing the exam if you fully understand what the book tries to tell you.



2. This book has some highlights, but it is tightly authored to the VS.NET version it comes bundled with. Some folks will find this a bonanza, but that's only if you're willing to rubber-stamp your exam. There's abundance of Wizard code specific to VS.NET 2003 version. I am working with VC# Express 2005 and many of the things are N/A in this environment. ... anyway, I could sort my way out by looking at the samples and learn that what used to be a Control is nothing more than a Class that derives from Controls and some additional boilerplate.
   
   To make things worst, this book assumes you will be using Wizards and dispenses any explanation on why / how things work.
   
   In addition to all the above, by 11/2005 standards the book itself is dated as C# does include now support for generics, which is not present in this book.
   
   I still do give it a 3 just because I like some of the stuff, and it simplifies a couple of learning points.
   
   BTW: A good POV on using Wizards is here -->
   http://charlespetzold.com/etc/DoesVisualStudioRotTheMind.html



3. I'm an experienced vb6 programmer and looked for a book to help me make the switch. I found this book diving into issues without giving you any prerequisites. I had a hard time understanding where he wants to take me.



4. this product is awesome,but ull need extra help to get cert.
   you can get more help in this link
   (getcert's POST)
   
   http://www.mcse.ms/message2132798.html
   
   thanks



5. This book was needed as a study guide for people at my company to take the MCP test. It is very informative with great examples.

4 comments about Microsoft Visual C# .NET.

1. Bad...REALLY bad...This book claims to be for the beginning programmer, but unfortunately, it takes the....blah,blah,blah-"OK, got it? Good!"...blah,blah,blah..."OK, got it? Good!"...approach. In other words, this book VERY QUICKLY, in far too FEW pages, piles new concept on top of new concept WITHOUT giving enough examples. Exercises at the end of each chapter often follow a different format than examples given throughout the chapters. In chapter text, example code is given with some minor quick-over explanation (if you can call it that), and then in-chapter coding exercises are given often with little or no explanation as to how the code works...e.g. you get a breakdown on how the code works on one, but not the other example. You find you are TEACHING YOURSELF BY TRIAL AND ERROR, and referring back to the book only as a reference. Perhaps that would be a better title for the book: "Learning C# By Trial-And-Error".
   My gut tells me this book was really written in a hurry. I suspect Farrell was under a rough deadline or something. She obviously knows her subject very well, but unfortunately she assumes that by stating a fact once, with little or no reference or analogy, the reader will get it the first time. An ANALOGY might be: I KNOW how to bake a cake, and I assume that even though you've NEVER baked a cake in your life, if I tell you ONE TIME VERY QUICKLY all the details of how to bake that cake, that you'll be able to do it too! Sorry! New concepts don't cement that way.
   This book should be AT LEAST twice as thick, giving far more examples for each new concept and breaking each concept down into MUCH GREATER detail...that is *IF* Joyce Farrell is attempting to write for the beginner who is new to the concept of Object Oriented Programming as well as the specifics of the C# language.



2. I am using this book as part of course curriculum and I am sad to say that this has to be without a doubt the worst computer book I have ever read. Reading this book makes my eyes want to bleed it is so bad.

   It glosses over topics such as arrays, classes & class interaction and only briefly mentions recursion. Add to that the fact it does NOT even cover multi-dimensional arrays or any type of dynamic data handling. How do I store data if I don't want to cap how much data can be entered?

   Not only is the information lacking it is poorly structured. It "covers" classes before it goes into selection ,repetition and arrays. This seems a little backwards to me.

   Avoid at all costs.




3. This book is used as a textbook for computer science majors at a local communitry college. And interestingly, I found it to be the most comprehensive programming book I have ever read of either school textbook or mass-marketed (like SAMS).

   I have some programming background as a CS major, so alot of the constructs of the language already look familiar having studied Java and C++, etc. In fact C# is just that--a slightly modified Java for the Microsoft .Net platform. Now, I actually prefer C# to Java.

   I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn the basics of C#. But, would not recommend it to anyone without prior experience of at least one professionally taught programming class. Of course an experienced programmer will want to breeze through much of the chapters which will serve only the purpose of making sure any slight quirks in syntax are understood--such as the way C# allows for printing of variables with curly braced symbols.

   One thing I really like about the way Joyce Farrell writes is that she explains all the syntax of the language she presents right away, instead of writing "You don't need to worry about that now" or "You won't understand this part of the language yet anyway" as so many annoyingly condescending computer learning books do.

   I plan on buying more of Joyce Farrell's books because I enjoy reading the clarity in which she presents the subjects.

   If your familiar with object oriented languages and want to learn the basics of C#, buy this book. Conveniently, the books also supplies a trial version of Visual Studio .Net which she requires as needed to compile C# for her book. If you can't get student software discounts, microsoft's compiler is expensive. However, I believe there may be free non-microsoft C# compilers that can be used with the book instead but am not sure.




4. I fully concur with the last reviewer. I think Joyce Farrell has done an excellent job with this book. The simple no-nonsense approach she takes in writing material that is geared for the beginning programmer. In the past, I had a hard time understanding Object Oriented Programming until I read this book. Now, I feel that I have a solid background in OOP. I also purchased this book to help my transitioning from Visual Basic to C# and I have to say, it has helped me tremendously. I would love to see her write a book on developing Windows and Web applications using C#. Keep up the great work Joyce!

2 comments about Client-Side Reporting with Visual Studio in C#.

1. I like this book very much. The author explains the client-side reporting with Visual studio in C# in detail, especially step by step. The topics cover windows form, web form, windows service and web service, which are useful for developers to write the report easily.
   
   Although this book says it covers version VS 2005 and VS 2008, I really hope the author can update this book using VS 2008 version and add some new features such as LINQ to generate the client-side reports easily. I will recommend this book to everyone.



2. I received this book today and have already completed four chapters. It is an easy read and generally thought out. The only complaint so far is the author's over use of the word "Please"! Please see Figure n.n Please give an application name... Enough!
   
   Did the publisher review this book before it went to press? How annoying!
   
   Day two:
   
   In addition, the author writes in broken English: "You should also keep in mind that there is more then one way of getting a report done."
   
   If I had a nickel for every grammatical error I could buy the book which is a shame since the book really is helpful.
   
   This book is rated for intermediate - advanced user but over and over there are instructions for creating a project, creating a dataset, etc.

5 comments about Introducing Microsoft® LINQ.

1. I learned a few things from the book, but overall it left me wanting more. The price matches a much bigger book, so I would've expected it to be full of good stuff, but in fact it was almost cursory on most topics. I realize it's an "Introducing" book, but for the price I would've wanted a somewhat deeper introduction.



2. Considering that this book is based on a beta product, I was expecting it to have a section on installing LINQ. Sure I can go to the LINQ's website and find out but the author should have added that section and discuss the tricks, tips, caveats and particularly his experiences when he installed the beta version of LINQ. Without the LINQ installed in my machine, I was not able to try the code examples in the book.
   
   There is a relatively long section about C# 2.0 features. That is a nice-to-have section but that is the one he should have omitted.
   
   For a 240-page paper bound book, this is a bit pricey.
   
   I returned the book and promised myself to wait for the final release of LINQ before I buy any book about it.



3. this is a great into - not something you are going to start using right away, but good to keep in mind for up and coming projects. If you are using VS2005 you can start playing with this - its not a VISTA only tool.



4. I feel a little bad rating this a 4 since it's a Beta book. It's really hard writing on betas b/c material changes so frequently.
   
   I liked the book a lot and thought it covered the topics of LINQ and EF pretty well. I think though, it was a bit too heavy into language features of C# 3.0 and VB 9.0. Yes, it's necessary to cover many of these in the context of LINQ but I think proportion wise, it was a bit too much there and a little light in other areas (for instance, unless I totally missed it, i didn't see anything about parallell LINQ). The coverage of EF was good, but I would love to have seen about 50 more pages.
   
   Although it's small the content is right to the point however. They do a good job of discussing LINQ and EF and even showing some more advanced areas and I will say that if you read this book and understand it, you can get just about anywhere you want to be with LINQ. You can read it quickly and be up and running very quickly and that's the strength.
   
   In all honesty, I should probably have given it a 5. My personal opinion is that it's not quite a 5 but definitely higher than a 4. If it were 10.00 cheaper, I probably would have went for the 5 - but it's not a cheap book for the size of it.
   
   The authors did a great job in many areas and considering it's a beta release, they did a superb job.



5. I give this book two stars because it is not what I (a beginner) wanted to use. I cannot say how good a book it is for the audience it is written for.
   This book is designed for experienced programmers who know C# code. It surveys the use of advanced programming techniques using LINQ.
   The authors explain on page 51 "the ability to read C# code is also important for reading the rest of this book (because LINQ examples are written in C#) and for understanding differences between C# 3.0 and Visual Basic 9.0.
   This is not a how to book with introductory examples. It is not for beginners.

4 comments about Beginning Visual Web Programming in C#.

1. This is an end-to-end introduction to the world of .NET development. The coverage, which starts with the architecture and ends with deployment, is never comprehensive, but is always thorough enough to get you started.
   
   Graphics are used extensively, which is not appropriate for a reference, but which works here because of the introductory nature of the text. The book doesn't pander though.
   
   I recommend this to anyone who is starting with ASP.NET, and who wants an introductory text in the step by step style. If you are experienced in other web application development technologies then you would be better served by one of the O'Reilly ASP.NET reference books.



2. The book shows how to write a C# web application on a server running .NET. Perhaps the most succinct description of the book is its cohesiveness. It describes using two crucial packages, ASP.NET and ADO.NET. ASP.NET essentially handles the client-server interaction, by making dynamic HTML pages and handling the user's input. While ADO.NET controls the interaction between the application server and the database.
   
   As you go through the book, if you keep this simple demarcation in mind, then it helps your understanding of the many lower level details in each chapter.
   
   It is clear from the book that Microsoft is pushing hard to have the entire web development process done on their .NET machines, by offering a tight and consistent tool integration. Gives the open source movement a serious challenge.



3. I found this book to be a very good source of overall C# information. It was not an exhaustive resource, nor did it delve in minute detail to all the points, but I have not found a better book to get a complete picture of the web programming world.
   
   The code samples are very easy to follow, and the reader can download the code from the publisher's web site. I chose to input the code samples manually and only had a couple of minor issues along the way.
   
   One example late in the book (Chapter 11 or 12) left the code in a state where it would not execute.
   
   I also had problems with the web service examples but that can most likely be attributed to the proxy/network configuration at my place of employment.
   
   The only other issue I encountered was with the stress testing tools like ACT. I was unable to access the site and still have not been able to determine why. Of course, that's not a failing of the book or the author, just a configuration issue, I'm sure.
   
   If you are looking at starting ASP.NET development, this book is a good, solid read.



4. I had a great deal of C# Windows forms programming experience. What I needed was a book to help me leverage that into Web programming. This book fit the bill.
   
   You will not learn C# in this book (it assumes you already know the language); but it will get you quickly into building Web applications.
   
   The examples are clear, well organized, and most importantly run properly when typed in correctly! The examples also have one important feature I prefer, which is a lack of over embellishment. They show only the code needed to complete the given task, not additional bells and whistles that can confuse the point of the example.
   
   After completing the book, I found it easy to adapt the examples for use in building my own web site.

5 comments about Visual C# 2005: A Developer's Notebook.

1. I just borrowed this book from the library as I'm trying to cut down and only buy true reference books. I didn't have a whole lot of expectations, but this book was exactly what the doctor ordered. I knew C# for VS.NET 1.1 and am gradually migrating to 2.0 and all of it's extra features. I just wanted a book that covered the new stuff... and could come as close to just injecting the information into my brain without all of the extra fluff. This book does exactly that. If you're new to .NET don't get this book... but if you're looking for an incremental upgrade book (as I was) that is concise, full of examples, and covers the whole spectrum of VS.NET 2.0 then this is IT! That said, the title is just a bit misleading... the first chapter is about the new C# keywords and constructs, but this book covers changes with Forms, ASP.NET (Themes, Master Pages, ...) and so forth. This books has been hard to put down and I'm seriously considering buying this one to add to my reference collection. I've learned a lot from it in just the past 24 hours.



2. This is a very good "delta" book for moving to 2.0. It doesn't spend a lot of time with "object oriented programming began in 19..."-type gibberish. Instead it moves directly to some of the new features and talks to you like you know what your talking about.
   
   Easy read.
   
   However, the introduction says something to the effect of "this series skips the 'hello world' applications and is instead the often frantic scribblings of real developers performing real tasks" or something like that. In reality, none of the examples was terribly realistic. It was the same type of examples and 'hello world' demonstrations you would find in any other book. And the "scribblings" in the margins were often just pullouts from the text--just like any other book.
   
   Overall - good book. But the marketing hype for the series is just that--hype.



3. I purchased this book to get prepped for 2.0 development. As usual , Jesse delivered with additional benifits. He is a great, clear speaking, author. I needed the facts and he delivered.
   
   Well worth owning for those of you transitioning from 1.1 to 2.0.



4. I've had this book for almost two years now, and I consider it (along with Liberty's classic "Programming C#" [I have both first and second editions]) one of the most useful books for helping me move from "beginner level" C# to "journeyman" mastery of what has become my favorite language and daily working tool of choice.
   
   Liberty's books join with my books by Sells, Petzold, Gunnerson, Archer on that small shelf ... within arms reach ... which I consider essential tools to have as I work in Visual Studio.
   
   What I find unique about "A Developer's Notebook" is :
   
   1. Content : the sheer amount of immediately useful information and code samples. This is a book, imho, for people who've already reached initial mastery of .NET, and are ready for intermediate-advanced topics. There's more technical content, more information, "per square page" in this book than in many books on .NET and C# that are 800+ page "whoppers" :) And I do have the sense that every bit of code in this book has been "refined" to the efficient minimum without losing its "educational punch."
   
   2. Book Design : imho the design and structure of the book are a "tour de force" of technical book design : it's in the form ... almost ... of a laboratory workbook; the "asides," or comments, in italic script font in the margin of the pages add a very useful commentary that evokes and provokes thought.
   
   3. Immediacy : I get the feeling that Jesse is right there talking to me as he takes me through the intricacies of IEnumerable, Generic Interfaces, Delegate Covariance. Very good terse introductions to technologies like ClickOnce.
   
   4. Technical Format : the book has a format of presenting a concept concisely, outlining the structure of the classes or methods involved, describing a practical usage scenario, and then, in a section titled "How Can I Do That ?," presenting a key code example that demonstrates the technique in use. I find this similar to what I perceive as the "experimental" method in Petzold's books, and, for me, this is a compelling way to learn.
   
   4. Writing Style : As in JL's other books, I personally experience him as one of the clearest writers of technical expository prose I have ever read. In sections typically titled "What About," or "How Can I Learn More," for each major topic, he succinctly addresses questions that imho any intelligent developer might be asking about the limits or side-effects ... or the "gotchas" ... of the techniques presented.
   
   I like to compare learning a programming language with learning a musical instrument. It seems to me that initial mastery of C#, like learning to play the guitar, involves a required period of just learning the general way you use the tools (the Visual Studio environment, the .NET compiler, assemblies, WinForms, Classes, Interfaces, UserControls) : until you have that initial "vocabulary," imho, you can't really "play a tune." But once you do have the initial comfort level and mastery of the tools, you are ready to start with studying simple "Etudes" which are designed to be musically satisfying in themeselves and, at the same time, help you progress in mastery. Using that analogy, I consider "A Developer's Notebook" a book of "Etudes," an excellent one !
   
   In summary : this is one of the best technical books I've ever read. I do hope that at some point JL will do another book in this format, and structure, probing, in the same "experimental method" other topics in .NET 3.0 and 3.5 like LINQ, sophisticated uses of AppDomains and Contexts, the ability in WPF to get WinForms controls across domains, etc.
   
   best, Bill Woodruff
   dotScience



5. 
   This book is a quick way to get up to speed on C# 2.0. Highly recommended for developers new to 2.0. My only complaint is that it neglected to mention the new SqlBulkCopy class, an important addition to ADO.Net.

5 comments about Beginning Object-Oriented Programming with VB 2005: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: from Novice to Professional).

1. This book is an excellent resource for anyone new to vb.net, or anyone transitioning from vb6 to vb.net. It covers the foundation of object oriented programming neccessary to successfully code in the .net environment.
   
   There are samples and a case study, which help cement the concepts covered.
   
   I recommend using this book as a foundation before moving on to more advanced material.



2. I have to admit, has some interesting stuff and information on how to make the theory of Classes to Programs, but I can not agree that is novice to professional, in my opinion I would say just novice.
   
   Leaves many un-answered questions.
   
   But can work as a reference.



3. I performed some programming in Visual Basic 6 a few years ago and then my job was changed so that I was maintaining a Unix program for a few years, which entailed putting fires out each day and very little programming of any type. A few months ago I was fortunate enough to get transferred to a great job programming web sites and some Windows applications. I've been able to write some fairly complex programs, but I knew I was missing some large piece of the puzzle. I'm really a novice programmer. I wasn't creating classes and I wasn't doing a lot of things that were efficient. If my programs needed to do more or scale, they were very difficult to adjust. During these months I've purchased a lot of books, and they had good stuff in them, but I still wasn't able to put things together. I would see things like "WithEvents" and ask what was that for. I had to do some threading and succeeded, but only by trial and error and I didn't understand the "why" of why it worked. For that matter, there was a lot that I didn't understand the "why" about.
   
   I then thought that, even though I was using objects, that I didn't really understand object-orientated programming enough. I looked on some User Group sites and saw this book listed as a good one.
   
   I held high hopes for this book. It's my first book from Apress. I started reading the first 4 chapters, which were on how to design and plan an OOP program. I'm convinced his information is important but ugh! It was horribly boring! I was mostly through the 2nd chapter when I thought I'd committ suicide . I had to quit reading chapters 2-4 and tell myself I'll get back to that later. Yes, it's that boring. It's worse than hearing your girlfriend talk for hours about makeup and dresses! So I skipped to Chapter 5 which gave basic instructions on using Visual Studio. I thought, "Why put this beginner's crap in this book". If you need to know the basics of VS, then get a beginner's book on VS. It shouldn't have been here.
   By this time I'm thinking I bought a book of garbage. But I went on to Chapter 6, and I'm glad I did. It finally got to the point and started talking about OOP and classes, constructors, overloading - and I was getting some of the elusive "why" explained! Chapter 7 got into inheritance, derived classes, overriding and overloading, etc with more of the "why". Chapter 8 got into the stuff like "WithEvents" and delegates, and how delegates work with threading. You will need to use threading and you will see "why". In geekspeak, threading is cool! Chapter 9 shows how to work with Collections (arrays, dictionaries, etc). This chapter didn't explain much "why" but when I need Collections there is enough to be able to implement them. Chapter 10 starts explaining some "why" regarding databases, such as connected versus disconnected data access. The examples use SQL Server. Chapter 11 looks at forms in a different light from other books, looking at them as objects instead of just sticking controls on them, and works with using databases more.
   
   Now I feel better about going back to the first 4 boring chapters as I will now have something to build with.
   
   To a complete beginner, I would say to first get a basic VB.NET beginner's book and get familair with VB and Visual Studio. If this is your very first book you will be very lost. The book is made for a novice.
   
   This book is one of the most important I have read. I am making progress very quickly over the last week or two, while previously I sputtered for several months. I've tried to convey how I felt, and if you feel similar, you must get this book.



4. This book is in very good condition. Shipping very fast. Overall I'm very satisfied with my purchase.



5. I thought the first 4 chapters were boring, but in fact the idea was to build your skill before you code the application! This book was written in a way that readers should already be familiar with OOP terminologies because it does not go into detailed explanation like those for dummies books do.Instead, it shows you how to analyze a problem, draw the diagrams and design the application! This is so far the best book i've read about object-oriented programming using VB, toppling Deb Kurata's or Alistaire Mcmonnies' books on my list. This book will teach you how to do UML/USE CASE so you can design a robust application. This is not a beginner's book on object oriented VB. I've had some knowledge in Java object programming and I know a little of object programming, but reading this book the first time has confused me as the author seemed to have tried to squeeze the discussions in short chapters and programming codes are not explained well, delving right into OOP design and techniques. As the author mentioned in the book, he doesn't know the skill level of a 'beginner', so he added some short intro to programming at the back of the book (Appendix A), so I believe the audience of this book are those 'beginners' to OOP but not to programming. I applaud Dan Clark for the way he laid out the teaching concept of this book, and how I wish he would follow this up with an advanced book with lots of case studies and applications starting from analysis to coding again. Highly recommended!