5 comments about Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0.

1. Sure the book doesn't appeal to some, but that is always true. Diane Zak knows her topic and it shows throughout the book. Yes it does repeat quite a bit, but isn't that exactly how we learn, by repeatedly doing a task. If you want to learn VB6, this is a very good place to start. The book is used as a text in my district's community college, that is why I chose it in the first place. I have not been disappointed. I have been programming in other languages for years and I am generally self-taught. This book allows me to continue in that direction. But, hey, if you get a chance recommend it to your community college, I would!!



2. First, the price: almost $51 (plus shipping, of course). You can find books that cover way much more material for less than this.

   Second, the structure of the book. It is clear that the author's objective was to make it practical, and by grabbing several sample cases which are actually fun to implement, she gradually introduces user to the different objects (with their properties), functions, and methods available to the VB6 developer.

   This sounds OK, and for the first few pages (or classes) it is, but once you are past the point where you're no longer a begginner, it becomes a textbook which organizes information in a way that's very hard to go back to. The same function (the MsgBox function, for example) is covered several times within the book, each time going into a little more detail, and sometimes, in a very out of context way with respect to the material being dealt with at that point in the book.

   Although the author spends a lot of effort to describe step-by-step (in a fool-proof way) what the user has to do in order to add an object, change its propertis, etc. the book doesn't cover well at all (or in a consistent way, at least) how the user can better exploit the hotkeys or shortcuts VB6's IDE has to offer in order to boost productivity and efficiency.

   As for practice, each tutorial (that's how the sections are callled) contains exercises that refer the user to the Student Disk. Although the book comes with a CD (which happily contains the Learning version of VB6) I have yet to find any of the exercises mentioned, or the so-called Student Disk. At the end of each tutorial, the book contains a set of questions and exercises. The exercises are very good to practice the skills learned within the tutorial, but the questions deal with far too much theory, and sometimes become a little too repetitive, in my opinion.

   In general, I'd say the book (and in this I agree with most of the reviews here) is OK for a very early learning stage, but past the first few days/weeks learning VB6, it is not the type of book you feel like going back to, because of the way it is organized and the lack of detail with which some topics are covered, which is definitely the largest downside it has. I will always need another reference book by my side to compensate for the book's shortcomings.




3. This is a "from the ground up book" that introduces the extreme basics and takes you step by step through the lessons to the point where you can be writing simple programs within a few days or hours depending on how much time you spend at it. The review is missing a star because I was getting some what bored because it is so specific on so many things in the first half, but got better towards the end. The lessons force you to actually write the code and test and debug programs that accompany the book. You go to www.course.com and enter the ISBN number and download the student files. -The authors' approach to writing this book is unmatched. I also recommend "An Inroduction To Programming With C++" by the same author.



4. Programming With Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 by Diane Zak is probably one of the best beginner programming books I have come across. It is easy to read and follow, which for beginners is an important feature to take into consideration. A nice extension to the book is that the sample code for the tutorials are available via download from their web site so if you seem to get stuck in an area more than likely they have some form or another of that code working so you can at least see what it is supposed to do. The only group I would not recommend this book to is intermediate/advanced VB programmers because the book does move a little slower than others, and it can become repetitious by time you get to the 3rd lesson of a tutorial. After nearly completing this book I can see why my University would select this book.



5. The entire national chain of training schools COMPUTER LEARNING CENTER used this book as their introductory text for Visual Basic 6. The students learned with ease and developed indepth understanding of the different topics. The debugging exercises were particularly useful! It the text book of choice when I teach!

No comments about Step Into Programming With Visual Basic.NET.

5 comments about Beginning Access 97 Vba Programming (Beginning).

1. I'm a hobbiest programmer and recently purchased this book to start to work on databases. With little previous experience of VBA I have managed to now create quite sophisticated databases that pass information to other MS Office applications. I thought the chapters were very well written, and provide the depth of information that I needed. I would say this is an ideal book for anyone wishing to get a toe hold in this area of technology and a must buy for any serious would be programmer.



2. There does not seem to be a good book on VBA written, but this book is the best of a bad lot. If you have no programming or computer science background at all, then this book would be considered an intermediate text and you may wish to try one of the SAMS learning series books instead. However, if you have any background in programming, this book will help you acquire the nuances of using Visual Basic with Access.

   The book takes a very practical approach of walking the reader through the various elements of how a VBA application is structured and developed. The chapters are: Designing Applications, Events, Creating Code, Flow Control, Objects, Recordsets, External Data, Reports, Advanced Techniques, Error Handling, Class Modules, Optimization, Libraries, OLE, Internet interfaces and miscellaneous notes. Using a consistent sample application, the reader is walked through each step in the construction of a VBA application.

   I find that the use of single demo, which builds upon itself, to be much more effective that snippets of code and incomplete/unrelated examples. With little effort, many of the techniques in the sample code may be modified to fit your own needs.

   Overall, the book is a good text as well as reference for sample code. It is not organized as a reference text (use the online help instead). As a systems integration professional, I have purchased this book for more than one of my junior programmers in order to get them started.




3. It seemed they assumed more than the begginer knows. Their explanations on why the code works did not provide a clear enough explanation for me to understand what is going on and left gaps that I am still stuggling to fill. Also: it would have been nice to better explain how you decide what variables are required and how you decide the syntax of the commands. All in all, the books starts out ok but then leaves the beginner in the dust as it continues. I would recommend the Step by Step book over this one.



4. It seemed they assumed more than the beginner knows. Their explanations on why the code works did not provide a clear enough explanation for me to understand what is going on and left gaps that I am still stuggling to fill. Also: it would have been nice to better explain how you decide what variables are required and how you decide the syntax of the commands. All in all, the books starts out ok but then leaves the beginner in the dust as it continues. I would recommend the Step by Step book over this one.



5. This book is good, but it contains too much information. The book is overkill on Access VBA. More information than anyone can handle. The code examples can be too long. You can learn, but you have to stay awake and remain alert. If not you will fall asleep. I don't recommend it to beginners at all. For all beginners out there, stay clear of this book. If you don't you might end up hating Access VBA. I thought the book could have been written a lot shorter. I recommend this book to experienced users who want to read a few pages a day.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself Database Programming with Visual Basic 6 in 21 Days.

1. While I do agree with some reviewers in terms of errors which exist in some code in the book, I strongly disagree with those who condemn this book as being inadequate. This is not a book for Vb or Programming NEOPHYTES!

   This book assumes that you know VB, and concentrates on teaching you how to develop database applications. In this area it does a marvelous job. I do agree with the authors mix of DAO/RDO and ADO. There is still a lot of DAO/RDO stuff out there which will need to be supported! It does an excellent job with its treament of ADO, DED, and data report designs. Not forgetting how to design and implement robust databases! Its database treament is even better than most database-only books I have reviewed!!

   I know of pricier books that do not come anywhere close in terms of what this book offers(teaches). If you need more or exclusive ADO stuff look elsewhere.

   I am both a professional VB/Database designer and also an instructor in VB and DB in a CIS dept and comparing this book to other books especially textbooks, you can't find anything more readable than this book!

   I score this book a 4 because of code mistakes!

   If you know VB, this is an excellent database design book for you! (Common! Let's be FAIR! The authors actually warn you up front about this fact!)




2. This is an excellent introduction to using the power of Microsoft's Jet database engine in VB programs. It covers all the basics and provides example coding throughout. Having worked my way through most of it, I can write powerful database programs easily and quickly, in a fraction of time and using a fraction of the code demanded by VB to achieve the same results. I can even understand those dreadful Microsoft Jet Database Help Screens now!!!!!! I recommend the book to experienced VB programmers.

   The book is not a 'VB programming for beginners' publication - you need to understand VB before using it. The sample code is full of errors that only an experienced VB user can detect and correct. The authour insists on using the Visdata utility to create SQL commands but does not make clear how to translate these into VB code; a VB beginner would be hopelessly confused and not understand the power and flexibility of this command. Readers also need to understand the concept of relational databases.




3. Although the book covers most of the topics associated with VB and database programming, it is riddled with grammatical errors. The source code listed in the book has errors. You will have to decipher before trying to make sense what the author is trying to explain.



4. This is neither a book for people who know nothing about database programming, nor is it a book for experienced programmers. Not sure where it's placed.

   For beginners it's very difficult to figure out what the author is saying about DAO, RDO, ADO. This is exponentially exacerbated by the fact that MSFT seems to change its mind about the standard each time they bring out a new version of Access.

   MSFT seems now to have settled on ADO as the standard, so with the bulk of this book focussing on DAO, it's not worth getting. But in reviewing, we must remember that this book was written way back in 1998 - an aeon in programming.

   I found the line numbering style reminiscent of the early days of DOS BASIC when every manufacturer had their own version. Ah, the days of my old Spectravideo.




5. This book promises much, but delivers little. Both the book and the examples from the CD are so full of errors that it is more of an example in frustration than learning. It is nothing more than a usless piece of garbage

2 comments about Microsoft Office 2000: Visual Basic for Applications Fundamentals (Developer Learning Tools).

1. With so many books on Office 2000 out there it's hard to know which one to buy, especially when you're buying online. One deciding factor can be the author's background, if you're fortunate enough to know it. If you don't know David let me tell you there's no one more qualified to write this type of book. David works for Microsoft designing the parts of Office that make it possible to program it using VBA. He helped create many of the features you'll read about in this book. I've seen the book and it provides a great view of what you can do with all the Office applications--not an easy task in a single book! So if you're programming Office 2000, or even thinking about it, you shouldn't pass up a great chance to learn from *the* source how it's done.



2. I was looking for a great beginners book for vba. I've had this book one day and have learned alot of things that make my job 100% easier.

5 comments about Expert .NET 1.1 Programming.

1. A pretty intense book. Robinson aims to take you beyond the elementary books on .NET and its affiliated languages of C# and VB. Those often focus on simple syntax level explanations.
   
   Here, he goes far deeper. Like drilling into the Intermediate Language. The basis for .NET compilers, that convert source code in various languages like those above into this form. Like Java bytecode. (Alas, though, no cute CAFEBABE here!) So you can program at this virtual assembler level if you have to. Maybe you need to optimise some bottleneck in your code?
   
   Garbage collection is also studied. Related to this is how to improve memory performance, including showing how to use a profiler effectively. Nontrivial subjects. Some of which, like the chapter on cryptography, really only hint at far greater complexity.
   
   Most .NET programmers may not need to go to the levels of this book. But for those who do, it is good that it exists.



2. The first two chapters (about 100 pages) on IL are worth the price of the book. I'd recommend for those who really want to get a picture of what is going on under the hood in .NET. Some of the later chapters are a little lite like the one on cryptography and windows forms, however, the coverage on topics like assemblies is fantastic.



3. If you have read Richter and Lowey and are looking for the next evolution in your learning THIS IS THE BOOK. As the CEO of a .NET consultancy all staff are required to read three books. This is the final book.
   
   Right now the market is in a sad state. Only 1-2 in 100 can pass, as my company's interiew process (most do not know the difference in a value and reference type) is very, very hard
   
   This is one of those magic books that is easy to read and will make you 'team Leader materiakl'.
   
   Either lead, or 'get uut of t ey;.
   
   Damon Carr CEO
   agilefactor.com



4. With .NET 2.0 so close, is it worth buying and reading a .NET 1.x book? The answer, in this case anyway, is definitely yes. .NET 2.0 builds on 1.x, making the majority of the material in this book relevant for years to come, and as most professional programmers will end up maintaining systems that, for one reason or another, can't be migrated to 2.0, having in-depth 1.x knowledge (which this book provides in bucket loads) is a great investment.
   
   Even for those that think they know everything about .NET, this book will still educate. I've been a .NET and C# MVP since 2002, and I still found this book a worthwhile read.



5. This book is unusually well written and presented. I find myself reading up on areas that I hadn't even intended to learn about. In fact, I'm having a problem staying focused; it's like discovering a treasure trove of wonderful detail. I am especially impressed with the coverage of IL.
   
   Without exception, the presentation of this book is flawless; Simon has an extraordinary writing skill and technique. It's like getting advice from a wise man. You get the right level of detail that's not academic and impracticle, but rather exactly pertinant for immediate use.
   
   I've purchased a lot of books over the years - well over 100 - and this is easily one of the very best books I'm come across, which is why I felt compelled to come here and praise it.

5 comments about CGI Programming with Visual Basic 5.

1. The problem with this title is its proprietary language. Depending on the server you program for, why would you want to use the Authors version of the interface software. It's well written but lacks being practical.



2. First, I should note that using Visual Basic for a web server application is pathetic. Each instance of the application requires a minimum of 4 megs of RAM, so using it on a high-traffic site is suicidal.

   That said, the book and the code in the book are very good. Ported to C, Delphi or especially PowerBASIC, you can't go wrong. The book also does a fairly good job of covering the CGI spec.

   My suggestion, buy the book and go get yourself a copy of PowerBASIC so that you can create true CGI apps that take only a few K instead of megabytes.




3. Well, in polite terms, somewhat useful but more useless than useful in any way. To be laconic " regretful buy "



4. "Deliver CGI applications easily" says the cover of this book. After spending a whole weekend with the book, I could not get past chapter 2. Every example I tried generated confusing error messages. I'm actually using VB 6 instead of 5, and nothing in this 500+ page book suggests whether or not this is allowed. A quick look at the index tells you it is too short for a 500 page book. One of the most popular CGI applications is a counter, however, the word counter does not even appear in the index. Only 2 entries are under the letter "B" in the index. That's what I'd expect from a 20 page book. This book is written in a language that only someone who already knows the subject matter could possibly understand.



5. Visual Basic is absolutely the wrong language to write CGI applications. The overhead required will drag your server down to a crawl.

   That said, the book itself is fairly well written with lots of useful information. If you are a CGI programmer in general (C, Delphi or PowerBASIC) then there is some really useful information here. Particularly if you are a PowerBASIC programmer, since PowerBASIC can compile stand-alone executables to just a few 'k-bytes'.

5 comments about Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET: An Object-Oriented Approach- Comprehensive.

1. It's funny how perspectives from a programmer and a beginner differ so greatly on this text. I am a very successful 30 something student at a major university. I think I am qualified to say, from a beginner's standpoint, that this book leaves much to be desired. I will retread some of the same points others have made here.
   
   The book is intentionally vague: As beginners, students need to grasp basic programming concepys and styles. This text seems to often avoid explaining these basic concepts. The text also does not offer examples of good efficient code or practices. The teacher materials (assignments) intentionally ask for things not discussed in the chapters, The exams are designed to trick the student rather than test understanding of concepts. Forcing sheer memorization over understanding is a bad way to start learning. Example: Which of the following are properties of the Color Structure? a. R,G,B / b. ColorRed,ColorBlue,ColorRed / c. Alpha / d. All of the above - if you answered A you are correct -but Alpha is also a property of the color structure. That's not inportant. A is the answer.
   
   Examples sometimes don't work: Code examples in Chapter 6 fail to work. What's worse, the publisher's web site does not correct this issue. If you plan on drawing text onto a form prepare to do some reading on the outside in order to accomplish this task.
   
   Not easy to read: As mentioned, this text is full of run on sentenses, disjointed and technical. Technical is good, but some plain english explanations would help the BEGINNER to grasp concepts.
   
   Class revolt over the text: As mentioned, students in my class have openly criticized this text. (They actually begged the teacher to just code in VB and explain what's happening over usung the text) These complaints were brought to not only to the teacher, but to the head of the department.
   
   If you are teacher and want to teach VB to beginners, look at some of the other suggestions posted here. This text makes learning VB a chore. People want to be challenged, but also have fun learning something as powerful and simple as VB.NET.



2. I have to say I agree with the reviews below that state that this book is not for beginners. Others have already pointed out the problems with this book, and I agree with them.
   Don't buy it, unless you are looking for an expensive paper weight.



3. This is a poorly written book. The explanations are incomplete and the book is (badly) organized around examples, rather than conceptual building blocks. As stated in other reviews, some of the program examples do not work, and must be debugged. What really prompted me to review this text is the previous positive review from a teacher. Let me make one thing perfectly clear: when class after class of students finishes a course feeling demotivated because of a confusing text, and that they have frustrating gaps in the knowledge they should have aquired, the teacher or professor's opinion of the text is irrelevant. Apparently there are some teachers who, rather than admit that they have chosen a bad textbook, will dig-in and defend that text to the bitter end. I take great exception to the review title "Great for responsible and interested learners!" In other words, he says that students who do not find this book understandable are irresponsible and/or uninterested. On this note, perhaps we should let half of the air out of a life-ring before we throw it to a drowning person. If he or she is "responsible and interested," and tries very hard, then the person will overcome that disadvantage, and in the process, build endurance and ability to stay afloat. We are told by the reviewer that the "responsible and interested" reader will be able to "connect the dots" on his own, and make sense out of this book. Finally, the review even has the audacity to admonish teachers who might be tempted to "cater to this type of student," (students who complain about this textbook). I have tried hard not to get personal in this review (rebuttal), so I will just say in a generic mode, that any teacher or professor who intentionally sets students up for failure by using a difficult text, when other better,clearer, more understandable ones are available, should rethink his or her career. A book for teaching Visual Basic should thoroughly expound Visual Basic, and not be an obstacle course for teaching independent thinking. On that note, as you might expect, this book is utterly useless for someone learning VB on their own.



4. Ekedahls books are not good books to learn programming. They are books that teach how to type code in the code windows and run and "Look how well I can tell you to write a program". Unfortunately you do not learn how to prorgam. You are lost and confused and looking at your classmate asking if they understand the class.
   
   For a beginner's book get Diane Zak's, It will save u time and money, stress, anger and hatred towards him.



5. I am currently using this book for a programming class and since this is only my second programming class, I thought maybe I had a comprehension problem...I do not.
   
   After many hours of frustration and thoughts of wanting to just quit school because of this class/book, my husband, who is an experienced programmer, told me that I was not the one with the problem, it was the book. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to use the text because it came with my class and I have to do the assignments. However, my husband has loaned my some of his books that are written much better and fill the gaps that this book leaves. I just hope my school will read the reviews and choose a better book for future students.

No comments about Programming ASP.NET 3.5.

5 comments about Visual Basic .NET Windows Services Handbook.

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



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



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

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

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




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



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