5 comments about Visual Basic 5 Night School (3rd Edition).

1. I learned VB for the past two years and had acquired for more than 10 books for introductory of VB. It is the best book that I have ever read for novice VB programmer. I highly recommended it to all person who are interested in Visual Basic.



2. I thought this book was excellent for those who have some idea of what programming is all about, but for the complete lay-person who wants to jump into programming, this book could be a challenge, but is entirely possible for anyone semi-experienced with computers. Probably the best VB5 book so far. Would be equally as useful in learning VB6 (except the new features of course).



3. I took a VB class this year and this was the book that my teacher had recommended. During the class, we had to use a crappy book called "VB made easy". I read the whole book and still didnt know didly about VB. Then I bought this book!!! If you want a book that teaches you hard concepts of PROGRAMMING, and doesnt hold your hand through step by step projects that dont teach you how to think on your own...buy this book!!! I actually thought it deserved a 4.5 since a couple chapters could have been improved. But what book can teach you everything perfectly? So I curved it up comparing it to all the others i seen. Cause it sure came close. Now I do mostly programming at work with what i learned from this book. My next one will be "Profession VB 5.0 business objects" Check out the reviews on that one!!!



4. I am fairly new to Visual Basic Programming, and was looking for a good introductory book. I found it! This book covers just about everything you'd want to know about the foundations of VB5, every event & object. GREAT BOOK!

   This book is not really a tutorial. I thought it was meant more as a source of reference, but I sure learned a heck of alot.




5. Unfortunately, I'd already spent close to $200 on other books before I came across this one. I needed a step-by-step, well-written, easy to follow workbook type of text which would approximate a training course, and this book is it! All other books I tried were too dry and technical, boring me to death while simultaneously confusing me. Only wish I could find more titles in this series. Warning - "homework" assignments assume you have VB installed. If you've got VB and a little programming knowledge, BUY THIS BOOK AND GET BUSY WITH VB 5! =D

5 comments about Professional Visual Basic 6 Web Programming.

1. I have 4 years VB programming experience, but after read 7 chapters of this book, I'm still feel confusing. Everything are talked a little bit, but nothing is discussed in detail.
   Each chapter is not well connected, this not like a book but like a huge magazine with a bunch of articles -- too many authers can mess up a good name book. They seems never talk to each other before and after writing this book. for examble, in beginning of chapter 9, it says: "By now you have learned how Active Server Page (ASP) use components." -- False! I never learned, at least in this book!
   In chapter 6 -- DHTML Application. The example application is only working in VB IDE even after making the package. It's either the author's problem or Microsoft's problem.
   As a "Professional VB Web programming book", it neither explains how to deploy a Web application well in general, nor teach you programming in detail.
   This book turns me to read other ASP book.



2. I have 4 years VB programming experience, but after read 7 chapters of this book, I'm still feel confusing. Everything are talked a little bit, but nothing is discussed in detail.
   Each chapter is not well connected, this not like a book but like a huge magazine with a bunch of articles -- too many authers can mess up a good name book. They seems never talk to each other before and after writing this book. for examble, in beginning of chapter 9, it says: "By now you have learned how Active Server Page (ASP) use components. In the next two chapters, we will focus on ... (something base on use components)" -- False! I never learned, at least in this book!
   In chapter 6 -- DHTML Application. The example application is only working in VB IDE even after making the package. It's either the author's problem or Microsoft's problem.
   As a "Professional VB Web programming book", it neither explains how to deploy a Web application well in general, nor teach you programming in detail.
   This book turns me to other ASP books.



3. There seems to be a pattern with the books from Wrox. If there is more than one author on the cover, it usually stinks. This book is no exception. They try to cover too much, and end up leaving you mad because you actually spent money on something this bad. This book is nothing more than a door stop!



4. If you are just starting to use ASP and have access to a MS SQL server, then this is a good read. However, don't even consider it if you have any previous APS experience or don't have access to a SQL server. In fact, there is no mention of MS Access in the entire book! It is pratically usesless as a reference for ASP and just sits and gathers dust.



5. I rated this 5 stars because it has the most useful writeup on writing Server Components in VB for use with ASP - chapters 9-11. I wanted to do this and had trouble getting working samples and explanations. I feel that industrial strength ASP is very ugly and unweildy if you don't encapsulate the code into components. MSDN has lots of reference material about this but little, if any, useful "how to" stuff that i could find.

   This book showed me how to do exactly what i wanted to do.

   Other than that, it is a good introduction into a good number of web concepts, old and new. The first 3 chapters were a good overview of Microsoft web concepts and techniques. The writeup on web classes, if you like them, is good. I really liked the CGI case study including how to implement standard input/output via the win32 API.

   The relatively free use of various win32 API functions in VB help overcome a general fear of mixing VB and CC++ functionality.

   The book was a bit large but was well organized. In general it gave me a much higher opinion of Wrox books.

5 comments about MCAD/MCSD: Visual Basic .NET Windows and Web Applications Study Guide.

1. Used this book along with other materials to pass 70-305. This is an OK book, but it is not written at the beginner level. The reader needs to be fairly advanced to pick up the information the way it is presented. Read another book first to get the concepts and high-level picture of ASP.NET and then start reading this book to focus on the test.
   
   The sections in this book on the web.config file and debugging/tracing are well done as these topics are hit heavily in the test. The end of chapters review questions could be better, but they are decent.



2. This book manages to cover the main subject matter for both exams.... having passed both 70-306 and 70-305 in October 2004, I can personally vouch for the teaching style this book offers. Although I agree that the content is somewhat light for 70-305, I believe it is because there is significant overlap on certain topics for both exams (especially with ADO.NET concepts). If you are a strong .NET developer, you may get away with simply using this book as a means to prepare for the exams. For most of us, however, building a foundation in VB .NET/ASP .NET with 1-2 other books (particulary those offered by O'Reilly, WROX(Wiley) or APRESS) is the best way to go prior to picking up this book. Moving forward to 70-310, I can only hope the "Sybex" approach continues to prove effective.



3. Want to pass 70-305 first time around ? Use this book and the braindumps (www.braindumps.com) and you're there !
   Mind you I did find some errors in the book, but after contacting Brian Reisman I received help within days !
   I send my additional errata to Brian, to check and update the Sybex online Errata and later the next edition of the book.



4. This Book is good for people who already have quite a bit of experience and only need an overview of the material required to pass the exams. I read this book first, then went to the ExamCram book by Mike Gunderloy. The ExamCram book filled in all the gaps left by this book, giving an excellent treatment of ADO.Net. The authors of this book are good writers and I think their goal was not to get into a lot of detail, but just to give readers a starting point for further study. I do like the style of the book, it is very well laid out and the Practice tests that come with the book are very good, almost as good as Transcender. I did buy the transcender tests/ Transtrainer video and they were also very helpful in passing the 70-306 exam with a score of 800.



5. I passed both exams, 305/306. This book was especially valuable in how much of asp.net + vb.net is covered. However, the book is so riddled with painfully time-consuming errors, it may not be worth buying unless the authors actively do something about erratta (sp?). I would have passed my exam a full month in advance if the editor was doing any "editing" at all.
   The errors I found and their approximate "cost" of my time are below.
   P/Invoke ex, pg 243: alias should be "MessageBoxA" - 1hr
   Interfaces, pg 215: Did not mention you must save your project before implementing an interface - 2hr
   Class library pg 215: They didnt tell you to change your project type to class library, or else you cant register for COM Interop 3hr
   CreateObject() pg 222: Author says no equivalent to CreateObject(), In fact this function is still available in .Net 1.1, not only that ... GetObject() is also there! 0hr
   Cookies, book never explains more than one way to set a cookie 1hr
   Web.Config pg 589 Authors did not put double quotes around word true, [identity impersonate=true], name value pairs in web.config are case sensitive and values must always have double quotes, without knowing that, cost me 4hr
   assembly linker utility pg370 The /c switch is missing from call to al.exe, also the word Exercise is misspelled (Excsercise) 2hr
   HTML Controls pg 610 Visual Studio automatically generates declarations for controls that you place on a web form, the book leaves me in the dark about this 20min
   Dataset pg 145 The variable dsEmp has to be *public* scope, HTML can not see into the code behind without it! 2hr
   Resource file pg 685 Resource file name is wrong! 2day
   Anonymous pg 704 If you deny anonymous [deny users="?"] and enforce integrated authentication, no login dialog appears to access virtual directory. 1hr
   
   Other more minor errors ...
   pg 751 #5, fs.trace.close is incorrect 1hr
   pg 756 #3, btsDim should not be there
   pg xliii, pure typo, answer should be C (globalization and localization)
   pg131, sqlcommandbuilder not required for typed datasets
   pg 412, Not actually VB.Net code, this is C#
   
   I found roughly twice as many more errors, but I quit tallying because I was basically fed up.
   
   I passed Windows with score of 875, and Web with 905, thanks in large part to this book. Outside of the typos and errors that is, it was a big help. I also used practice exams from a friend. But, I didn't need them. This book has pretty good questions that very closely resemble what you will see on the real exam. However, many practice exam questions have the wrong answer, have duplicate answers, or simply have questions that are not complete. In the latter, you just guess something and look at the explanation.
   
   If I did not have my 5+ years of previous experience in VB 6, I imagine that I would have struggled a lot with this. Maybe I would have quit. I rated this book 5 stars only because I actually passed my exam. Otherwise, I gets a zero or whatever the equivalent is.
   
   Basic Summary:
   As someone previously mentioned, if you know some programming already, this book is Ok. But, beginners will have a really hard time because of the errors, but not because of the level of difficulty. If you can tolerate the errors, go for it.

5 comments about Build Your Own PC Game in Seven Easy Steps: Using Visual Basic.

1. "Build Your Own PC GAme in Seven Easy Steps Using Visual BASIC" is an impressive title and worthy of many a purchase. Though it requires use of the as-of-present somewhat dated VB3 or VB4, it nonetheless provides a helpful perspective on game development in Visual BASIC. If one owns a copy of VB, it is undoubtedly a enjoyable title and even if one doesn't carry a strong interest in game programming it provides for a refreshing event. Though it lacks in some areas, such as consistent mispelling\errors, and can produce some overly-simplistic samples, it nonetheless is a good sprint that will allow one to develop quality text-based programs, graphic arcade style fighteres, or graphic RPG style adventures. Highly recommended!



2. I bought this book hoping to find some information on how to build a game engine that would allow me to move sprites on a tile based backround, which is done by a function called BitBlt, although this book did have some info on Bitblt it was not alot, and most of the book only showed you how to write text based games with minor graphics. If you want to program games dont use Visual Basic, use a better laungage like VC++, and surely dont use this book! Try to find a copy of the Black Art of VB Game Programming, I did buy that book and with it I could make some ok games with VB, But DONT USE THIS BOOK



3. I'm part way thru the book, and so far its good for beginners. Even tho it is dated (1996), most of the concepts are valid. As a programming teacher, one thing does irritate me: the persistent misuse of the word "programming" when the author means coding. Programming is creating the logic, coding is translating that logic into code. Many students come into class able to code, but almost none come in able to program -- that is, create the logic. They think sitting down and making spaghetti code is programming. The author, as many authors and teachers do, promotes this confusion with his misuse of terms. This lapse makes it so much harder for novices to learn to program. But I was glad to see him emphasize "plan", even with the terms confused. Otherwise, good book for basic game concepts.



4. If you can see the cover of the book at the top of this page, It includes a picture of a 3-Dimentional castle. Immediately, you'd think you can jump into the fine arts of "NEXT GEN" gaming. Not so. With this book, you will jump into the fine arts of "TEXT ADVENTUREs", which is mostly the main topic of this book. Although Text Adventures have their element of fun, these days you'd probably want graphics, right? Oh, sure this book gives some info on graphics, you can find the same info on the web. I'd recommend this book for people who are familiar with VB, and want to "Get Started" with game programming. Otherwise, keep looking.



5. I picked up this book thinking I'd be able to make the simplist of games. I was wrong. This book dumps alot of code at you in big klumps and mainly teaches stuff how to organize the game, instead of game-specific stuff. The BitBlt and MCI stuff is nice, but most of it can be found on the web.

4 comments about Visual Basic 4.0 Power Toolkit: Cutting-Edge Tools and Techniques for Advanced Programmers (Power Toolkit Series).

1. This is a great book. Very specific and clear. Uses plain English to describe the power of the visual basic. I recommend this book for beginner and advanced a like. If you want to master vb you must have this book.



2. I never used the API before. I got this book and in minutes I knew how to READ, WRITE and EDIT an INI file using the API. Add mail-aware and mail-enabled to all your applications. It just shows you all the stuff you thought where impossible to program in a couple of lines of code. Would of got a 10 but only the bible gets that rating



3. For anyone who knows a reasonable amount of general visual basic. The language is ENGLISH. It's not scientific, you can understand more complex concepts. Proof of all statements made are backed up with code. Their are plenty of examples. I do not write book reviews, but this book deserved one. I only hope that they write another one, or someone else can write as good a book for VB5.



4. For all things except CCReations and VBOOP there really is a single book that covers it all for beginners to severely advanced coders. I first bought the VB3 edition and the VB4 edition is still the first grabbed book whenever I hit any non-oop walls. Graphics & palettes, optimizations, and a devious VB-ONLY encryption technique that is as secure as any system you would pay for (and that only needs to be converted to a VBdll to get rid of the documented limitation ... prior to VB5 you could not reset the initial "engine" without restarting the app... think about it). Seriously, this book is the ace in the hole. Says "VB4" on the cover, excellent for any VB version (cd includes the full VB3 version too). Get it, you'll never regret it. If Amazon can't get it for you (nothing against Amazon at all but it is listed as out of print) try calling "Computer Books @ Half Price" (ask you operator for the numbers in Bellevue or Seattle Washington) for a brand new copy ... at half price .

5 comments about Visual Basic® 6 Master Reference.

1. This book is exactly what I was looking for. I consider myself to be an intermediate user (working hard to become an advanced user), and what I was looking for was a easy to use, fairly complete, concise reference book to supplement my library of "How to program in VB" books.

   Topics are broken down alphabetically, and like a dictionary, the Visual Basic 6 Master Reference has little three letter "tabs" on the edge of each page (i.e. "efg") help you locate your information quickly. The information on each topic is well presented, and includes little snippets of code that help to clarify and illustrate correct usage.

   Although this book is very good, it is not perfect. I have searched for some bits of information only to find that the book doesn't include them. But I can't imagine any single volume paperback or hardcover book that could provide information on all that VB has to offer.

   To summarize: this is a great reference book (not a how-to book) that covers a great deal of information about the Visual Basic 6 programming language.




2. I bought this book from the bookstore few weeks ago and i can say that it is one of the best buys i have made.I mean it is with hard covers, it has most of the control references in it and the examples are really helpful. And this is like the best laid out book i have seen in a long time. For the work place you can hardly find a better reference (at least on the controls).



3. The other reviews sum up the book nicely. It is much easier to use then the MSDN CDs. Here is some of what it does not include taken from the preface to the book: "This book does not cover the many additional controls (such as DataGrid,MonthView,MSChart, and Winsock) supplied with some editions of Visual Basic, as well as all events, methods, properties, and objects associated with these additional controls. Moreover, this book does not cover any controls, objects, properties, events, or methods used in Visual Basic database programming." They estimated a book covering all of VB would be twice this book's size. So if you are looking specifically for database help, you'll have to look elsewhere.



4. This book has everything I need. I found browsing(?) the book helpful as I encountered methods and code used in other books. It provides a good description of properties and what objects use them. The gigantic number of properties in VB at first intimidated me when VB1 came out in 1991, but this book helps greatly to overcome fears. The example code is good, but I would like to see much more sample code ( as we ALL would ). Buy this as a Reference tome to backup the other books you buy about VB.



5. Not what I had first expected, really good book to be used as a reference guide, rather than a book on showing you more features of vb.

5 comments about Waite Group's Visual Basic 6 Database How-To.

1. I don't usually buy a computer book before checking out the customer review on the books. This time, I was in the hurry and had no time to check the review, so I wasted $.

   On the cover, the publisher claims the book is "THE DEFENITIVE PROBLEM SOLVER". Shame on the publisher and the authors. The code in the book doesn't compile. ActiveX components are missing from the CD. In other words, nothing works.

   The Waite Group, you owe me $+ tax.




2. I was looking for a book that explained the differences between and the advantages of the various data access methods available in Visual BASIC 6, and which would guide me through implementing my chosen solution. After working through the first few sections, I'm more confused than ever. Instead of helping you decide which path to follow and then guiding you down it, this book takes the route of saying "Here's something neat" - "Oh - and this is neat too" - "And *this* method is pretty cool" without making it clear (at least to me) whether you're supposed to use them in conjuction with each other or pick one and use it exclusively in a given program. In fact, I moved from the "Bound Controls" to "Data Access Objects" sections without realizing through several examples that these were probably not meant to be mixed together. The examples often seem to say "Do this, then do that" without making clear _why_ you're doing it. I don't know about you, but I can't learn by rote nearly as effectively as I do if I _understand_ why something works the way it does. I keep thinking "Well, maybe it's designed for someone more experienced at VB database programming than I am," but in working through the examples, I get the feeling that someone with much VB database experience would already know most of this stuff. I'll put the book on the shelf and maybe it will be a useful reference once I've got a clearer understanding of the subject, but it hasn't been much help as a beginner's guide.



3. I have read other reviews here and I disagree. I find this book incredibly helpful. It will not write your application for you, but it will tell you how to do the details. It has helped me write a major application. I use it as a resource not a learning manual. Once you know DB programming, this book cannot be beat for VB-Access combination



4. This book changed my life in a number of fundamental ways. I bought one for my wife, my pastor, my parents and even my dog. I am now definitely a VB6 super-geek.



5. I usually don't write reviews, but this book has helped me so much that I felt a social responsibility to say it.

   I got a job that involved database and reporting work that evolved into being primarily VB with databases three weeks after I started the job. (Isn't it amazing how job descriptions can change after the hiring is complete?)

   Anyway, I had to learn fast and accurately to keep the job, and this book provided all I needed to save my job!

   It was also a great desk reference to troubleshoot when I got stuck down the line. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to anyone who wants to learn and wants to buy only one book that they can continue to use after they're more comfortable.

5 comments about Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0: Deluxe Learning.

1. I was fortunate enough to have my company pay for this book for me. After finding it here for a very low price and then the rebate for owning MS Office kicked the final price down considerably.

   I am about halfway through the tutorial segment and so far, I am pleased. Although it gets a bit dry at times, once you suffer through it, it does give you very useful information.

   It starts off by explaining the environment of Windows and then moves into the program, itself. It introduces all the tools and windows inside of the program. It walks you through the entire process of building three programs. If you show a large desktop (I used 1024x768) and reduce both windows to be shown simultaneously, you can watch the tutorial for what to do, pause it, and then go over to VB6.0 and do it! What can be more simple than that? You get to learn by doing. That's one thing that scored this program big points with me! Later on, more advanced topics (advanced for a beginner, anyway) are introduced.

   Also, since you have all of the tools you need to start programming right away, it is very useful, indeed. There are some features in the Professional and Enterprise editions that are not available in this edition, but I believe there is an upgrade rebate to move from this version to those.

   Finally, this set includes the Visual Basic 6.0 Programmer's Guide, which is essentially the Bible of the Visual Basic language. It discusses a majority of topics useful in programming in VB.

   All of these components add up for a great investment that is well worth any price mentioned! I started from scratch and purchased this and three other books to get my feet on the ground and this one definitely helped to get me there!

   Thank you for your time in reading this review.

   --Daniel




2. Although finding and reading a good Visual Basic book is an excellent start to ones Visual Basic career, I cannot over emphasize how important it is to get ones hands on a copy of the Visual Basic compiler. With both the book and the compiler you can quickly become comfortable with the Visual Basic Development Environment by typing in some of the source code in the book and test running it for yourself. Eventually, when you feel comfortable with your knowledge of Visual Basic you can begin writing and running your own programs. Visual Basic Deluxe Learning Edition will allow you to do just that.

   A highly recommended set of materials!




3. I found this book extremely helpful. I am a professor at Houghton College and purchased this book to write software for the genetics course that I teach. I had no prior experience in Visual Basic, although I have just taken a course in C++. The Step by Step guide is very helpful to orient users toward the visual basic environment, and has chapters on the syntax of the language itself, which is something I really needed. There are numerous helpful programs that come on the CDs, and I found the book extremely readable. In short, I highly recommend this book for its clarity and thoroughness.



4. This package has EVERYTHING that you will need to learn V.B. 6.0 and compile executable programs on your own. The step-by-step manual goes at a good pace for someone with little programming experience. The programmer's guide book and MSDN Help Library have the information necessary for those going beyond the 'Basic'.



5. Surprise! I'm reviewing Amazon. Your reviews for Microsoft Visual Basic 6 Learning Edition discuss the compiler that comes with the books, so people would naturally assume the compiler is included with the used books you're selling. It is NOT INCLUDED. Site visitors must click on details to learn that. Look, I know you don't have nearly enough billions yet to satisfy you, but play fair. Tell visitors on the review page that the compiler, the most important element in the reviews, is NOT part of the package.

5 comments about Professional VB.NET, Second Edition.

1. The .Net platform has undoubtedly revolutionized the world of software development, whether web based or traditional windows. Professional VB.Net like other WROX books (pardon my bias) does complete justice to the subject matter, explaining every nuance and subtlety with the typical lucidness that WROX books have been come to be known for. I used this book to pass the 70-305 certification exam. Great book for learning the language and the .Net platform.



2. Good book if you want to find how to apply VB.NET in different areas. BUT if you want to know VB.NET itself, don't waste your time, it should be the last book in your list.



3. This is not a book for beginners who are new to VB world. This book explains the differences (improvements) from VB6.0 to VB.NET. In addition, it has a few chapters that explain the Object Oriented concept in a well-organized fashion. This book is a good investment for anyone who is looking to move into the VB.NET world.



4. I`m really happy that I've purchased this book.
   Actualy I`m a self-learned VB 6 programmer; after having finished about how to program VB.NET, I wanted to learn more about the infrastructure of the .Net framework & also how to use professional tricks to increase the performance of my applincations.
   I found this book helpful on the way to achieve the above goals.
   You can consider it as a MUST HAVE BOOK for a professional VB developer.



5. This book has disappointed me one too many times so I'm going to finally write the review I've been wanting to. I keep trying to use this book and it keeps leaving me short. Sometimes in the examples the author tells you to do something obscure but then he doesn't tell you how to do it. The coverage lacks depth and detail.
   
   I am an experienced VB programmer but I got this book to help me convert to .Net. It has been a big disappointment. Some of the topics I needed help with were not covered. Most of the ones that were covered were sketchy.
   
   Fortunately, I picked up a Special Edition of "Using Visual Basic .Net" from Que which typically saves my bacon.

5 comments about Core Visual Basic 5 (Core Series).

1. Even though I'm now using VB6 & I've bought several of the newer books, I still think this is overall the best general book on VB available.

   My main complaint has nothing to do with the book itself, but rather with the marketingspeak on it which states that it's for "experienced programmers." In practice, that statement has probably done more harm then good, since advanced programmers will be disappointed by the more basic areas of the book.

   This is the ideal book for anyone who is either an experienced programmer new to VB or an intermediate VB programmer struggling with some of the more advanced topics.

   Advanced users will also get much out of the book, but know ahead of time that the first 150-200 pages are made up of a conscise but basic introduction that you'll want to skip over (though you'll probably find it a useful reference from time to time).




2. All text goes straight to the point, no useless words, no stupid jokes. Written by brilliant minds, with plenty of teaching talent. I would put them in the same category with Jesse Liberty and Tom Armstrong. If anybody can add a name to this list, send me a word, thank you. Thank God for the sharp minds, without them you sink deeper and deeper.



3. Great book to learn how to create classes and objects, but loses depth when talking about ActiveX EXE's, ActiveX DLL's and ActiveX Controls. It also lacks information on how to use your controls on a web page.



4. I have to concur with those disappointed readers. I am an experienced programmer. I have programmed for years with C and GUI tools. I have done object-styled programming in Ada, understand OO concepts and have even done some OOP. I should be the perfect audience, but so far I am at sea with this book.

   I have trudged through the first one and a half chapters only, so perhaps my views will be more charitable at the end of the journey, but shouldn't a book like this be accessible and clear right from the start?

   I have built a small application -- the walk-through example -- and I have no idea what I did. This is an exaggeration, but I wish to make the point that this exercise seems without much objective. Oh, I have become used to clicking a few buttons, but I have hardly any schema or model in my head of how the objects and properties fit together.

   Sorry Gary and Dave -- you clearly have a lot of fans. But I'm not signing up just yet.

   I should be keen to receive recommendations from programmers for other books which do the same as this book purports to. (Perhaps something a teensy-bit more analytic?)




5. this book has got both breadth and depth. it serves as a good reference full of concise and relevant examples. some advanced concepts and techniques are introduced to the readers with amazing clarity. core visual basic 5 is indeed an excellent second vb book to get. if you are really new to programming and want to get started in visual basic, get Beginning Visual Basic 5 for an easy and comprehensive introduction then get this book for more advanced coverage. have fun in your quest for VB knowledge!