No comments about Visual Basic .NET Programs to Accompany Programming Logic and Design.

5 comments about Vb Com.

1. It was a fantastic resource that explains COM very well. It's targeted towards beginning programmers, assuming very little about a programmer's foreknowledge of VB. It even walks through wizard examples.

   I've had the book for about 2 years now and I still use it as a basic reference book whenever I have a spacey moment on a fundemental aspect of COM.

   Excellent starter book that I've recommended to many friends along the way.




2. Although this book was written over 3 years ago, it is still a good book for Visual Basic developers to learn COM. Microsoft wants you to think that everyone will be switching to Visual Basic.Net but the reality is there are a lot of Visual Baisc 6.0 shops out there and they have to support legacy COM components (ActiveX) for some time to come. Not all of those components are going to be converted to .Net. This book is a good starting point for any Visual Basic developers who want to learn COM including ActiveX DLLs and EXEs, ActiveX Controls, and Microsoft Transaction Server. The chapter on Microsoft Transaction Server could be a good step to COM+ on Windows 2000 and XP machines. Thomas Lewis takes you step-by-step from introduction to COM thru ActiveX components and finally thru Microsoft Transaction Server. He lays a good knowledge foundation and then with each succeeding chapter builds upon that knowledge. I would recommend that after you read this book that you follow it up the Peter Vogel's "Visual Basic Object and Component Handbook".



3. I was long searching for a book on COM from a VB programmers perspective, first reading 'Beginning visual basic objects' and putting it aside for a while i decided to purchase this book and was not disapointed, sometimes this book is a bit dry and at times the examples are quite abstract it nevertheless delivers! I built a COM object for an IIS Server to handle CDO/SMTP in 10 minutes!



4. The material seems a bit dated, but the basics are there. It was helpful in that I was looking to refresh some of the concepts. However, the ~n that appear in numerous places really started to drive me nuts. You would have thought that something so obvious as a "~n" would have been easily caught by an editor! They start to appear on page 26.
   
   And why does Wrox insist on putting the authors pictures on their books? Developers are not photogenic!



5. I'm making the transition from C++ COM to VB COM, and I have very little experience with VB. This book just kind of goes over what COM can do and sort of explains what COM is doing in the examples. The coverage of material is minimal at best, and you won't really understand what COM is doing from the explanations. What's worse is that you won't really learn how to apply his examples to other projects. This book assumes you are an experienced VB programmer and is explaining COM, which would be fine except then his instructions are way too low level for any VB programmer and his explanations are severely lacking.
   
   As an example for anyone who knows about COM, he covers connection points in 2 pages, whithout really explaining how you can use these in your own applications. For reference, all other COM books I've read devote at least 1 chapter to connections points, and it's often one of the largest/most challenging chapters.
   
   If you want to know what COM is doing, buy a concept book from Microsoft presses, or a C++ book. Even if you don't know C++, it at least explains what COM does. (Because you can't see what COM is doing for you in VB, this book doesn't explain COM very well). If you need to learn COM in VB, try another book (if I knew which one, I would have bought that one instead).
   
   A word about the books age. This book is written for VB 6.0 which was based on COM. If you're now developing in VB 7.0 aka VB.NET, this book is not so useful. VB 7.0 is now based on .NET, so you can't actually make any COM objects from VS 2003 using VB. New VB objects to be used by COM objects or to function as COM objects must use wrappers which are another topic entirely. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I could not find a way to build unmanaged , native code from VB.NET and there don't appear to be any ActiveX (aka COM) wizards around.
   
   Also, online support for this book is non-existant. The Company that published this book was split into two and purchased by other publishers, and this book appears not to have been purchased by either, and so neither provides any support or references for it.
   
   I really recommend against purchasing this book.

No comments about Advanced Guide to Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET.

No comments about Programming in Visual Basic .Net: Visual Basic .Net 2003 Update Edition.

5 comments about MCAD Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic(R) .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio(R) .NET Exam Cram 2 (Exam Cram 70-305) (Exam Cram 2).

1. If your goal is to pass the exam then this book is for you. This is not a book to learn ASP.NET. So you should not expect any basic stuff. Read other books to learn ASP.NET then use this to pass the exam. I highly recommend it. I read it and gave the tests at the end and passed in the first attempt.



2. I have passed some Microsoft exams using Exam Cram 2 books as my sole study resource--that will always be the standard by which these books are judged. This book falls far short.

   This book introduces you to the various topics on the 70-305 test, but does not cover a single topic in enough depth to be worthwhile. The review questions and practice exams are weak, also.




3. I passed the exam using this book. I use .Net at work and read one intro book before this one. This is a good book and good practice tests at the end of the book tested skills that the exam tested. I actually saw very similar questions on the test. Some of the sample questions did not come from the text of the chapters, which I see a lot of people complain about, but I was OK with that. They do explain in the opening chapter that this should not be used to learn the basics of the language.

   One thing to note is that the Prep Logic exams included on the CD are awful. I've tried the ones that came with the 70-305, 70-306 and 70-310 books. All of them had blatant errors. For the 306 Prep Logic I did the first 5 questions and every one of the answers was blatantly wrong. Que really should dump those guys as the Prep Logic quality reflects poorly on their excellent books.




4. It looks like the book was rushed out the door. While there seems to be some good information in it, I was repeatedly frustrated with the end of the chapter tests asking questions that were covered nowhere in the book! Then when I did the first of the included Prep Logic tests, some of the answers were opposite of what was stated in the book. If you can't be consistent within the scope of the book it really throws it's reliably into question. Don't plan on using this as your sole resource.



5. I agree with some of the feedback here. This is not a book for learning ASP.NET. But then the book does state this early on. By all means read my review, even if for an experience, but I wouldn't until you have had an experience with ASP.NET and Visual Studio. To appreciate this book for any benefit you can find from it, go on a course first.
   
   This book is intended only for exam preparation and in places, it serves it's purpose well here. The official Microsoft textbook for the course is just as thick and goes into tremendous detail and manages to use simple language in places. It doesn't convey the exam experience, but then it's not designed to! I made essential notes for the first 10 chapters and, typed up, I have 5 pages. The first 10 chapters comprise 200! The MS textbook has demonstrations, practices, and explanations, which explains why it is so thick.
   
   From what I can tell, in sitting the exam Microsoft don't expect you to be a world class ASP.NET developer. Microsoft appear mainly concerned with ensuring you can concentrate in intricate detail (trying not to scare you: the difference between some understandings is just one word), think according to the understandings and concepts associated with the task at hand (and remember them), and that you are virtually fluent with the tools and the technologies. I wouldn't sit the exam if you haven't played with Visual Studio and made at least a simple Web application. Judging by some of the sample questions, Microsoft assume you have done so and because you gain knowledge in the process, such as realising that a button doesn't have to be coded for other parts of a Web form to work. Programming skill comes with time and Microsoft are kind enough to understand this.
   
   One lesson I drew from a sample question is that I need to read the exam question *very carefully* and study the provided answers with the same care. The exam is multiple choice so the real test is making a judgement call. This is just one of the daily skills involved with programming.
   
   If you know the ASP.NET technology to the dot (at least to the knowledge requirement of the official course book), can read code and follow what its doing (whether correct or not), think programmatically (the science of writing a program), applying all applicable knowledge in the process, and devise a solution provided it solves the problem, you should pass the exam with flying colours.
   
   That's quite a read I know, but then so is this book and only attempt it if you have done a course on ASP.NET. And, in my opinion, only read it to test yourself for readiness; to get a feeler.

5 comments about Programming Components With Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (Microsoft Programming Series).

1. The authors do well to explore a broad range of issues but never really get down to the nitty-gritty of it. However, it is easy reading and if you are a COM amateur you will benefit from the content. Personal opinion: Buy Pattison's book instead.



2. This is a well written and logical survey of COM from a VB perspective. With only 371 pages of text, it attempts to tackle a broad subject area. The level of complexity is comparable to what is expected in the VB Distributed exam (70-175), for which it is an excellent study adjunct.

   I enjoyed reading it from end to end, and keep it as a reference for certain developer skills that I use infrequently. While I consider the book to be aimed at a "beginner" in COM, beginners in COM are at least intermediate level VB developers. The moniker on the cover, "for enterprise developers", is a little misleading, since serious enterprise VB developers will need more detail than is provided. However, in creating a survey aimed at broadening one's understanding of all of Microsoft's COM technologies, the Eddons are successful.

   Weaknesses: The book is far too brief for so broad a subject matter. For example, a single chapter on MTS (the lifeblood of n-tier architecture performance) can only touch the highlights. Creation of ActiveX controls gets much deeper coverage. Another weakness is the (not unexpected) Microsoft optimism with respect to the performance and robustness of COM technologies. A healthy dose of caveats is lacking.

   Conclusion: A good introduction to COM for intermediate level VB developers. A superb study adjunct for 70-175 candidates.




3. This book briefly covers all the relavant COM subjects, without much depth. However, I found the section on ActiveX controls very useful.

   For example, the section on page 129 on setting base addresses is a rare discussion of base addresses for ActiveX controls and DLLs. Something like this subject is often passed over in other books to make room for more depth or programing examples. This book covers subjects like this in a way that is easy to understand and use.




4. Originally I bought Dan Appleman's book on ActiveX. Intimidated by its size and by what seemd to be digressions into nowhere, I switched to this one. Not a good move. VB6's own manuals do a much better job of leading you through the paces, and contain a bit more background than found here -- though it's still not enough. The authors furnish a few step-by-step recipes, but no in-depth understanding that allows you to move beyond the limited examples or design your own from scratch. They neglect to mention COM's performance hits and offer no workarounds. Even as a basic intro to ActiveX, you'll find more in the VB6 manuals. 3rd-party books ought to supplement and enhance the original product's documentation; this book doesn't. Save time and money; no 3rd-party manual is a 100% substitute for the original product documentation, which in the case of VB5/VB6 is actually quite good (especially compared to what's in this book). Start with the VB6 online docs first, then go to Appleman's book for a deeper understanding of what's happening and what you can do with it. As it turns out, what I thought were Appleman's "digressions" were a preface to what COM/ ActiveX is about; perusing through 3 other competetive books revealed that they all use the same approach, but none are as complete or as clear as Appleman's version. This book by the Heddons is far too skimpy and incomplete to be of great use to intermediate/advanced VB users. If you want a general summary or to dip a toe in the water, save $$$ and read VB6's own chapter summaries from the online manuals. You will not be able to use the information in the Heddon book without covering most of the first 2 VB6 volumes beforehand.



5. This book discussions of COM is very thorough and hands on exercises provide immediate feedback. This book will broaden your understanding of COM

2 comments about Visual Basic .NET Programmer's Reference.

1. I am not a professional programmer so I need all the help I can get. I was stuck trying to get the Long Date format to work correctly so I consulted the help menu in VB.NET and all that provided was information that was incorrect and or that I could not implement correctly so I picked up my new copy of Programmer�s reference and found the solution within seconds. I use the previous version Programmer�s reference for VB6 and it also is an excellent resource. Both of these books by Dan Rahmel have MORE information that I can use in the real world than several of the 1500 page books on my shelves.
   Lloyd Gregory techrep@lloydgregory.com



2. Whenever I need some help with Visual Basic.net, this is the first source that I use. Sometimes it is better than the on-line help. I would supplement this book with the "Visual Basic.Net: The Complete Reference" book. I would highly recommend that both books be added to your Visual Basic.Net reference library. Although not as fast as the on-line help, the book provides better answers to your Visual Basic.Net questions. The only error that I found is ADO.Net becomes ADO.Next in the chapter on ADO.Net. Must have been the publisher.

No comments about Teach Yourself: Visual Basic for DOS.

5 comments about Visual Basic 6 Win32 API Tutorial.

1. Personally I thought this book was great for progammers just starting out with the API or Applications Programmers Interface. The examples are well laid out and the code is mostly bug free. Yes this book does not have the depth of some other earlier mentioned books, however it is important to realize that this is a tutorial. Because this book claims to be a tutorial it should be rated on how well it teaches the subject. Personally I think the author did a great job and I learned a significant amount from this book.



2. A lot of people have mixed feelings about this book. But i think it really depends on your level of programming. If you are a absoloute beginner to the Win32 API, then forget this book, it'll just get you lost. If you have a little experiance in the API, (for example, i had used the API for a few BitBlt functions), then this is a good 'next level' book. If you have no idea what i mean when i say 'BitBlt Functions' then this book probably isn't for you. This book is a good reference and fairly useful when troubleshooting API problems, and it also goes a bit beyond the Win32 API which can be informitive. I enjoyed reading this, and escpecially building the encryption program that this book helps you compile along the way, but as i said before it really matters what skill level you are at.



3. I can honestly say after doing about 80% of the examples in this book, that I found only about 20% of the stuff useful. And of all the stuff I learned I can honestly say that it did not make my understanding of API's more clear.

   To me API is something you have to spend some time with. And it is hard cause unlike picking some new control and just figuring out what it does by its properties and methods, API's aren't something you can quickly grasp (IMHO) by playing with them.

   I didn't like the 'I will explain what all this does later', concept either as one reviewer mentioned. If your going to write out tonnes of code explain it all before you move on. This book doesn't do that. ALSO DON'T throw pages of code and more pages and then explain what it all does.

   DO IT IN SMALL CHUNKS!! Any developer who writes tonnes and tonnes of code and then tests his/her program is nuts. Take it in small steps. The book doesn't do this and I feel that was its greatest fault.

   I'd write this huge routine and sure it would work, but I'd be saying to myself "what do these 2 lines here at the beggining with the API call do exactly".. Then I am coding more and then the concept is atempted to be explained to me in its entirity.. And I am sitting there "What the hell did I just do?"

   Well that's my 2 cents. The good thing is source code is available from the publishers web site, and what errors there are in the book are easy to see.. nothing huge (that is unless you are really new to VB then u shouldn't be using this book first). However, the mutex example was VERY helpful and I have it in one application already. I know what it does but I don't really understand its mechanics... And I think that's how I feel about this book in the nutshell.

   Got some usefull code (not a lot) but API is still a mystery to me.... There's propably something better out there..




4. I bought this book about a year ago when I had a need to learn how to use Win32 API. I read a little, then started to skim, then skip sections, then put it aside completely where it collected dust while I found my answers elsewhere. I eventually picked it up again after I had become casually familiar with the Win32 API and realized that my remorse over the purchase wasn't the book's fault - rather it was my expectations of what the book was going to deliver.

   The Win32 API is vast and complicated. A casual glance at Win32 API books that go over just the Functions and Types (in only 4000 pages) will prove it. Any programmer looking at this book to solve a specific problem for them should keep looking. The book does not cover that many specific API situations, but rather explains syntax and structure, how's and when's, etc (metaphorically explaining what the abbreviations for a cup or tablespoon is and how to read a recipe card rather than how to cook any particular dish itself). I recommend the book as either your first introduction to the Win32 API after you have got VB6 down but before you actually need the Win32 API, or as a refresher for those who know the general gist of how to use the Win32 API, but want to fill in the gaps of what some things are, why they are used, and when to use them.




5. The contents of the book deserves a five-star rate, but the extremely boring explanations of the author made me downgraded it to a mere 3-star rate.
   I started to read the book -approximately four months ago- very excited because the contents of the book is something that has always interested me.
   After maybe twelve to fifteen pages, I had to stop reading it because the absolute boredom the author transmits with his explanations of the theme.
   I overcame that boredom and continued to read.

   The book has excellent examples with which to learn the API from; and the author's knowledge is undeniably outstanding.
   I have not been able to finish the book yet because the annoying way the author explains -as a consequence, my learning of the API/VB is still truncated.
   However, my proposition is to finish the book because, I know, needed knowledge will come from it.

1 comments about VB.NET: A Laboratory Course.

1. I have been teaching a community education course in Visual Basic 6.0 for several years. With the advent of VB.NET, I began searching for a book that could be used to teach it. The requirements are that it be in a laboratory format, start at a low level and be fairly thorough in coverage.
   Unfortunately, this book is nowhere close to meeting those requirements. While it is structured as a series of exercises, the coverage is far too shallow to be used in anything but the shortest of courses. Very few of the exercises get beyond the simplest of structures and there is very little demonstration of how subroutines interact. The exercises generally consist of a simple program where the user is to insert very small segments to make it functional.
   We have been using the Shelley and Cashman book for the VB 6.0 course and this book barely covers half of what is covered in the that book. I have recommended that this book be dropped from adoption consideration.