Visual Basic 2008 For Dummies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)While a decent Dummies book in essence, the problem lies in it's target. The main focus on the book is VB 2008 Professional Edition. I find it hard to think of a common situation where a user would have full access to VB'08 PE, a $650 package at least, and be on a "dummies" level. For a user to have a need of this book, they would normally be on an entry level. Most entry level user's would be using VB'08 Express. There are a lot of features he highlights that are not available in this edition. This makes this book of little use for a lot of the "dummies" demographic.
It does have a lot of useful information in it. With some trial and error and copious use of the Help files, you can adapt this book to the VB Express edition. I have to give it 2 stars for that. I wish I had found another resource instead to waste my money on.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Visual Basic 2008 For Dummies

Visual Basic is a favorite programming language, so if you're new to programming, it's a great place to start. Visual Basic 2008 For Dummies is the fun and easy way to begin creating applications right away while you get the hang of using the Visual Studio environment. Soon you'll be building all sorts of useful stuff with VB 2008!
This step-by-step guide walks you through a logical series of tasks that build your skills as you get comfortable with .Net terminology, theory, tools, and design principles. You'll learn how to build an application in four different architectural styles, and you'll find out how to make your programs validate input and output, make decisions, and protect themselves from security threats. Discover how to:
Install the Visual Studio environment
Write a VB program
Use Web forms, Windows forms, and Web services
Establish good programming practices
Create class libraries
Write secure applications
Debug your applications
Work with strings and "if-then" statements
Iterate with counted and nested loops
Pass arguments and get return values
Access data with VB.NET
Work with the file system using VB

You'll also find great tips for working with the VB user interface, using VB.NET in C# programming, troubleshooting your VB programs, taking your programming to the next level, and more! Once you get your hands on Visual Basic 2008 For Dummies, you'll be programming like a genius in no time!

Click here for more information about Visual Basic 2008 For Dummies

Read More...

Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: Includes Silverlight 2 (Expert's Voice in .NET) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Very thorough book, and at 1600+ pages, it ought to be. That being said, there are some weaknesses. I have read parts of the book, and then later when trying to retrieve same information, could not find it in the index. This was frustrating having to re-read entire chapters until I found what I was looking for.
Also, there is no background information on OO techniques. While technically not the purpose of the book, it would be nice to know how pages can be inherited from one another and how that technique differs from, say, using Master Pages.
Another thing the book did NOT have that I was hoping it would is detailed information on how to programmatically add controls to an ASP.Net web page. Nothing in the book at all.
Last but not least, the book claims to explain ASP.Net in VB 2008 yet some of the examples are clearly C# syntax. This is a typo for sure, but frankly an unacceptable one in my opinion. If I wanted a C# book, I would have purchased one.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: Includes Silverlight 2 (Expert's Voice in .NET)

ASP.NET 3.5 is the latest version of Microsoft's revolutionary ASP.NET technology. It is the principal standard for creating dynamic web pages on the Windows platform. Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008 raises the bar for high-quality, practical advice on learning and deploying Microsoft's dynamic web solution. Written especially for the VB.NET developer using VB 2008, seasoned .NET professionals Matthew MacDonald, Mario Szpuszta and Vidya Agarwal explain how you can get the most from this groundbreaking new technology. They cover ASP.NET 3.5 as a whole, illustrating both the brand-new features and the functionality carried over from previous versions of ASP. This book will give you the knowledge you need to code real ASP.NET 3.5 applications in the best possible style.The book will teach you ASP.NET 3.5 starting with core concepts to more advanced topics. You will learn:Core concepts of ASP.NET 3.5. Why it's special. What its fundamental principals are. The basics of Visual Studio. How ASP.NET 3.5 controls are created, and how they fit into ASP.NET 3.5 pages, ultimately creating full applications.Data access details. The intricacies of ADO.NET and how to perform data binding to many sources from databases to file streams to XML. We include LINQ coverage so you're on the bleeding edge, and the ADO.NET Entity Framework.Silverlight 2.0 ASP.NET controls - to take your presentation to new levels with the incredibly powerful new version of Silverlight 2.0.Security. Once considered the Achilles heel of all Windows web applications, security has vastly improved and is a cornerstone of ASP.NET 3.5. This section explains the various forms of available security, and how to best apply them.Taking things further using advanced user interface techniques. This includes user controls, customer server controls, client-side JavaScript, GDI+ and the impact of Silverlight 2.0.Web services. In an increasingly connected world, working with web services grows in importance. This book will show you how to work with them.ASP.NET AJAX, with an emphasis on contemporary web development techniques.ASP.NET MVC, ASP.NET Extension package, and much more...

Click here for more information about Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: Includes Silverlight 2 (Expert's Voice in .NET)

Read More...

Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)THIS BOOK IS A COMPLETE SCAM! It should have been called Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 with VB 2005 (NOT ASP.NET 3.5 with VB 2008). Why? because there is no 3.5/2008 specific content in this book what-so-ever! I could not believe this while i was reading.
He spends a chapter discussing the VB language and syntax, non of which contain the new language features or changes in the VB language, all examples will work in VB 2005 without issue. In fact, there is not even a mention of LINQ, which is the most important part of the new VB 2008 (VB9) language. In fact, he goes further by giving us chapters and chapters on accessing data using outdated data access methods and SQL statements, non of which is necesssary anymore thanks to LINQ (WHICH HE MENTIONS NOTHING ABOUT).
It talks about the old, outdated controls of ASP.NET 2.0 which are no longer used or necessary due to the newer and much better controls available in asp.net 3.5 (in which he mentions NOTHING about).
I still can't believe apress would allow something like this to go through. This really is a book about ASP.NET 2.0 and VB 2005 ONLY. There really is nothing (NOTHING, not even one bit) of anything related to exclusive ASP.NET 3.5 or VB 2008 features and content!!!!
What a damn disappointment, when you are reading a book and realize you've practically read the exact same book 3 years ago and there is nothing new in it!
Thankfully I didn't buy it and downloaded a copy off the internet to review it before buying it.
THIS IS A COMPLETE SCAM, DO NOT BUY IT.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition

The most up-to-date and comprehensive introductory ASP.NET book you'll find on any shelf, Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008 guides you through Microsoft's latest technology for building dynamic web sites. This book will enable you to build dynamic web pages on the fly, and it assumes only the most basic knowledge of VB 2008. The book provides exhaustive coverage of ASP.NET, guiding you from your first steps right up to the most advanced techniques, such as querying databases from within a web page and tuning your site for optimal performance. Within these pages, you'll find tips for "best practices" and comprehensive discussions of key database and XML principles you need to know in order to be effective with ASP.NET. The book also emphasizes the invaluable coding techniques of object orientation and code behind, which will start you off on the track to building real-world web sites right from the beginningrather than just faking it with simplified coding practices. By the time you've finished the book, you will have mastered the core techniques and have all the knowledge you need to begin work as a professional ASP.NET developer.

Click here for more information about Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition

Read More...