Murach's VB.NET Database Programming with ADO.NET

Rating:
Summary: Murach's ASP .NET more bang for the buck
Review: I purchased this book after I was so impressed with Murach's APS.NET programming with ADO.NET. I found the ASP.NET book contained a wealth of information that included ADO.NET.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading Murach's VB.NET Database Programming with ADO.NET by Doug Lowe, Anne Prince. I found it to be comprehensive yet concice. It is a particularly effective combination of pratical examples and theory, and I know that I will refer back to this book for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: BETTER TRY ANOTHER BOOK
Review: Murach's VB.NET Database Programming with ADO.NET is geared towards a classroom, like college or university, if you want to learn yourself, you are stuck, it doesn't provide step-by-step instructions on how to create projects or samples, the web site lets you download instruction for exercises and projects, but you are in tuff luck, because they won't provide you with any solutions to the exercises and projects. Try Wrox press and Apress books, they are better geared toward to the self-learner.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book To Learn ADO.NET
Review: One thing that immediately hit me as I read the book is that the format. Basically every left hand page is a narrative and every right hand page contains diagrams and bullet points pertaining to the narrative. The first implication this has is that in a way the book appears twice as large as it actually is. A lot of information from the left hand side is repeated on the right hand side. Also there is a liberal sprinkling of white space. At first I thought this was unnecessary. However once I got into the book I found that this format generally worked for me. I discovered that after reading each left hand page I could then take stock by reading the bullet points on the right hand page. This was particularly useful once the first few chapters were left behind and the more involved issues started to get explained. So a thumbs up for this format and I think we may well see other publishers take it up in future.
I'd advise you to read Appendix A first and make sure you have the Web Server & MSDE installed ready on your PC for use as you make your way through the book. The book's example applications are written for the MSDE database (although they should work equally as well for SQL Server). The whole book is heavily biased towards MSDE/SQL Server. (Nearly all the example code uses the System.Data.SQLClient namespace) The applications and sample database used in the book are also available for download.
Section 1
As a long-term database programmer I found that I could speed-read through Chapter 1. For readers not very familiar to database programming this chapter is a must read as it covers a lot of concepts which are important later on. Chapter 2 was an excellent overview of ADO.NET. Chapter 3 was where the book really got going. The initial setting up of data adapters, connections and datasets I found a little heavy going but the example of binding data to a datagrid was excellent. By the end of this section you will have a small database application up and running using a datagrid to display your data.
Section 2
Chapter 4 shows you how to set up a simple databound application using a form with databound controls on that allow the example Vendors database to be maintained. It also contained useful information about handling ADO.NET errors. Chapter 5 moves on to using unbound controls and shows how an unbound application can be more flexible. Chapter 6 covers untyped datasets, which are more closely related to how the old ADO works. Finally in Chapter 7 you learn how use data views to filter and sort data in datasets, how to use parameterized queries to restrict the data retrieved from the database and also how to work with multiple tables in a dataset.
Section 3
In chapter 8 you get to learn about working with data commands, i.e. queries that return datasets using data readers, queries that don't return a dataset (either scalar or non-queries), stored procedures (including using the configuration wizard), and transactions. Chapter 9 moves onto working with dataset schemas and covers using the XML designer to create tables and columns, constraints and relations for typed datasets; also using the collection editors to perform similar tasks for untyped datasets; and finally how to perform these tasks through code. Chapter 10 shows you how to develop and use database classes. This chapter briefly covers some of the theory of 3 tiered applications. Chapter 11 then puts all you have learnt so far into practice by running through the creation of a complete order entry application.
Section 4
Chapter 12 is basically an introduction to ASP.NET programming showing how to use the Web Form Designer and how to bind web server controls to data sources. Chapter 13 highlights some of the ASP.NET programming techniques such as connection pooling and caching and maintaining session state. Chapter 14 shows how to use the Datalist and Datagrid controls.
Section 5
Chapter 15 deals with working with XML files. No prior knowledge of XML is assumed and it provides a good basic introduction to the subject. Chapter 16 shows you how to use Crystal Reports to develop reports. Chapter 17 explains how to use the Server Explorer for performing common database tasks like creating databases, defining fields, relationships, keys and indexes and constraints.
Pros
I found the information in the book to be very accurate. The few errors were posted very quickly on their web site.
I also liked having space in the margins to pencil in remarks and notes.
The print was clear and there were plenty of diagrams and figures to supplement the text.
Cons
I couldn't initially use the example database as it was created using a collation different to my UK set-up. This will need to be corrected if the book is to be sold outside the US. I eventually managed to get around this problem by using a Microsoft support article, 325681.
Conclusion
The book assumes some VB.Net familiarity. I'd suggest that anyone reading this book reads a basic VB.Net book first. However, as far as ADO.Net goes no prior knowledge is required.
This is not so much a reference book as a tutorial book that guides you through the various aspects of ADO.Net. I found it difficult to dive into a particular chapter without reading the previous chapters. This in itself is certainly no bad thing but it is something you need to be aware of.
My overall opinion is that this book is an excellent tool to learn ADO.NET for VB.NET. I'd have no problem recommending it to anyone new to ADO.NET but with some VB.NET experience. This book is definitely aimed at the ADO.NET novice and you will end up with a basic grounding in a good coverage of ADO.NET subjects.
There are 2 chapters available in PDF format for free viewing.

Rating:
Summary: A "must-have" personal and professional library addition
Review: The collaborative and impressive effort of Anne Prince and Doug Lowe, Murach's VB.NET Database Programming With ADO.NET is a training and reference resource which is especially useful as a self-teaching tool or supplement, and was specifically created to instruct Visual Basic programmers in VB.NET skills in order to develop professional level database applications in ADO.NET in the span of only a few weeks. Sample code and meticulously delineated steps help simplify the difficult process of learning complex ideas and structrues at an advanced and professional level. Murach's VB.NET Database Programming With ADO.NET is commended as a "must-have" personal and professional library addition for database programmers working with ASP.NET.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Practical Book truly geared towards learning.
Review: There are very few publishers in the IT world that follow the approach taken by the Murach's series to teach. All the left hand side pages of this book are theory and explanations and all the right hand side pages of this book are code/explanations. It is a new and unique approach that seems to work. It is clear when you read the book that the authors are definitely geared towards teaching the subject and making it as easy as possible for you to learn. This is obvious even in the way things are explained where the authors make no assumptions and start from scratch in explaining everything in great detail. This is an excellent approach to teach beginners.

The book is split into two parts - using VB.NET to build desktop applications and using VB.NET to build web applications. But for both sections, it MAINLY addresses the issue of connecting to databases through ADO.NET. And if you are looking at learning how to develop just web applications, you are forced to learn how to build desktop applications first. The reason for this is that the book starts with the desktop applications before proceding to the web applications and it doesn't repeat the knowledge presented in the earlier chapters. So you can't start directly reading the web development chapters. But we found that it isn't that great an inconvenience.

If you are in a rush, you are better off looking at another book in the market - 'Programming the Web with Visual Basic.NET' by Torkelson, et al. This book only addresses how to develop web applications using VB.NET and it does an equally fantastic job at teaching if not better. It also goes a lot deeper into the subject. This other book does does claim to be only for Intermediate/Advanced users though we believe that if you are an experienced programmer but just new to VB.NET, you should be okay.

The book being reviewed here does have a website where you can download the sample code and we have been able to successfully use a lot of the code with very few problems in implementing the code. There are almost no negatives to this book with the exception that it isn't for an advanced user and it forces you to learn how to build desktop applications first. Everything it addresses, it does a fantastic job but it does leave out the very advanced topics.

We thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and wanted to share this valuable find with others (not just this book but also other books by the Murach's series). We hope you too enjoy learning from this book as much as we did. Our copy will continue to be used for a long time to come to give you an indication of how much we like this book. Good luck!

Rating:
Summary: Murach's VB.NET database programming with ADO.NET
Review: This is a great ADO.NET book i would like to recommend. Although I only finished the first 3 chapters, I just cannot wait to express my excitement on this great book. It is very informative, yet concise. Unlike some other .NET books, this one just grasp your interest immediately, and let you hate to put away. This is one of the best book I have purchased in .NET.

Rating:
Summary: Find A Different Book
Review: This is one of the worest books I seen for ado.net. If you want to learn ADO.NET you need to do it in code, not with the components. The SQL server stuff is terribleand shows bad practices, it uses inline sql statemetns which is a no-no with any good DB and since it uses inline sql you never learn to call a stored procedure. You can learn everything in this book for free from MS in the samples MSDN libarary or online at http://www.gotdotnet.com or http://www.windowsforms.net/ or http://www.asp.net. If you want to get a door stop that you can read then this book might be a good choice.

Rating:
Summary: Best ADO.Net Book
Review: This is the best ADO.Net book I have read. It covers most everything you need to learn to develop an application using ADO.Net. The book is relevant for beginning all the way through expert level developers.

It starts out with the assumption that you know nothing about databases and database programming. There is a good primer on client server systems, relational databases, and SQL. After the intro, it goes into the basics of ADO.Net. It then builds on that foundation and provides in-depth details of the syntax and usage of .Net database programming.

The authors are clear, concise, and explain things very well without being verbose or chatty. There are also many useful and relevant tips throughout the lessons. After you have learned the syntax and functions of ADO.Net, they give you two sample applications, an order entry Windows program and a vendor maintenance web app, that apply the lessons learned in the previous chapters. My one problem with the book is that the code samples do not contain comments, which would be useful with the sample apps. All examples and code are available for download. I haven't done this yet so I can't speak to how well the code works.

Besides ADO.Net, there are excellent sections on ASP.Net and N-Tier applications, but what I especially like is the chapter on Crystal Reports. Most every application requires some type of reporting but almost none of the .Net books I read cover the subject. This book devotes 30 pages to Crystal. I wish I would have read this book before I wrote my first .Net app using Crystal; it would have saved me a lot of time.

If you need to quickly get up to speed with .Net database programming, this is the book. It covers most every aspect of database development in a little over 500 pages and despite the complexity and detail of the subject, it is very easy to read and understand. I wish they would write a C# version! I recently converted to C#. It is an excellent book. My compliments to authors Anne Prince and Doug Lowe.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: With this book, Murach continues publishing straight-forward technical information. It's not a rehash of help-on-line, but provides theory and very
practical examples using the "paired pages" format. How-to on the left page and examples on the right. I haven't read a better book on ADO.NET for begineers through intermediate developers.

You will learn by reading this book.