Learn to Program with Visual Basic 6

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Summary: BEST BEGINNER'S BOOK ON THE MARKET !
Review: I've made a few false starts learning VB from books that were either obtuse, obsequious, or both. Then I discovered this book by John Smiley. He takes you under his wing from page one, and by the end of the book you can't believe how much you've learned and what you can do with VB. HATS OFF ! to this man and what he is doing to help others learn how to program.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This book is the best beginners Visual Basic book I have ever read, and I have read quite a few. With no prior knowledge to programming you will know all the main concepts by the end of this books to write your own Visual Basic programs. The style of writing makes the book very interesting and readers who are not beginners will enjoy and benifit from this book as well. Must Buy!

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Summary: Loved it -- Very Readable
Review: This is probably the best book I have seen for entry level VB programming. It offers solid background information before presenting a topic, which is then followed by meaningful examples. The project in the book is a good practical application of the techniques presented. Many books designed to present material at this level are often too dry, but not this one. The classroom style in this book allows common questions to be asked and answered in a very readable style. I am currently reading both of Professor Smiley's other books as well.

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Summary: Learn to Program with Visual Basic 6 by J. Smiley
Review: This book is a best choice for beginner, I think. It doesn't give you a full list of descriptions and definitions in the VB, use MS PRESS's issues for this. It isn't a programmer's notebook, use other sources for this. This book will realy TEACH you VISUAL BASIC, it'll help you to pass a very hard first part of the way - to begin a real programming - with practical help of THE MASTER. You'll can go ahead. It's that you need, isn't it?

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Summary: Hats Off to John Smiley
Review: I tip my hat to John Smiley for having the courage to write a book like "Learn to program with Visual Basic 6 for the Absolute Beginner". From reading other so call beginning Visual Basic Books I could not believe how much they required you to know just to start a basic project. Most of the examples they showed were so full of errors that they would not work properly. Also you had to be fairly computer literate or needed some expericence to run the IDE properly if you new nothing about it up front. John Smiley's approach really gave me the proper understanding and the correct method for taking on a real life project. I am finishing up the Visual Basic 6 now and will immediately start on the Visual Basic 6 Database book. I make it a habit to visit bookstores often to find out who the good authors are and what authors are just putting out trash. John keep up the good work and like you said Visual Basic Programming is easy and lots of fun.

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Summary: Great for ABSOLUTE beginners.
Review: Having NO experience and after reading several other "beginning" books, I too thought I would never be able to learn to program. This book really takes its time and holds your hand. Exactly what an absolute beginner needs.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent publication
Review: I was quite eager to buy this book after I read some of the reviews from the other readers. The discussion of The Systems Development Life Cycle is a plus for new programmers. The book reflects the insight the author has into the problems encountered by programmers and how to address these problems. I recommend this book and I am happy to own a copy and will definitely buy the author's new book on databases.

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Summary: John Smiley Has the Right Idea
Review: I've spent, or should I say wasted, hundreds of dollars on books in my quest to learn Visual Basic Programming. Amazingly, the ones I've purchased all received good reviews on this and other sites. This book is the first one I've found where the the examples actually work, and the examples are fully explained in a down-to-earth way. Not only does John Smiley explain the reasoning behind each line of code, but he explains WHY one should design it that way. In addition, the reader isn't expected to know everything in advance, as with other books. Finally, unlike other books, this one explains every procedure in detail, not just a part of the code. Though there were a few typos in this edition, none were critical to the workings of the program code. My only wish is that there were many more books like this--a series, perhaps, that would lead people through more and more examples, and more and more advanced topics. How about it John?

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Summary: Outrageous!
Review: I've purchased several books on Visual Basic and understood literally none of them. As a complete novice learning on my own as a hobby, I found Mr. Smiley's method of teaching and explanations so easy to understand. He made so much sense out of all the other books. I'm just sorry that I didn't find this book sooner. It would have saved me a ton of money spent on the others. I can't say enough about how easy it was to follow and how excited I got when working through the lessons. What was even better is that the program worked. It's a shame you only allow 5 stars. This book is a "10" for sure.

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Summary: Bravo Prof. Smiley! Great Book.
Review: I feel truly blessed that I inadvertently came across John Smiley's book. It's clear, concise, and truly engaging. I highly recommend purchasing this book. I was truly a beginner and in no time I was up and programming small projects. John Smiley's teaching method enabled me to absorb the concepts of Visual Basic 6 and not feel intimidated by programmer's jargon in other books.I also purchased two other books by John Smiley. Haven't read them yet but looking forward to learning more!