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Summary: Learn to Program with VB
Review: If you would like to learn VB programming simply purchase John Smileys Learn to Program with VB. It is comprehensive and will give you a strong foundation in Visual Basic programming. Most points are covered several times to reinforce the concepts. I recommend reading it from cover to cover.
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Summary: this book is for beginners
Review: The book goes step by step of the basics of visual basic although the book is written like you were in the classroom. I would prefer something with more instruction. If you were a person who never used visual basic before and would be willing to go through each chapter of the book I would recomend this for you.
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Summary: Great book to study VB
Review: Great handbook to start studying VB. Honestly, I have a minumum knowledge of Visual Programming, but this book really makes me feel comfortable. It has a broad range of discussion, starting from the toolbar, object properties, up to the programming. Equipped with a 'real' project, it helps me a lot to get the exact picture and details of real programming.I have to stress here that this book is designed completely for a beginner. It is a terrific book anyway.
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Summary: Too much words and not focused to the point...
Review: I really thought this book would be a good choice but man was I wrong about that. I'm a type of guy who learns from an example w/ a concise to the point explanation. This book, however, has way too much story line that nobody gives a damn about. For example, "When I entered the code and ran the program,"Rhonda said, "the form moved immediately to the upper left-hand...."
This type of writing is taken up probably 4/5 of the total book's content and I'm not lying about that figure...
This book is more like a story of teacher's experience in teaching VB6. Maybe other people appreciate this kind of style of book, but not me. I want a book that gets to the point w/ an example w/ few words as possible. And this book miserably failed in that aspect....
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Summary: Reading a computer book can be entertaining
Review: In addition to the hows on VB, this book goes further to tell you the whys. For instance, there is a part on VB naming convention, the way event-driven programming is done as opposed to procedural programming etc. This takes away the frustration of reading a computer programming book. The classroom-style presentation makes you feel like you are part of John Smiley's class. You read the book as if it were a novel that you look forward to the conclusion at the end.
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Summary: A little disappointed
Review: I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with this book. After reading the great reviews, I ordered this book from Amazon, and went to the corner bookstore and got myself a copy of the "Visual Quickstart Guide to Visual Basic" to hold me over until my Amazon shipment arrived. I accomplished more advanced things in the first 10 pages of the quickstart guide than this entire book offers. I know it's an "absolute beginner" guide, and I do have some programming experience with C and Perl on UNIX. But, I'm an absolute beginner to Visual Basic, I haven't programmed on Windows since my DOS/QBASIC/Pascal days in college in the early nineties! But I was hoping for a "beginner's guide" to Visual Basic, not a beginner's guide to computers. This book is very remedial for anyone who's worked with any type of computer, there's a lot of hand holding. That might help you if you're just starting (and I mean REALLY STARTING OUT), but if you've got a little experience it's going to be annoying. The writing is in a classroom dialog, and it gets tiresome very quickly. You can easily skip ahead pages at a time while the author goes off on a tangent with entire passages about sending his students on a break, etc. I've been published in the computer security field, and no editor I know would allow me to write like that. Don't get me wrong, if you have absolutely no idea what RAM or a hard disk is, yet you want to learn VB, then this is your book. But I think that if you've got enough experience to be able to identify that VB is what you want to start doing, then this book is probably beneath you.
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Summary: It will get you going.
Review: When I first got interested in programming I was trying to ind a language that was easy to learn. I lied visual basic so I started buying alot of books about it. Most had the "experienced" developer point of view. I came across this title in a book store and couldnt put it down. I love it. It explained everything in an easy to understand way. This book could teach you grandmother to program! It doesnt get advanced,but then again its only a starter book. After reading this book, you will be able to understand ANY other VB book you find. Great job Mr. Smiley!:)
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Summary: ...
Review: This book is nothing like a professional one. If you are a total newbie it might help you to understand what's going on with Visual Basic programming, but if you wish to learn it fast and learn it the professional way, this book is not for you.
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Summary: Learning from John Smiley
Review: I bought John's book to use as a required text book for a Visual Basic class I am teaching. I learned something new in every chapter myself and found it fun to read. It is not your typical dry, technical instruction manual. While it is teaching important Visual Basic details, it puts these details into a "big picture" context. It is a great beginners book.
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Summary: Drove me Nuts
Review: Let me summarize my experience with this book. Blah Blah Blah *yawn* blah blah blah (150 pages later still no programming) blah blah blah... china shop... blah blah blah... students return from break... blah blah blah. Bought another book. The end
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