Rating: 
Summary: Great Book For Beginners
Review: If you are wanting to learn Visal Basic 6! this book is for you.
Mr. Smiley is a good author and excellent teacher. So I would recommend this book to all beginners.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for those wanting to learn Visual Basic!
Review: John Smiley has done an absolutely wonderful job with his LEARN TO PROGRAM WITH VISUAL BASIC 6. He assumes no prior knowledge or natural computer proficiency, and thus his explanations can be easily grasped by anyone who takes the time to read and understand them. He frequently gives examples of real-life questions by his students about practical problems and then gives a simple, direct answer. For those who are even somewhat intimidated by the idea of learning a computer language, be hesitant no more. LEARN TO PROGRAM WITH VISUAL BASIC 6 is so straightforward and effective of a teacher that you will be learning in no time at all. By the end of the book you will have learned about classes and some of the basic ideas behind object-oriented programming.I do have a caveat though for those who are more experienced with computer science. This book is not for you. If you already have a solid grasp of the ideas behind computer science or already know a more complicated language such as Visual C++, look elsewhere for a self-instruction course on Visual Basic. The reason that this book is so effective for beginners is the same reason it will be somewhat frustrating and seemingly ridiculous to experienced programmers. You will read ten pages and think to yourself that it could have been explained effectively in one. In summary, buy this book if you have no previous programming experience and are at all interested in learning a language. If you are a computer science major or someone who already knows some programming, look elsewhere for a more sophisticated treatment of Visual Basic.
Rating:
Summary: I think it's a great book
Review: Let me begin by saying that I'm the author, so let's get that out of the way. I'm posting here to point out that the book has a tremendous amount of support materials that have never been advertised. Each of my books has a support page containing a current list of errata, downloadable files (completed exercises from the book), extra links to extra materials I have written and my email address in the event you have problems. I also run a series of online classes so that if you would like to learn with me in a more structured setting, you can do that also. You can access those materials via this link http://www.johnsmiley.com/books.htm I should also say that this book isn't for everyone---and you can read through some of the other reviews posted here to see why and why not. I wrote this book for beginner level programmers, and the book is written in a unique style. You (and I) can thank the now defunct Wrox Publishing house for the style of the book that some people absolutely love and others (primarily hotshot programmers with lots of experience) hate. The book is written as if you are participating in an actual classroom---many people, particularly those learning on their own or in an Independent study setting find comforting. My thanks to the many people who have written to me to tell me how much they've enjoyed my books and how they have helped them achieve their goals of learning to program. John Smiley
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Beginner's Book for Visual Basic
Review: This book is truly a great place to start learning Visual Basic 6. It is aimed at individuals who have little to no programming experience and provides a step-by-step approach covering many of the major topics used in Visual Basic. Note, however, this book does not cover all of the topics that one might wish to use in Visual Basic. More advanced topics are better left to more specialized books. John Smiley does introduce topics including data manipulation, selection structures, loops, string manipulation, disk files and printer operations, arrays, error handling and he even talks about the Windows Registry. This book is written in an easy to follow format that makes it enjoyable and informative for the beginner. Intermediate programmers will also find this book useful because the topics covered will help to clear up certain points of confusion that one may have concerning basic programming techniques and conventions used in Visual Basic. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and easy way to start learning Visual Basic.
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