Customer Reviews

Accelerated VB 2008

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Accelerated VB 2008 is a classic language reference book. It follows the pattern of language reference book. It begins with explanation of types and variable, namespaces, statement, control flow constructs, and iteration and looping constructs. Then it goes to class, class state, method, and interface. Then it goes down the path to operator overloading, exception handing, collection, delegates and events, and generics. It finishes with threading, best practices, and introduction to LINQ.

A few thoughts after reading the book:
1) VB 2008 is finally an object-orient language. Every object must inherit from System.Object. Java has the same feature 10 years ago.
2) With a little bit help, VB 2008 (binary form) can run in Linus box.
3) Extension method can add method to an existing CLR type. This enables us to expand the functionality of a type without needing to create a subclass.
4) Mr. Fouche and Mr. Nash explain a way to deal with exception handling elegantly. The basic idea, I believe, is from traditional database programming concepts such as commit and rollback, at the expense of more space and more programming. The details can be found at chapter 8.
5) In delegates and events, the authors point out that delegate can be an alternative to interfaces in implementing simple `Strategy' design pattern. For a complex `Strategy' with `Composite' or hierarchy interfaces, I imagine that delegate solution might become very ugly.
6) LINQ. It is very useful for XML and in-memory object manipulation as long as the object implements IEnumerable (of T) interface. It might only work with Microsoft SQL database.
7) Mr. Fouche and Mr. Nash also point out the VB 2008 is not exempt from bleeding edge of new technology issues such as compatibility, etc.

In sum, it is a classic language reference book for the VB camp developers. I would give it four stars. I reserve one star for those books having real-world complicated projects being built step by step as we move across each chapter.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It read quick, didn't rehash a lot of the older stuff that I was already familiar with, didn't dwell on the trivial enhancements, and got me up to speed on the core enhancements of the new version fairly painlessly.

This edition is obviously designed to enhance the knowledge of experienced VB .NET developers by relating the features of the latest version of VB.NET. It concentrates on new features in the VB language itself, not on the enhanced version of the Visual Studio and .NET Framework products that it is inherently tied to. It does, however make sense to show how the language structures are enforced by the framework, and the book does this well. Code examples are complete yet concise.

Potential buyers of the Kindle edition should carefully check a sample download to see if a problem I found has been corrected. A number of sections of sample code, or portions of sample code, were rendered in a tiny typeface that does not change when using the Kindle Text key. Amazon has said they will inform the publisher, who provided the electronoic version, but unless they fix it you may find the book quite difficult to use.

I could not ask for more. Was in my mailbox before I got the email that the money had transferred. Will shop here again