56 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Intro!, November 2, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Beginning Visual Basic .NET (Paperback)
I'm about half way through this book, and I just wanted to post this initial review.
This is the first true introductory book on VB .NET to hit the market. There are a slew of others in the works, but Wrox got there first, raising inevitable questions about whether they've done another rush, and less than stellar, job (just read some of the reviews of other recent Wrox books , i.e., Professional VB .NET, to see what I mean).
Good news! This book is a great introduction to the latest version of VB. The writing style is truly user friendly, without talking down to readers in the least. The book assumes no prior programming experience, but credits the reader with a fair level of intelligence and some know-how when it comes to operating a pc and using software. These days, that target audience probably hits most of the folks interested in this book.
The book quickly takes off with an introduction to the Visual Studio IDE, and throws out some practice programs just to get your feet wet. This is interesting enough, but if you've already been playing around with Beta 2 and don't have any questions, you may as well proceed to Chapter 2.
Chapter 2 is called Writing Software, and it's a great first step in learning to program. In about 50 pages, the reader gets introduced to algorithms, data types, and functions. The writing is clear and pleasant to read, and the Try It Out samples are well thought out and challenging. Each one introduces a slight twist, or a new feature, with appropriate explanation immediately following. I had to read the section on Functions twice, but doing so really solidified the material for me -- well done!
Chapters 3 and 4 cover, respectively, Control Flow and OOP. Again, these chapters are much like chapter 2 -- they proceed at a fast clip, with not too much in-depth coverage. Where advanced concepts are utilized or referenced, the authors take care to provide a quick explanation and cross-reference to more advanced material later in the book, or to simply state that the concept is not worth worrying about at the beginner's level (I have to trust them on these types of comments, so I really can't say whether they are correct).
The .NET framework isn't introduced until Chapter 5. For me, this was perfect. Many of the more advanced books out there now begin with in-depth discussions of the framework, i.e., defining the CLR, CTS, and CLS. For folks just getting started, I prefer the approach in this book -- let's crank out some code and see how it works ASAP, all the while understanding key syntax requirements and broad programming concepts. Only after this can one truly appreciate a look at what's going on behind the scenes.
As for the more advanced books, I've looked at "Programming Visual Basic .NET" and "Visual Basic .NET and the .NET Platform," both from APRESS. These books are also very well-written, and probably ideal as the next step after the Wrox book. The former is a quick and handy reference to some of the most basic need-to-know info about VB .NET; the latter provides a much denser, in-depth look at the language and platform. Together, I believe they will prove to be invaluable references that will answer most questions for most users, or at least point you in the right direction.
Still, for those just starting out, without experience in any other programming language, Beginning VB .NET is an excellent find. The code samples have all worked for me so far, and the material is never less than clear. I'm interested to see what the Deitels come up with in How To Program Visual Basic .NET -- by far I find their introductory texts the best and most comprehensive. At ..., though, a Deitel book is nearly 2x the cost of the Wrox book. For my money, the Wrox book is the best bet, at least for now.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because there are quite a few typos. So far, they've only been in the text, never in code. Still, when I come across a sentence that's clearly missing a word, it just irks me beyond belief. If it happened once or twice, that would be one thing, but it happens often, and the cumulative effect is distracting and annoying.
Otherwise, I'm very happy with this book, and recommend it to beginners before they try to tackle some of the more advanced stuff out there.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Generally a good book, February 15, 2002
This review is from: Beginning Visual Basic .NET (Paperback)
I am an intermediate programmer. I decided to introduce myself to the new VB.NET by reading a beginner book. This book had a lot of examples. I actually enjoyed it. However, if you want to learn OOPs, this book is not for you.
Eventually, I will read this book again because of so many code routines that it has which I didn't quite understand the first time I read it. The authors used OOPs in the book without really explaining it in detail.
I recommend this book as a good beginner book.
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