Customer Reviews

Doing Objects in Microsoft Visual Basic 6

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

 

 

I agree with some earlier reviews that this book may be preaching to the choir for many established developers. However, if you're a relatively inexperienced developer or new to OOD concepts this book is very well written and worth picking up. I appreciate Kurata's discussion of the development process from a OO perspective. This goes beyond the coding specifics, which can be found in many other books, and gives a process that can be used as a guideline for future projects. In an Op-Ed article in Aug/99 VBPJ the writer discussed why VB gets a bad rap. The author of the article states that essentially it's because of all the "programming wannabe's" never learn anything about application design, they just learn syntax and how to create code. By studying this book, and some of the books referenced by it, and utilizing some of the techniques you can avoid the pitfalls of becoming just another VB Hacker.

This book was a major disappointment for me, considering Ms. Kurata's earlier book 'Doing Objects in VB 4.0' was so wonderful.

The main problem with the book is that it does not lay a sold foundation to the subject of OOP. The topics are not presented in a systematic way where each topic builds on the ones already presented.

Although the author builds a single application throughout the course of the book, the relation between each programming topic and the code examples is just not clear. If I had not already been programming in OOP for a year and a half, I would have been completely lost in this book.

Also, the whole first half of the book presents a proprietary OO design methodology (GUIDS) that is not helpful. It doesn't tell me much more than what I know from the old-fashioned structured analysis and design methodologies. The book would be much stronger if the first half was just omitted.

There is some useful information to be gained from the book if you already know OOP. (I learned some things that I have not seen in any other books.) But if you already know OOP, then you can skip over this one entirely.

For a topflight intro to Object Oriented programming in VB, read Peter Wright's book 'Beginning VB6 objects'. Wright's book should be required reading for all VB programmers.

The back of this book claims this is written for the 'Profession' level. I disagree, although I don't know who this is really intended for - newbies to OOA&D, maybe.

I have a basic understanding of OO principles and have been programming with VB for three years. Besides the chapter on interfaces, inheritance and polymorphism there was nothing really new for me here and anything that was new was covered in such brevity as to be completely worthless (DHTML, ActiveX controls). Anything slightly technical was brushed off. In fact, it seemed most of the VB portions of this book was spent asking readers to read other books/articles to get the real facts (a thorough bibliography is a good thing but don't rely on it as the basis for your entire book).

Warning!!! - The first half of this book is about OOA&D (the GUIDS methodology) and has hardly any reference to VB. The GUIDS methodology would only be useful to someone who is completely new to OO concepts. In other words there is nothing new here.

I think this could be a better book if the VB portion of the book was expanded and GUIDS methodology portion was removed completely (maybe put it into its own book).

One final thing I found particularly offensive was the front cover which listed topics that were to be covered in the book. The majority of these topics were barely covered in any kind of depth (e.g. DHTML, IIS applications, 3-tiered components)- false advertising in my book.

Extentsive use of property procedures rather than use of functions in a stateless enviroment running under MTS make this book limited in value to the enterprise developer.

This book is not intended for them who are already familiar with OO concepts. Data aware classes need more attention, especially as to how to use the Data Environment in three tier designs.

One thing about Kurata's book is that for the most part it is readable, unlike the disconnected snippets that software companies provide in their online documentation. The heart of the book is in three chapters: 10-12 that describe the basics of VB classes, interfaces, polymorphism, delegation, collections, etc with good examples. The first part of the book is an overview of an application design process. The last part of the book provides only very brief discussions of many topics such as ActiveX Controls, DHTML, IIS, etc. But the book is not consistent in its level and completeness. This book is not for experienced VB programmers - but the assumption of knowledge concerning components and data/DB design makes the design section of questionable utility for inexperienced VB programmers. Who is this section for? But the intro to VB objects is right-on for the relative newcomer. Kurata leaves her topic of VB ActiveX components far too quickly. Her coverage of ActiveX EXE components leaves a lot to be desired with the explanations and ramificaations of the various project settings being no better than the fragmentary tidbits of online help. Examples have ceased at this point. The frustrating, obscure, and important subject of threading and apartments that lurks beneath VB EXE components is covered no better, if as well, as numerous other authors who claim to do so. I think a better book is in Kurata based on the promise of the heart of the book. Undoubtedly the superficial nature of the last of the book was a cave-in to the buzz-word, marketing types. Until someone can produce a coherent, complete, and readable book on ActiveX components for VB programmers [and there is not one on the market], the programming community will have to rely on unsatisfactory MS or MS-aided articles that give us "clever" or "ingenious" ways of achieving programming tasks beyond the ordinary. At this point VB is one of the most "trial-and-error" tools available. Hopefully that is not because of its internal incoherence. If not, we do not need "tricks" articles.

This book is one of the best written programming books I have read. (The standard of description in most books in the subject is very poor - but this stands head and shoulders above these). The subject is well covered and I recommend this book to anyone using the technology. The early chapters are especially good at cutting through the jargon barriers that often exist when meeting the subject.

There are lots of developers out there that know "HOW" to jam classes, API calls, data object model references, collections, early/late binding, web functionality, tiered approaches, etc. etc. into an application that is convoluted, ill conceived, and un-maintainable. What Kurata is about is the "WHY", "WHEN", and "HOW BEST TO" of developing information systems. Her approach, and her writing style, is pragmatic and clear. Some of the best and most respected developers I know are planning to grab copies of the latest revision of her book, which is updated with all the latest features of VB6 and the new data access tools and paradigms, as soon as they can get their hot hands on it. Not to be missed.

I could not put it any better then what Eric T. Nielsen stated earlier in the comments.

The book is very clear and to the point. I hate to be maintaining the code of what others stated about this book such as; "nothing new....", "..waste of time....", "this is only a..." , "not intended for" and "weak".

Keep it simple, read Kurata, then Balena (MS Programming VB 6.0).

This is a good book for beginner and expert. For those who want to learn on how object oriented ptogramming (OOP)concept and how to apply it to VB, Please buy this book now.A part of it, u will learn about class, an how to make use from the class to create object then what u can do with the object.Basicly, what i can conclude, many effort have been done to write this excellence book. You will never regret to buy this book. thank you