Customer Reviews

Learn to Program Visual Basic Databases

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

John Smiley continues with the venerable Bullina China Shop program and his university class to introduce the reader to programming data bases using Visual Basic. The style of the book follows Professor Smiley's university class through the semester as they learn to use and interface data bases to Visual Basic. For me this engaging method involves me and makes learning this subject very pleasant. The information is presented in a logical progression within the framework of a standard development process as Professor Smiley's university class modifies a class project completed the previous semester for Joe Bullina, owner of the Bullina China Shop.

The book is geared for the beginner and uses DAO (Data Access Objects) methods in presenting the subject rather than the current ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) methods. So if your an experienced programmer looking for an introduction to ADO look elsewhere; however, for the novice, this book walks you through the processes necessary to bind data controls to the VB program. With this background the reader can go on to the ADO methods with a rich background that will smooth the transition to the current popular method.

The book includes a CD with all the source code and supporting files needed to develop the project chapter by chapter. Additionally, the author maintains an extensive web site where you can go for help and assistance.

In summary, I highly recommend this book to all who have an interest in getting up to speed using Visual Basic with data bases. Buy it, read it, work through the demo project, and you will have gained valuable skill.

John Smiley's Learn to Program Database with Visual Basic 6 is the best introductory book on VB database programming. This book was written in plain English, and the novelistic style with the college class flow helps me stick with the topic really well.

I took a VB database course at the local college one years ago, the instructor focused more on hands-on practices instead of teaching the theory behind it. In fact, one month after the course, I forgot half of the skills that I've learned. Then I bought John Connell's Beginning Visual Basic 6 Database Programming to bring back my memory and enhance my VB database skill. However, I got stuck at chapter seven, which is about building a data control class module; then, it was the time I went out to buy this book.

The whole book is about teaching students and VB beginners how to build a database-enabled program by using the VB intrinsic data control and data bound controls. Professor John Smiley brings readers step by step along with theory behind it to overcome most of obstacles beginners always encounter. All the steps showed in the book are not the optimized steps; they are steps how the author's students learned to build a working application, and the author explains the best ways of coding thoroughly whenever errors occur to his students. I spent less than two weeks to read from cover to cover two times and practice all the exercises. After reading this book, I was more comfortable to work on John Connell's Beginning Visual Basic 6 Database Programming book. Now, I am on Charles Williams's Professional Visual Basic 6 Databases with VB, ADO, SQL Server and MTS. Then, I think I will be ready to study for MCSD exams.

Thanks to Professor John Smiley! Without his excellent work on this book, I would not be able to get to the intermediate level by self-studying.

I have used 2 of Professor Smiley's books (His Intro and Objects books) and they provided a wealth of information as does this book. It's set up in a university classroom setting where his students get to do a real world project for a china shop owner (really modifications to an existing program). The original program is first introduced in the Intro book, but you can go to the publisher's website to download the project as it stood in the Intro book. I have done database programming for years, but was looking for using VB 6 with Databases. It was very informative but I can't rate it 5 stars like his other books because I felt there wasn't enough coverage of DAO and hardly any about ADO. As for using Access, it will give you just enough to use Access for simple table creation and such. If you're looking for heavy duty use between Access and VB, this book isn't for you. If you are looking to be led by the hand for introductory Visual Basic with Databases, by all means get this book. For the ADO and DAO, use the O'Reilly nutshell books - they're excellent.

Its like your actually in the class with other students. John Smiley wrote this book along-side a class he recently taught at Penn State University. For those who can't afford that quality of instruction (University quality) this is a minor breakthrough. Online support is incredible good, if you explore his home site you'll find out how involved he is with his students (both online students and Penn State University student). If your interested in learning MS Access as a back end to a Visual Basic 6 front end then this book is for you. I recommend buying his other book Learn to Program with Visual Basic 6 along with this one (you may want to start their before tackling this one). Your going to find it a lot more difficult if you don't start there (the reason is your building off of a previous project taught in his introductory level book). I didn't find much information on building VB Database Applications as web abled applications (where VB programming is heading) and that I would say is probable the only negative thing I could say about it and I also felt their should be more information on using a different back end for the database (back end means - database management software programs like Oracle or Foxpro) that might be used in larger corporation databases. This book is also great for a refresher for currently working VB database programmers that use MS Access and VB. I recomend you have Visual Basic professional edition and MS Access when using this book. You'll find plenty of support through John Smiley and other students.

John Smiley presents a complete learning environment that builds a solid programming foundation. Each book individually and collectively engages and immerses the novice programmer into the richness of the Visual Basic development environment without overwhelming you in its complexity. From Learn to Program with Visual Basic, through Databases and Objects I found learning VB programming fun, and instructive at the same time. John's use of examples to support the development of a "real world" programming task proved important in understanding VB programming, the Integrated Development Environment and it various features or tools. Using the same program, you helped create, through three books dealing with different aspects of VB programming helped solidify the programming experience, and enhance learning. More than anything else, John comes out of those pages as your guide and mentor allowing you to pick up those intangibles that come from a skilled programmer, and educator. He leaves you, and encourages further study, having given you the fundamentals to go on and tackle more advanced VB topics, because you now know how to program with VB. I kid you not. I jumped into learning VB using the MS Visual Basic Programmer's guide, and various MSDN materials. It was like going up hill in snow and ice, I wasn't getting anywhere fast! After going through John's three books, MS VB programmers guide, and other materials just fell into place, because I now had the VB skills and knowledge to appreciate and understand the presented material.

John Smiley does it again! This is the third Visual Basic Book by John Smiley that I have purchased, and each one has been better than the previous one. Prior to using this book, I had already worked through John Connells excellent book; "Beginning Database Programming with VB 6", so I was already familiar with the material covered in Professor Smileys book. Although the material was familiar, I still learned alot. John Smiley's in-depth explanations filled in many of the gaps in my databse programming knowledge. While this book alone will not make you an expert on database programming, it WILL get you well underway. Like me, you'll be clamoring for his next book. Keep those books coming Professor Smiley! (No, I am not a relative or a personal friend of John Smiley....I just love his books, and his teaching style. See my reviews on his earlier books.)

Personally I prefer the class-room style of John Smiley to the many books that are little more than a rehashing of VB documentation. John intuitivly knows when to have one of his students ask for something to be repeated, or to be explained in more detail. However, this style means that MUCH less ground is covered than in the more traditional approach.

Neverthess, I find that I have a THOROUGH understanding of each topic.

One complaint is that his example program uses the same style and the same techniques exclusively. This becomes obvious when he designs a form to display transactions. He uses the same designs for this as he does for data entry!

A data entry form usually consists of several labels and text fields. A history of transaction would normally be displayed in a spreadsheet like table. So, not only is this form redundant (in terms of learning--because we have already designed similar forms 3 times in this book), but it produces a form that no end user would accept.

However, the real loss is that he does not cover the use of the dbGrid! He uses the excuse that because many of his (imaginary) students are using the Learning Edition of VB6 they don't have that control! Kinda weak! I can't see any of these people getting jobs unless they are using either the Professional or Enterprise versions.

Nevertheless I have ordered his next book--on Objects. I am one of those thicked-headed-ex-Clipper programmers for whom objects are a mysterious--and frightening--realm. Hopefully John will lead my safely by the hand.

Light weight apporach to programming without becomming too heavy. Class room approach is a refreshing change to other books. Plenty of VB programming reinforcement by repetition, which for some may become tedious. Very basic book and and execellent beginner series. If you have some previous experience working with Visual Basic you can easily by-pass his first book and start with this one. The author does introduce some minor information on features not found in the Learning or Working Model editions of Visual Basic. (Such as Masked Edit Controls) But provides enough in formation so as to be able to utilize them if available to you. Author also concentrates heavily on one older method of Database programming. Book lacks any explination detailing use of other database control methods suct as Active X but does provide excellent fundamentals. At the end of the book you will be hungry for more but not starving.....

I bought this book because I wanted to tweak up with vb codes an Access database I created recently. Before, I was struggling with codes in sample databases that came in a CD-ROM of "Running Microsoft Access 97" of Microsoft Press, trying to make some sense out of, but really getting nowhere. This book helped me to some extent, but not a whole lot since it mainly talks about Data Control and not much of DAO, hardly anything of ADO. I suppose those Access sample databases are more DAO (or ADO?) oriented so I guess you really have to buy yet another sequel, "Learn to Program Objects with VB6" of Prof. Smiley if you really want to be comfortable programming from Access' interface. Also, the CD-ROM with this book doesn't come with working model edition of Visual Basic, which did come with the previous book, "Learn to Program with VB6" so if you don't have VB6, you really do need to buy the first book (or the software), although Prof. Smiley claims that this is not imperative. Good marketing strategy for the publisher though. Sorry for the negative tone. I still liked the style of this book very much. It's one of the rare computer books that make you keep reading. Yet if you are like me, i.e. have Access but not VB6 and wishing to know more about coding to tweak up Access databases, this book wouldn't be your 1st choice. Get something with "Access" in the title.

This is an A+ book, if you want to learn database get it. But if you have no VB experience get his "Learn to program with Visual Basic", book first. This book was the second book I bought by Mr. Smiley. These books are written in a manner that relaxes one while reading. He has a program (the China shop) that you follow along with throughout his series. I am working on several programs for my college all involve a MS Access database I wrote several years ago, and I can not tell you how many time I have used this book as a reference. Mr. Smiley uses the DAO data access object instead of the ADO; he does reference the ADO and explains that once you learn DAO you can quickly learn ADO. Perhaps if you are looking for ADO you might try a different book. However, Mr. Smiley uses a straightforward logic and does not take the side trips that become so confusing in many programming books. He stays on databases and how to create them. Thanks, for your effort John.