Customer Reviews

MCAD/MCSD Training Guide (70-310): Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Visual Basic(R) .NET and the .NET Framework

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Let me first say, I was using the Transcender tests to help prepare for this exam and they where totally irrelevant. So be careful. The tests have always been useful in the past, but NOT for this exam. I failed my first attempt.

I liked this book a lot from the moment I started it. Lots of hands-on examples. In fact, most of the book is example based. I went through and duplicated each one on my own PC, which I think is the way to go, rather than just reading it.

I didn't see anything out there that resembles the actual exam questions, but this book gave me the necessary foundation of knowledge to work through the questions. I passed the exam on my second attempt.

This book is not perfect, but it is the best one you can get in order to prepare for the XML Web Services and Server Components certification exam. That is based on my own experience in using this book and in passing the exam. Mike Gunderloy is a very good writer, and I purchased the book sight-unseen based on the quality of his ADO.NET book that I had previously read. As page one says, "Every objective is covered in this book." Chapter Four covers Basic Web Services, and Chapter Five covers Advanced Web Services. The book also covers .NET Remoting, Windows Services, and Component Services just as much as it does web services which is very important. The "web services" exam, as it is commonly known, actually covers these other topics just as much as it covers web services.

It had been a few years since I last purchased a certification book from Que press, and I can say their quality has improved quite significantly. The format of this book is wonderful. There are plenty of sidebar notes, exam tips, frequent review breaks, step-by-step code examples, review notes at the end of every chapter, and sample review questions. There is also a handy Fast Facts review chapter in the back along with a practice exam.

My only complaint is that I found the .NET Remoting chapter to go on forever. The remoting chapter in Jeff Prosise's Programming Microsoft .NET really pulled the topic together for me. It had been awhile since I used the various XML classes in .NET. I also read Dino Esposito's Applied XML Programming for Microsoft .NET (look up my review on this book) in order to get in-depth coverage of the .NET XML object model. The remoting and web services chapters in this text also helped reinforce everything.

Terry, MCAD and MCSD for Microsoft .NET

Just took the exam and passed with 929. I used this book as well as MSDN as a supplement to prepare. I think that the book provides a great foundation for the material. Although it may not spell out the scenarios exactly as you see them on the exam, it gives you the basic knowledge to be able to consider the given answers and logically determine which one is correct. It is easy reading and provides lots of hands on experience in the step by step exercises. This is the second Gunderloy book I've used for exam prep and have been very happy with both. (the other was for Web Apps)

One area I felt the book didn't go deep enough with is configuring security for com+,remoting, and web services. I know I didn't feel as confident in that area on the exam.

I recently passed 70-310, using this book as my primary method for preparation. I had been procrastinating on taking this exam for months (it was the last one that I need to complete my MCSD), mainly because several of the topics covered were technologies that I haven't used in-depth (e.g., remoting, advanced SOAP implementations). There are many things to like about this book. First and foremost, just about every technical concept presented is accompanied by an exercise. If you feel like the text didn't provide enough detail, you can learn best by actually USING the features specified. More than anything, I found this to be helpful during the exam. You just can't memorize configuration file settings and important architectural details without using them.

Furthermore, the book was written clearly, and topics were presented concisely. I didn't need to skip any sections becuase I felt they were either irrelevant, or provided too much detail. As a technical author myself, I know how difficult it can be to balance coverage vs. pertinence.

Overall, if you're looking for a great approach to preparing for 70-310, I would highly recommend this book. Good luck!

This book provides tons of "StepByStep" exercises to learn all about remoting,web services, etc. It's a great book for those that do not hae tons of experience in these areas. In the same token, it maybe too much coding for the experience developer who is looking to gain just the facts to pass the test. If someone is looking for that, then look at the MS Press book.

The one real complaint that I have is with the layout of the book. There is a lot of line wrapping which isn't really necessary, they could use the width of the page. But, this is the fault of the publisher, not the author.

Overall, another great book by Mike!

While I was going for the C# track, a friend of mine was going for the VB Track and decided to buy this book. By the time I got to this exam, I just borrowed his book and studied it.

Passed the test today (with a score of 898) and I found I was not prepared in four areas. Two of them I read in the book (calling unmanaged code, Deployment) and felt the book's coverage didn't completely cover the test material in these areas, but was close enough to do okay. The other two, I relied on knowledge from previous exams (Security) or past job experience plus skimming (COM+) and I really should have studied those areas harder in the book.

Two areas are not covered by the book and they are MUSTS for the exam. ADO.NET is a skill you are expected to have for any of the exams. I would suggest finding a good ADO.NET book and write a lot of examples using WinForms or WebForms (whatever you are comfortable with) and exploring Datasets, Datatables, Dataviews, Filters, etc. The other is ASP.NET, particularly configuration, security, tracing and caching. Take 70-305/70-315 FIRST.

And yes, this book + Measureup (which was excellent) were my main resources.

I used this book and the examcram book to pass the 70-310. The main drawback is that you get a very light explanation of the topic and then are thrown immediately into the code examples and never feel quite like you understood it. But, I was able to pass the test with this book alone (and sample questions from examcram).
The remoting chapter is pretty good, as well as the XML stuff. Experience with Com and Unmanaged DLLs is helpful.

I agree with the previous user on the Transcenders. I just failed my first attempt at this test after using them + this book. I don't think this book should be considered adequate preparation for the exam by itself or in combination with Transcenders. You need to go into a whole lot more detail than this book gives to pass the exam.

Only one word for those which want to learn... Extraordinary! In this head of work of Mike Gunderloy, one can ensure oneself to learn perfectly well on all the subjects mentioned in the index of beginning. I read somes books on of Xml Web services and I can ensure you that none arrives at ankle of this one. I adore the examples and if one could compare them with food, well, I am completely satisfied by it. A little theory and much practice. The example in the field of net remoting are so well built that it made me appreciated fields which I did not like. Lastly, I leave you the details technique, because simply to tell you my gratitude for a book so well contruit and in spite of very if not very many in the field data processing. Only defect, a little difficult to include/understand at certain times owing to the fact that the subjects are tackled in-depth, but that is even a quality for some.

Hi,

I have passed the first two exams of the MCAD using microsoft training materail... I agree its not comprehensive, but at least it is short and to the point and most important is you understand what you are reading.

This book is full of examples without any explanation. For eg: 3 pages of code has only 4 lines of explantion.... I am trying to force myself to read this book, but by the end of 2nd chapter (around 150 pages) i am forced to shut it and write this review.

I think I am good at grasping things, I gave my first two exams in 2 weeks and scored around 930 on both of them ( 229 and 305 ).

This book just focuses on step by step and fails to explain what each step means. I have worked with xPath and xml nodes at work, and I think the examples in the book about XML is unnecessarily confusing.

I bought this book looking at the 4 stars, and can just hope that this book gets better in the comming chapters, cause I have my exam in a couple of weeks.

Regards,
Pranav