Professional Visual Basic 2008 (Programmer to Programmer) [Paperback]

Bill Evjen (Author), Billy Hollis (Author), Bill Sheldon (Author), Kent Sharkey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0470191368 | ISBN-13: 978-0470191361 | Edition: 1

The 2008 version of Visual Basic is tremendously enhanced and introduces dramatic new concepts, techniques, and features to this popular object-oriented language. Written by an elite author team, this comprehensive resource provides a clear and concise approach to using VB 2008 in the ever-expanding .NET world. This book focuses on using the latest and most powerful tools from the Microsoft arsenal within your Visual Basic solutions. You?ll examine everything from the .NET Framework to the best practices for deploying .NET applications to database access and integrating with other technologies.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Professional Visual Basic 2008

The 2008 version of Visual Basic is tremendously enhanced and introduces dramatic new concepts, techniques, and features to this popular object-oriented language. Written by an elite author team who are sympathetic to the challenges of learning VB 2008, this comprehensive book provides a clear and concise approach to using VB 2008 in the ever-expanding .NET world.

This book focuses on using the latest and most powerful tools from the Microsoft arsenal within your Visual Basic solutions. Looking closely at LINQ, AJAX, a new Visual Studio® and more, you'll be able to take lessons from this book and apply them to what you are doing today. You'll examine everything from the .NET Framework to the best practices for deploying .NET applications to database access and integrating with other technologies, such as COM and XML.

What you will learn from this book

• The core elements of VB 2008 as well as full syntax of all the new additions the language offers

• Ways that the Common Language Runtime (CLR) is responsible for managing the execution of code compiled on the .NET platform

• How VB is used in the creation, installation, running, and debugging of Windows® Services

• How to work with the new SQL Server® 2008 along with your .NET applications

• The many features of Windows Forms and Windows Presentation Foundation

• Ways to take advantage of the abilities of LINQ

• The new web technology introduced by SilverlightTM

Who this book is for
This book is for experienced developers who are looking to transition to the latest version of Visual Basic.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

About the Author

Bill Evjen is an active proponent of .NET technologies and community-based learning initiatives for .NET. He has been actively involved with .NET since the first bits were released in 2000. In the same year, Bill founded the St. Louis .NET User Group (www.stlnet.org), one of the world’s first such groups. Bill is also the founder and former executive director of the International .NET Association (www.ineta.org), which represents more than 500,000 members worldwide.
Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Bill is an acclaimed author and speaker on ASP.NET and XML Web Services. He has authored or co-authored more than 15 books, including Professional ASP.NET 3.5, Professional C# 2008, ASP.NET Professional Secrets, XML Web Services for ASP.NET, and Web Services Enhancements: Understanding the WSE for Enterprise Applications (all published by Wiley). In addition to writing, Bill is a speaker at numerous conferences, including DevConnections, VSLive, and TechEd. He also works closely with Microsoft as a Microsoft Regional Director and an MVP.
Bill is the technical architect for Lipper (www.lipperweb.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reuters, the international news and financial services company. He graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham,Washington, with a Russian language degree. When he isn’t tinkering on the computer, he can usually be found at his summer house in Toivakka, Finland. You can reach Bill at [e-mail].

Billy Hollis is an author and software consultant based in Nashville, Tennessee. Billy was co-author of the first book ever published on Visual Basic .NET, as well as many other books on software development. He is a member of the Microsoft Regional Director program and a Microsoft MVP. In 2002, Billy was selected as one of the original .NET ‘‘Software Legends.’’ He is heavily involved with consulting, training, and development on the .NET platform, focusing on architecture, smart-client development, commercial packages, and user-interface technologies. He regularly speaks on software development at major conferences all over the world, including Microsoft’s PDC and TechEd events, DevConnections, VSLive, and architecture events such as the Patterns and Practices Architect Summit.

IBill Sheldon is a software architect and engineer, originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Holding a degree in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Bill has been actively employed as a software engineer since resigning his commission with the United States Navy. He is a Microsoft MVP for Visual Basic employed as a principal engineer with InterKnowlogy in Carlsbad, California, and works as an instructor for Visual Basic–related courses at the University of California San Diego Extension.
In addition to writing books, Bill has published dozens of articles, including the Developer Update Newsletter, SQL Server Magazine feature articles, and other Penton publications. He is an established online presenter for MSDN and speaks at live events such as VSLive, DevConnections, Office Developers Conference, and community events such as user groups and code camp. Bill is an avid cyclist and is active in the fight against diabetes.

Kent Sharkey is an independent consultant who lives and codes in Comox, British Columbia. Before going solo, Kent worked at Microsoft as a technical evangelist and content strategist, promoting the use of .NET technologies. He lives with his wife, Margaret, and three ‘‘children’’ — Squirrel, Cica, and Toffee.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1464 pages
• Publisher: Wrox; 1 edition (May 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470191368
• ISBN-13: 978-0470191361
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 9.1 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #457,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of information for the money, July 30, 2008

By 

Dale Constantin "DC the DC" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Professional Visual Basic 2008 (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

As a completely self-taught programmer I have reached the point where the beginners' books have no new information for me but I still have gaps in my knowledge. I found this book to be the perfect gap filler. It is loaded with tons of information written in a style that I personally find very easy to follow.

Many books as large as this one get much of their size from constantly repeated code, much of which is not needed in the first place. This book has code where it counts and very few repeated lines.

When I finish a book I write a rating (0 - 10) on the bottom of the title page. This one got a 10.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, but it is for Professionals, September 8, 2008

By 

L. Glorfeld "Lou the Blue Guru" (Fayetteville AR, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Professional Visual Basic 2008 (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

I certainly have not gone through all 1420 pages of this book, but I did go through several chapters in detail. As an example, I went through the chapter on SQLCE. This was an excellent presentation for someone familiar with Visual Studio and VB.Net but would not be good for a beginner.

The book is excellent if you are a seasoned programmer and not good for those starting out. The book's title says it all! I f you want to learn the more advanced features of VB.Net and have a good understanding of the basics, this is the book for you.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great professional walkthrough, July 21, 2009

By 

Jeremy D. Lyons (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Professional Visual Basic 2008 (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

I just finished upgrading my classic ASP skills to ASP.NET with Beginning ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB (Programmer to Programmer). With my newfound comfort in .NET development and urge to develop for more than just the web, I picked this book up.

I think the fact that it's targeted at "Professionals" might be intimidating. It's a thorough, well-constructed guide through every aspect of VB programming. It doesn't pull punches, but it is also wonderfully easy to read.

I recommend this book to anyone looking to beef up their VB.NET programming skills.