Programming ADO (DV-MPS Programming) [Paperback]

David Sceppa (Author)

Book Description

Series: DV-MPS Programming | Publication Date: March 23, 2000

A book/CD-ROM package for mastering Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) and exploiting the Universal Data Access in ADO. Explains the ADO object model, then focuses on building proficiency with ADO programming techniques for updating databases, accessing data in traditional stores and Internet applications, and extending database applications to the Web. Includes code and frequently asked questions. The CD-ROM contains sample files and additional documentation.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Written for the intermediate to advanced Windows programmer, David Sceppa's Programming ADO offers an expert's view of developing with this powerful--and occasionally tricky--database library. Filled with tips and suggested best practices for building robust database programs, this title provides a useful real-world perspective to effective coding with ADO.

This book is part reference, offering full coverage of all objects in ADO, and part programming tutorial, describing every object, property, collection, method, and event in this library, including ADOX and JRO in an appendix. Instead of whole programs, the author uses short code excerpts written in Visual Basic to illustrate key points. Complete sample applications are available on the accompanying CD-ROM.

Throughout this text, Sceppa shows off his expert knowledge of ADO. Standout sections here include examples of connecting to databases effectively, different strategies for querying and updating databases, and a nice explanation of disconnected recordsets. The discussion of the various cursor types available in ADO is also a must-read for any serious ADO developer. (Choosing the right cursor type for your project, it turns out, is not as easy as it appears.) Each section ends with "Questions That Should Be Asked More Frequently" in which the author invites you to think carefully about the ways you use ADO.

Later sections here turn to the powerful ADO Cursor Engine and the newer Record and Stream classes, which allow programmers to "persist" recordsets to files (and even XML). There are plenty of tips for handling record conflicts within real-world, multi-user databases. Once again, although ADO looks easy, there is plenty to worry about when multiple users access records frequently. This book shows you how to write more robust database applications.

Filled with time-saving programming expertise, Programming ADO fills a valuable niche for any developer who wants to start working with ADO effectively. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) overview and tutorial; Data Access Objects (DAO) vs. ADO; the ADO object model and version 2.5 enhancements; Connection properties, collections, methods, and events; connection strings; connecting to OLE DB providers; Recordset properties, collections, methods, and events; Command and Parameter properties, collections, and methods; using ADO Record and Stream objects; ADO cursor types and performance hints; strategies for updating databases; programming with the ADO Cursor Engine (programming tips, concurrency issues); handling database conflicts; persisting recordsets; hierarchical recordsets and data shaping; introduction to COM; passing ADO recordsets between processes; the Remote Data Service (RDS); ADO Extensions (ADOX) for manipulating database structures; and the Jet Replication Object (JRO).

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (March 23, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735607648
• ISBN-13: 978-0735607644
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,333,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointing: A rewrite of the ADO documentation, March 16, 2000

By 

Graham Charles (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Programming ADO (DV-MPS Programming) (Paperback)

There's really not much to this book that isn't already in the Books Online, I'm afraid. I'm a professional programmer, I've been using DAO, ODBC, RDO, DAO for years. I bought this book looking for "best practices" for ADO. (Since there are so many ways of doing things, what are the drawbacks and advantages to each?) What I found was a lot of repetition of the help file, with occasional insights (how to optimize the Sort property, for example).

As an example, consider this: One of the trickiest things with ADO is dealing with CursorLocation, CursorType, and LockType, especially when you're not aware what OLEDB provider your code will be using. Sceppa writes: "...What's a database developer to do? With a little experience and a lot of reading, you'll develop a good feel for which combinations are possible and which aren't... [Y]ou'll probably explore different options and experiment with code, and along the way you'll inadvertently discover the answers to questions such as these." Well, Mr. Sceppa, I didn't buy the book to be told to "experiment" and hope for a discovery; these are the answers I had hoped the book would contain. If you'd spent fewer pages repeating the method and property lists, you might have been able to include some of this information.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Full Coverage in Readable Format, April 8, 2000

By 

"charliecowboy" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Programming ADO (DV-MPS Programming) (Paperback)

If you think the on-line help is hideous and a more generic Visual Basic book does have enough depth, then this is the book for you. Like most Microsoft Press books it's easy enough to read. Since it is focused on a narrow topic, it actually has some depth to it.

ADO is definitely a work-in-progess and this book explains many of the problems. For example Scheppa notes is a few places how ADO's behavior is not the same as what the documentation says. There were enough insights in the presentation of the properties, methods, and events to keep me going through otherwise boring material.

I remember seeing mistakes in the text that made me stop to think. There were also areas which were not covered in enough depth. For instance, Sceppa has excellent coverage on how to avoid locking records, but essentially nothing on the proper way to lock records.

It may not be perfect, but it is very well done and there is really nothing that compares it to on the subject of ADO. Many people are surprised to find that there is an entire book dedicated to ADO.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely good, real world ADO coverage., October 27, 2000

By 

Glenn Berry (Parker, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Programming ADO (DV-MPS Programming) (Paperback)

David Sceppa works in Developer Support at Microsoft, and it shows in this book. Each chapter has a section entitled "Questions that should be asked more frequently", that is full of useful information that shows his experience in the trenches.

His Visual Basic sample code is actually good quality code, unlike code in so many other books. This is important because so many developers pick up bad coding habits from sloppy sample code in books.

All in all, this is a great book, with detailed yet readable coverage of the subject.