Programming Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET for Microsoft Access Databases (Pro Developer) [Paperback]

Rick Dobson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pro Developer | Publication Date: January 16, 2003

The Microsoft® .NET Framework represents an exciting new world for developers who work with Microsoft Access, Visual Basic®, and Visual Basic for Applications. This book provides complete, practical details on how to take advantage of this world by building or upgrading Access-based client applications with Visual Basic .NET. It gives you specific instructions about how the .NET Framework pertains to Access development. Then it explores programming with Visual Basic .NET and ADO.NET, and it puts it all together with examples and code samples that show how to develop robust Web applications and services with these tools.

Topics covered include:

• What’s in the Microsoft .NET Framework for Access developers
• Getting started with Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET
• Visual Basic.NET techniques for data types, procedures, loops, arrays, classes, class inheritance, event processing, structured exception handling, and file processing
• Code behind Windows Forms and programming with form controls
• Form navigation, the Data Form Wizard, and programming the DataGrid control
• Learning ADO.NET architecture and programming data access and manipulation, plus drilling down on datasets and parent-child relations with ADO.NET
• A Windows Form sample to browse, manipulate, and handle concurrency violations
• Learning ASP.NET page design and implementing ADO.NET with ASP.NET pages
• Using, creating, and deploying XML Web services
• Securing .NET Windows and Web applications using Access databases
• Appendix: XML syntax and schema conventions plus Visual Studio .NET XML Designers

INCLUDES SAMPLE CODE ON THE WEB!

• Sample code available at the COMPANION CONTENT link on this page

Product Details

• Paperback: 654 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press; 1 edition (January 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735618194
• ISBN-13: 978-0735618190
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Computers & Technology > Microsoft > Development > .NET

More About the Author

I am an author/trainer/webmaster. My area of specialization is database development. Among the programming topics that I like to prepare content about are SQL Server, T-SQL, Access, VBA, Visual Basic .NET, ADO.NET, and ASP.NET. I especially like working on the intersection of two or three of these topics at once.

I have been working with personal computers since the early 1980's. In the late 1980's, I started a part-time computer consulting practice, and I devoted myself to the practice on a full-time basis starting in 1991. I initially started consulting with 1-2-3 and Symphony before migrating to Microsoft Access as my main consulting tool. Microsoft selected me as a Microsoft Access hero to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Microsoft Access (http://www.microsoft.com/Office/previous/access/10years/dobson.asp).

Starting around 1999, I added coverage of Microsoft SQL Server. In fact, I spent a lot of time focusing on advanced ways of using Access and SQL Server together, and I authored a book on these topics. In early 2002, I added coverage of Visual Basic .NET, ADO.NET, and ASP.NET. I eventually authored two books and two DVDs on these topics. Most recently, I focused on SQL Server 2005 Express, Visual Basic Express, and Visual Web Developer Express. My most recent book describes how to build database applications with these three tools.

In addition to authoring books, I regularly write for computer periodicals. In the past several years, my articles appeared in such publications as SQL Server Magazine, Smart Access, Visual Studio Developer, SQL Server Professional, and SQL Server Solutions. My favorite approach in books and articles is to explain and demonstrate new or difficult topics in a way that makes them easy to use by beginning and intermediate level developers and professionals who create their own database solutions.

I have always enjoyed making presentations on computer topics. Starting in the early 1990's, I presented sessions at computer conferences. In 1999, I started sponsoring my own seminar training events. My sixth annual seminar training event consists of 21 hours of database development training for SQL Server Express, Visual Basic Express, and Visual Web Developer Express (http://www.programmingmsaccess.com/seminar2006).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Programming VB.NET for Access Databases, February 24, 2003

By 

Rick Dobson "Rick Dobson" (Louisville, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Programming Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET for Microsoft Access Databases (Pro Developer) (Paperback)

I am the author of this book. I am submitting this review because I believe there's a confusion about what's in the book. This is, in part, because the title changed three times on the way to its final release, and some book sellers didn't get the last change. For example, the book title on this page is correct, but the book cover shows the wrong title. I write this review to give potential readers a good idea about what's in the book and why the content is important for those creating solutions with Access databases.
I want to begin by saying this book is about Programming Visual Basic .NET. My goal is to introduce you to the .NET Framework through Visual Basic .NET. As result, the coverage is broad without drilling deeply into any one area. For example, you'll find 3 chapters on VB.NET programming, 2 on Windows Forms, 3 on ADO.NET, 2 on ASP.NET, and 1 chapter on XML Web Services. In addition, there's an introductory chapter on the .NET Framework and an appendix on XML for Visual Basic .NET Access database developers.
The second point that I want to make about the book is that it targets Access database developers. All the database samples in the book, except one, are for Access databases, and every chapter has at least one complete sample -- most have several samples. There is a separate chapter devoted to securing .NET applications for Access databases. To say the book is about Access databases is true. However, it is not about the Access UI. If you currently create solutions exclusively with the Access UI and you want to continue doing that, this book is not for you. However, if you currently program Access solutions with either VBA or VB, then this book is an easy way to transition to VB.NET.
I want to close my review by mentioning why I think it so important for Access developers to learn VB.NET. The simple answer is that .NET is coming. Microsoft introduced it in Visual Studio .NET, and then added it to Windows 2003. A Microsoft roadmap explains that the next version of SQL Server will include the .NET Framework. Can Access and the whole of Office be far behind? Beyond the certainty that .NET will be on a growing number of computers near you, there is the issue that now is the right time to learn VB.NET. This is because VB.NET is at the beginning. It can only become richer (more complicated) with each succeeding version. The best time to learn .NET is right now. My hope is that you use my book to help you do that.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Access Developer transforming to VB.NET Developer, March 14, 2003

By 

A. Torng "Photohiker" (Mission Viejo, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Programming Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET for Microsoft Access Databases (Pro Developer) (Paperback)

This book is definitely for MS Access developer. All examples use Northwind.mdb. The first part introduces Visual Studio .NET environment using many practical MS Access examples I've used in my application systems. The 2nd part deals primarily with VB.NET capabilities. The 3rd part introduces you to ADO.NET using MS Access with many practical examples like add, change, delete, master/detail. The remaining chapters talk about ASP.NET and XML with MS Access. I've read VB.NET books and taken VB.NET course but don't have the confidence converting my applications. With this book, I'm all set to go. A must have for all MS Access developers ready to move to the .NET world.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good transition from VBA to VB.NET, April 16, 2004

By 

The Dude "The Dude Abides" (Bridgeport, WV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Programming Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET for Microsoft Access Databases (Pro Developer) (Paperback)

The target audience for the book is, quite simply, Access developers who are accustomed to VBA and/or VB 6.

This book serves a good purpose, as the .NET materials I have seen to date all refer to SQL Server in their examples; they acknowledge Access, but fail to show its uses. I am not crazy about seeing "old" technology such as ADO used in some of the examples, but for a book of this nature (transitioning between coding languages) I guess that is inevitable that some old/new information would be included at various points.

Do not purchase the book if you're intending to use the built-in VBA capabilities of Access or other Office applications -- that's strictly not covered. What you will find, though, is a good sense of how VB.NET operates on its own, and how to create applications that draw upon the data stored in your Access databases.

This should be a good base point for someone who's developed in Access, and wants to investigate moving forward; it should be a means to an end, rather than the destination itself. Additional reading on ADO.NET and classes will be helpful, I believe, to continue fleshing out knowledge to be truly effective in your work, but this book does a good job of introducting those concepts.