Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart [Paperback]

Wei-Meng Lee (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 059610071X | ISBN-13: 978-0596100711 | Publication Date: June 1, 2005 | Edition: 1

Okay, all you VB6 developers--time's up. As of March 2005, Microsoft no longer supports this version of Visual Basic. And you can't blame them. Three years ago, they introduced the .NET Framework--an elegant, powerful platform--along with the new component-based VB.NET language. But roughly five million of you decided to stick with VB6, mostly to maintain legacy Windows and COM projects.

Now, with the upcoming release of VB 2005, Microsoft has several attractive reasons to upgrade that you'll find hard to resist, including the return of some VB6 features. And we have the perfect book to help you make the conversion: Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart. Now, you can test-drive the beta version of VB 2005 with three hands-on projects that enable you to learn the syntax of this new language quickly.

VB 2005 not only lets you convert the bulk of your existing VB6 code, but offers several familiar features, such as compile-and-run debugging, new MyClasses that simplify use of .NET libraries and frameworks, lots of IDE support for Windows, web and mobile GUI development, and data access controls that closely resemble what you use now. The real plus is that you'll be using these features with the .NET platform, which is more secure, less complex than COM, and offers OneClick deployment.

Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart lets you get the feel of this platform for building smart/rich Windows Forms clients, ASP.NET web applications, and web services. Author Wei-Meng Lee, a Microsoft .NET MVP, veteran O'Reilly author and frequent contributor to the O'Reilly Network, has put together three useful test-drive projects, complete with code samples, that let you develop:

• A personal library Windows application
• A Web-based shopping cart application
• A stock enquiry Web Service

Our jumpstart guide is the quick, painless way to migrate from VB6 to VB 2005, and the perfect training manual for moving your organization to the more robust, dynamic and secure world of .NET.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Wei-Meng Lee (Microsoft MVP) is a technologist and founder of Developer Learning Solutions (http://www.developerlearningsolutions.​com), a technology company specializing in hands-on training on the latest Microsoft technologies. Wei-Meng speaks regularly at international conferences and has authored numerous books on .NET, XML, and wireless technologies, including ASP.NET 2.0 - A Developer's Notebook and the .NET Compact Framework Pocket Guide (both from O'Reilly). He writes extensively for the O'Reilly Network on topics ranging from .NET to Mac OS X. Wei-Meng is currently a Microsoft Regional Director for Singapore.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059610071X
• ISBN-13: 978-0596100711
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,921,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brief, but solid introduction to VB 2005, October 4, 2005

By 

Jack D. Herrington "engineer and author" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart (Paperback)

This is a solid and practical walkthrough of developing projects for VB.NET. It's not a reference, it certainly couldn't be in it's scant 200 pages. It teaches both the language and the framework by using example projects and walking through how they are built with a combination of code, illustrations and screenshots. The writing is good, if a bit terse.

If you are a VB beginner and you are looking for a step by step walkthrough, avoid the mega super bible 1,000 page tomes, and try something like this book in combination with a refernce book on the language and another on the framework. Though you could probably skip the framework one and just use the MSDN.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Why, not the How, February 1, 2006

By 

Jase T. Wolfe - See all my reviews

This review is from: Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart (Paperback)

Technically speaking, there is nothing wrong with this book. This title is aimed at giving VB6 users a whirlwind tour of the VB2005 environment, highlighting additions, deletions, and changes. If you don't have a VB6 background, this read isn't for you. The overview starts with a look at the new Visual Studio environment, showing you some of the toolbar objects with and without data binding. The next few chapters show off some of the newer statements and functions to VB, a peek into the .NET framework and classes, and object oriented programming in the VB world. The last goal of this book is to apply the covered areas in the development of an application.

As I said, there is nothing wrong with this title. My biggest issue is that for the first half, it reads like an advertising brochure for the VB2005 platform - and the author does an excellent job at selling the product. The second half (where you develop an application), is very step by step, covering just what you need to know to write the application - nothing more. At 188 pages, the book is too small to be a reference or even a learner's textbook. Although you are made aware of VB2005 elements, and even get to see them in action, you are not going to finish this book and be much further down the VB6 to VB.NET conversion road. VB.NET is only superficially like VB6, and when you are done with this book, if you liked what you saw, you will need to purchase another title aimed at actually teaching you the .NET platform.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great For Experienced VB Developers, October 7, 2005

By 

Daniel McKinnon "Dan" (Tewksbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart (Paperback)

This book is a great guide for all seasoned Visual Basic 6 developers who want to get a nice taste of what to expect out of Visual Basic 2005. For those individuals who are strictly used to using Visual Basic 6, you will not be scared off by the author's analysis of the new features in 2005 such as things like the nice addition My Namespace. For people that have already made the switch to the Visual Basic.NET and were upset to see Edit and Continue vanish, you will be happy to see it's return in VB2005.

This book is a nice guide even for individuals who are not familiar with Visual Basic, as Wei-Meng Lee gives a nice overview of things like a Stack and what Intellisense is in Visual Basic.

For the low price of this book I think this is a great pickup for all people that use Visual Basic on a daily basis or want to learn more about the most popular RAD (Rapid Application Development) tool on the planet. Like the author's book "ASP.NET 2.0 : A Developer's Notebook", Mr. Lee gives the reader a nice overview of what to expect in VB2005 and he does so in a concise, clear manner. If you want to get a head start on what makes VB 2005 the best Visual Basic yet, you won't be disappointed in this book.

**** RECOMMENDED