Visual Basic 6 for Dummies (for Windows) [Paperback]

Wallace Wang (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764503707 | ISBN-13: 978-0764503702 | Publication Date: September 4, 1998

Create your own custom Visual Basic programs fast for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT with the power and friendly object-oriented interface of Microsoft's Visual Basic 6 with Visual Basic 6 For Dummies.

Here's a great resource to help you
* Understand the art of object-oriented programming in Visual Basic
* Build attractive user interfaces with buttons, boxes, and scroll bars
* Master menus and submenus -- plus expanding, pull-down, and pop-up menus -- quickly and easily
* Discover how to write subprograms that everyone can share
* Save and retrieve information in databases like Microsoft Access
* Integrate your own special ActiveX controls into applications
From the fundamentals of writing BASIC code to the thrill of distributing your very own custom applications, programming expert Wallace Wang brings a fresh and humorous perspective to the world of Visual Basic in terms everyone can understand. Plus, the bonus CD-ROM that comes with Visual Basic 6 For Dummies includes all the source code and examples from the book, along with demo or trial versions of some cool VB and ActiveX programs.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"A witty, well-written guide to Visual Basic 6.0."

I have a stack of Visual Basic books to wade through, and I chose this one because, well, I love Wally Wang. We go way back, back to obscure computer magazines and that one night in Vegas when we found $600 (plus an unknown amount of a certain South American currency) in our hotel room. But that's a story for another day.

I love the way Wally (known as Wallace on the cover because "Wally Wang" just doesn't translate well in England) writes. He can certainly make a dull subject bright. There is no denying his humor in the figures and throughout the text and examples.

The book is massively entertaining. But the question is, does it teach Visual Basic well? And therein lies the rub, not only in this but also with all Visual Basic books. Unlike traditional programming languages, Visual Basic is both a language and a product. So, the question is, which do you talk about first, creating a Visual Basic program or using the Visual Basic interface? Wally opts for the interface first, which he handles well. Alas, my goal in learning any new programming language is to write the first program. In this book, that doesn't happen until chapter 4. Ouch.

Happily, though, once the book gets going, there's no stopping it--it is packed. The pace is swift, and the steps outlining each project are thick. This may be too much for some beginners, but it sated my appetite for relearning this programming language. (My first books were on GW Basic way back in the mid-1800s.)

The book's hefty cover price means it has a CD-ROM, which I didn't look at. But even without looking at it, I enjoyed reading Wally's text--something I haven't done in too long a time. --Dan Gookin

From the Back Cover

CD-ROM packed with source code and bonus demos!

All the tools you need to create good-looking user-friendly interfaces

Your first aid kit for getting the most out of Visual Basic 6 If you want to develop business applications for Windows, then Microsoft's Visual Basic 6 is the programming environment for you. Whether you choose to build your programs from scratch or use helpful wizards, this friendly guide leads the way. Handy tips help you design and debug your work so you can accomplish your goals — fast! all this on the bonus CD-ROM Trial versions of Crescent Internet ToolPak 4.1, InstallShield Express 2.02, and VBAssist 5.0 Demos of VSFLEX, VSREPORTS, VSDOCX, VSDATA, and other products from VideoSoft. 486 PC running Windows 95 or later or Windows NT 4 or later. See the CD Appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Discover how to: Write BASIC code with ease Create menus and dialog boxes Add and remove ActiveX controls Manage your data Run, print, and debug your programs

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See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (September 4, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764503707
• ISBN-13: 978-0764503702
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I may be the only computer book author who hates computers. I love what computers can do but I hate the fact that they're so complicated, hard to use, unreliable, and downright troublesome. Besides writing computer books, I also enjoy performing stand-up comedy just to do something creative that involves human beings as opposed to machines.

I've been involved in computers, stand-up comedy, teaching, writing, and game designing for most of my life. In the computer industry, I've written over 50 computer books. Initially I focused primarily on Microsoft products such as Visual Basic and Microsoft Office. Later I switched focus to the Macintosh, iPhone, and iPad as I've watched the trend of computing shift from the PC/Microsoft dominated world to the mobile/Apple-influenced world. I've also shifted my programming focus from Delphi/Pascal and Visual Basic to Objective-C and LiveCode (a HyperCard clone) to create Macintosh and iPhone/iPad programs.

In the stand-up comedy world, I've been performing stand-up comedy for over 20 years, having appeared on A&E's "Evening at the Improv" and SiTV's "Latino Laugh Festival" along with appearing at the Riviera Comedy Club in Las Vegas. Currently I'm focusing my comedic writing skills towards occasional comedy performances but mostly towards screenwriting. You can read my screenwriting blog at The 15 Minute Movie Method (www.15minutemoviemethod.com). I've collected the best ideas from my screenwriting blog and condensed them into an e-book also called "The 15-Minute Movie Method," which is available as an e-book.

In 1992, I got my first cat and after reading a basic cat care book, I found that none of the advice offered had any basis in reality for dealing with the quirks and whims of a real cat. Based on that experience, I wrote a parody of a cat care book called "How to Live with a Cat (When You Really Don't Want To)." This book is now available as an e-book.

In the teaching world, I've taught at community colleges around San Diego as well as teaching at the University of Zimbabwe in Africa. Currently I teach an online Microsoft Word course through a company called Ed2Go.

In the writing world, I've written for several magazines including Computer Power User (CPU), Boardwatch Magazine, and Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities. I also write a weekly Macintosh column in an online computer magazine called ComputorEdge (www.computoredge.com). In addition, I've ghost written several books for real estate experts, stock day trading specialists, and network marketing millionaires. In 2008, I also helped San Diego State University's film department win their first student Emmy when they filmed my sitcom pilot, "Three of a Kind."

In the game designing world, I've created and published a game in 1983 called "Orbit War," which was published by Steve Jackson Games (the game is now out of print). The game simulated low orbital combat between satellites. I'm currently designing educational games for teaching various college level topics such as organic chemistry, calculus, and geometry.

I'm interested in always learning something new and combining my various skills and experience to stay ahead of changing technology and I enjoy writing about complex topics and making them easy to understand.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for the basics, but just., March 26, 2000

By 

Steve Etter (Raleigh, North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Visual Basic 6 for Dummies (for Windows) (Paperback)

Visual Basic 6 for Dummies was the first book I purchased to learn the fundamentals of VB. I have since purchased Visual Basic 6.0 Professional Step-by-Step and have recently ordered an intermediate level book, which I have not yet received. Because it was my first book on VB and I had no experience programming, I was able to get a lot from this book. I have since found that many of the methods and techniques, such as communicating with databases using the Data object (the only technique presented), to be too limiting for good programming. Sure, the techniques work, but I feel that if you're going to write real-world programs you need more depth, even as a beginner, than this book offers.

But let's be fair. I'm a technical kind of guy who wants to learn as quickly as I can.

This book has its good points, too. It is written in a style that is easy for non-technical types to stay interested and learn programming at a reasonable pace. I found the examples to be easy to follow and the explanations adequate while sometimes sketchy. The author uses humor, often pretty corny, to make it fun to read and his examples are written such that he rarely leaves you wondering how to use what you have just learned.

If you are a true beginner with VB and want to learn some basic concepts without going too deep, this is may be a good book for you. If, however, you are looking to get in at a quicker pace and learn more flexible programming approaches, you may want to consider something else.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Starting Point, May 31, 2001

By 

"cm364smg" (Greenville, SC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Visual Basic 6 for Dummies (for Windows) (Paperback)

For any beginner, this book is great. If you have no clue what BASIC is and don't know the difference between a module and a procedure, this book is great.

Although this probably won't get you at the expert level, it is a great beginning for anyone. It is much simpler than Microsoft's documentation and will definitely get you off on the right foot if you want something easy to start you off.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not, October 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Visual Basic 6 for Dummies (for Windows) (Paperback)

I found this book GREAT for learning visual basic if you are an ABSOLUTE beginner. Which I am, or thanks to this book, was. If you want a book on learning VB6 without having to slave at it, this is great. The tutorials and the practice software on the CD was also great. Although two things went wrong and only 2: 1) When they start to talk about Class Modules, The last chapter and second to last chapter (12 and 13) should be in the total reverse order. 12 talks about the complications of Class Modules and 13 talks about the simple stuff. 2) This uses code statments that can be used 2 different ways. IE: They talk about "End" and "Unload Me", even though Microsoft never mentions the "Unloade ME" statment because Microsoft never uses it! But, all and all, this is a great book. If you are starting VB right as you are reading this, VB for Dummies if for you.