Sams Teach Yourself Database Programming with Visual InterDev 6 in 21 Days (Teach Yourself -- Days) [Paperback]

Robert Crouch (Author), Michael Amundsen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sams Teach Yourself...in 21 Days | Publication Date: December 13, 1999

Sams Teach Yourself Database Programming with Visual InterDev in 21Days, is a tutorial that allows you to learn about working with databases in a set amount of time. The book presents you with a step-by-step approach to learning what can be a critical topic for developing applications. Each week focuses on a different aspect of database programming with Visual InterDev.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Sams Teach Yourself Database Programming with Visual InterDev in 21Days, is a tutorial that allows you to learn about working with databases in a set amount of time. The book presents you with a step-by-step approach to learning what can be a critical topic for developing applications. Each week focuses on a different aspect of database programming with Visual InterDev.

About the Author

Michael Amundsen has more than ten years database programming experience - using dBase, Clipper, FoxPro, and Visual Basic. He has worked in large corporate IS shops, small accounting offices and an IS consulting firm He recently completed his Microsoft Certification in Visual Basic and Windows 3.1 and now holds Microsoft's MCP. Robert Crouch is the Manager of Technology and Application Development Services. He has an extensive knowledge in the Microsoft technology area and has the following certifications: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, and Microsoft Certified Trainer. He has a strong programming background, with concentrations with Microsoft Visual Studio, Windows 9x, Office 9x, and BackOffice. This includes not only traditional n-tier client/server development but Intranet/ Internet/Extranet development as well.

Product Details

• Paperback: 700 pages
• Publisher: Sams (December 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672315637
• ISBN-13: 978-0672315633
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,978,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Neither a Step by Step, nor a Dummies book, April 17, 2000

By 

WebDev511 "BI Pro" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sams Teach Yourself Database Programming with Visual InterDev 6 in 21 Days (Teach Yourself -- Days) (Paperback)

The core information in this book is excellent. The ideas and procedures are indispensable if you are going to use Visual InterDev 6.0 for its purpose, Developing Data Driven web sites.

As with any computer book in print, there are some understandable problems. Who would have known that MS Data Access Components would totally change how you create Data Connections in Visual InterDev 6?

So far the actual html coding is just plain bad. It will work in today's browsers that will render anything, but that doesn't mean a Teach Yourself book should promote these practices. (Once you start using XML in your pages, YOU MUST close your tags)

Will this book help you create Data Driven sites with Visual InterDev 6? Yes. Do you have to be on your toes and think about what you are doing? Yes.

I would have given it four stars, but the author hasn't updated any errata since Feb 2000.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stimulating and Indepth Coverage of InterDev 6, February 20, 2001

By 

Rohan Parkes (St. Kilda, Vic Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sams Teach Yourself Database Programming with Visual InterDev 6 in 21 Days (Teach Yourself -- Days) (Paperback)

This one of the most stimulating books I've read on InterDev. Much of the code is very interesting, and some of the chapters come closer to real-world database web programming than other books I've read. I agree with the reviewer below that some of the HTML is dodgy (you shouldn't use <font> as a global container, guys, because you can't insert tables into the page if you do), but compared with some of the HTML CGI coders churn out . . .

InterDev is something of a Frankenstein in the web development world. Ostensibly based on the Visual Basic GUI, it presents several rather inconsistent approaches to database integration. There's the Data Environment, the Design-Time controls, or straight ADO. Added to this is a rather clunky web editor. Its interface encourages the developer to model a web page on the VB Form, an approach which relies on the out-of-date HTML 3.2 standard. But InterDev also ships with an HTML 4 CSS editor. MS encouraged developers to use FrontPage for design, but for years, InterDev generated non-standard HTML that made FP choke.

These inconsistencies are reflected in the structure of the book, although that's not necesarily a criticism. But while it might appear that the book progressively leads you through a series of graded lessons, it's really more like a series of articles.

The chapters on the Design-time controls are interesting, and probably contain the most in-depth discussion of their mysteries I have seen. The drawback is that most developers don't like using the DTs, and you can tell that the authors don't like them either, since they rapidly get on to ASP and JavaScript programming.

This does lead to one minor issue, although it's one that I could raise with many other InterDev books: once you start writing ASP, there's not much real advantage to using InterDev, other than its Intellisense. (But you can get Intellisense extensions for other editors like HomeSite.) Still, the ASP programming examples are all very good, and full of practical code examples.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Sams book without the usual number of typo's, incorrect diagrams, and software missing from the bundled CD. Most seriously, they promise you a demo version of SQL Server 2000, which isn't there. You can order one from MS, but you'll have to pay extra for it. Although you can get an Access version of the Pubs database from the authors' website, some of the ADO techniques presented only work with SQL Server.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Poorly put together, August 6, 2001

By 

Dan (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sams Teach Yourself Database Programming with Visual InterDev 6 in 21 Days (Teach Yourself -- Days) (Paperback)

It seems that the authors were asleep during the making of this book. This book suffers from poorly put together content: diagrams, layout, lack of files on the cd, and explanations. The first thing that was annoying was on page 15, on the bottom, that says if you need help on setting up the Frontpage98 Server Extension... refer to appendix B. Guess what folks, there is nothing mentioned there. I had to rummage through the internet and the Microsoft site to find any support.

It then gets even better a few pages ahead (19) where it says to locate the database "STYDBVI6" ... sure thing... where is it... on the CD? I think not!

Most of the book appears to be like that. From content missing, to lack of explanations, and other types of errata. While some examples and code can be worth while to look at (even the HTML is bad), it can however increase your knowledge of Visual InterDev. The only price is that you will be struggling and wanting to hit something hard from the annoyance this book might bring at times. However, you'll learn. Make sure you check the author's web site at Sams Publishing for any errata on the book.