VBScript in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly)) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Paul Lomax (Author), Matt Childs (Author), Ron Petrusha (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Because it applies the concise and popular Nutshell format to Microsoft's preferred scripting language, VBScript in a Nutshell is a valuable learning resource and reference. Focusing on the core language rather than on any specific application, this book teaches how to write clear, efficient VBScript code. Whether developing for the Web, automating Windows, or customizing Microsoft Outlook, this book will help the reader do a better job.

Though it caters to new users, VBScript is mainly a reference book. Each piece of the core VBScript specification (plus the Dictionary and FileSystemObject objects that make up the Microsoft Scripting Runtime) is described in an alphabetized entry. For each statement, function, operator, and object, the book gives a quick description of the element's syntax, concise rules of its proper use, information on returned values (if any), and some examples of the language element used correctly in practice. Two additional sections on each language element will be valuable to novices and anyone stumped by errors: a "Rules at a Glance" section that documents correct usage, and a section called "Programming Tips & Gotchas" that highlights common mistakes. --David Wall

Topics covered: Core VBScript and the most important object models on which it operates, including Microsoft Internet Explorer and the Windows Scripting Host. Tutorial material and reference entries explain structure, syntax, and program design.

Product Description
VBScript in a Nutshell focuses on the complete VBScript language, and illustrates the data types, variables, constants, arrays, statements, and functions that form the core components of the language. The book sets forth a detailed discussion of how to call scripts and explains the similarities and differences between VBScript and Visual Basic and how VBScript differs from JavaScript. The greater part of this book is an alphabetical VBScript language reference to all VBScript keywords. It documents both the obvious and the not-so-obvious, including numerous "gotchas" and anomalies that cause programmers so much lost time and needless frustration. Other chapters cover the MSIE, Active Server and Outlook object models, which allow VBScript to "control" its host application. Appendixes include listings of VBScript keywords by category, as well as the properties, methods, and events of standard ActiveX and intrinsic HTML controls. Whether you're using VBScript to create client-side or server-side scripts for a web environment, VBScript in a Nutshell is the only book you'll need by your side--a complete and easy-to-use language reference.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 508 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly; 1 edition (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565927206
• ISBN-13: 978-1565927209
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #668,309 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reference, it may have information you don't care about, June 23, 2000

By	JRK "jkunzvt" (VERMONT) - See all my reviews

It's about time someone else reviewed this book!

I needed a good VBScript reference book to consult when doing scripting projects for my company. The entire book isn't just a reference to the VBScript language-- that's only about half of the book. The reference is organized alphabetically and contains a description, rules and usually a decent example of the VBScript function, statement, method, etc.

So the surprise is the first half of the book, and it may be important to you and it may not. There are 20 pages on general program structure that most every programmer will find boring: pasing parameters by reference, passing variables into a subroutine, etc. After 8 more pages on data types and 22 pages on error handling/debugging, the authors included four other sections on VBScript with Active Server Pages, Programming Outlook forms, Windows Script Host, and VBScript with Internet Explorer. I found these sections to be out of the scope of what I was looking for in what O'Reilly calls a "desktop quick reference" book: simply a reference to the language.

I gave it four stars because the thing is only $( ) and you are getting 500 pages. I bought the book for the reference, even if it has this other stuff I don't care about. If you are programming VBScript or ASP in Notepad without "Help" to consult, this may be the best pure VBScript book out there. It will come in handy.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference, July 24, 2000

By	"kenneg" (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews

Covers EVERYTHING. Scripting techniques, error handling, differences between VB, VBA and VBScript, Structuring your program for reuse, etc. It gives a quick, down and dirty, high-level overview of the places you're most likely to use VBScript -- ASP, IE, Outlook and Windows Shell Scripts (wsh) -- and an incredible reference to nearly every VBScript function, procedure and call.

This book is not for the beginner looking to learn the language -- it's for the intermediate or advanced scripter who already knows a little but needs a reference to know HOW to use the functions, etc. It excels in this regard, not only explaining every command and option under VBScript, but also the syntax, parameters, rules and even 'Programming Tips & Gotchas'.

In short, if you need a true reference that documents nearly every facet of the VBScript language, this is a must have.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How did I manage this before?, October 14, 2000

By	Jase T. Wolfe - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This is the best VBScript I have ever read. Explanations when appropriate, examples where needed, and a virtually complete reference section, formatted exactly as a reference book should be - command, syntax, parameters, returns and examples. Easy to find exactly what you are looking for. This book has save me a considerable amount of reference time, as well as giving me the info I needed when I needed it. My hat off the authors, this book is worth every penny I paid for it - and then some.