Product Description
Programmers tend to be specialists--they tend to do the same kind of programming over and over. The MCSD exam is targeted at technical generalists--developers familiar with a broad array of Microsoft technologies and development approaches. With its comprehensive overview of core technology areas,
MCSD in a Nutshell is the perfect study guide and resource to help developers master technologies that are less familiar to them. Most certification books are really tutorials in disguise. In contrast, this book focuses on the advanced topics about which developers are actually tested on the exam.
From the Author
Getting your MCSD certification can be a difficult and expensive endeavor. As an MCSD, I can appreciate the time and money it takes. I also understand the frustration caused by the lack of good, relevant study material. When I crack a book on MCSD certification and find information on how to add controls to a form, I'm baffled. How can you possibly expect to pass an exam if you can't add controls to a form, and why did you spend money on a book that takes valuable pages to present such fodder?
I wrote MCSD In a Nutshell to be the book I wished I had when I got certified (I've been certified in VB since version 3). It's a no-nonsense, in-depth text on the Microsoft technologies you'll encounter on the exams - period. Most developers focus on a few areas of VB, yet the exams test your knowledge on all of the technologies encompassed by Visual Basic. For instance, have you ever built an ActiveX document? Chances are you haven't (and probably don't want to). However, ActiveX documents receive a disproportionate number of questions on both exams, considering how underused this technology really is. If you don't understand ActiveX documents, you’ll be hurt on the exams. Some books give you a dozen or so pages on ActiveX documents, while in MCSD In a Nutshell I wrote 41 pages. Many other books offer superfluous coverage of many topics (such as Microsoft Transaction Server), but I took the approach of diving deep and teaching you everything you need to know about a subject ! to pass the exams. When you fully understand a topic, the exact questions you'll encounter on the exams are irrelevant because you'll be able to think through the problem at hand.
You can read chapter 7, Working with Data, absolutely free at O'Reilly's web site.
I hope you find this book to be a valuable aid to your passing the exams, and a solid reference for your everyday programming. Good luck!
James Foxall, MCSD
