Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Programmer's Guide (Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Reference Library) (Paperback)

by Microsoft Corporation (Editor) "Welcome to Microsoft Visual Basic, the fastest and easiest way to create applications for Microsoft Windows..." (more)
Key Phrases: Visual Basic, Private Sub, Books Online (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This is a comprehensive guide to programming with VB for the beginning-to-intermediate VB user. It consists of information that was supplied in print form with previous versions of Visual Basic (prior to version 5.0), and its removal owes more to cost considerations than to any lack of user satisfaction. There's a very broad sweep here, from programming fundamentals and "Your First Visual Basic Program" to optimizing and distributing your application.

The content is available electronically with the product, but print editions have their adherents. In addition, a large number of people have downloaded (100K since late October) a free partial implementation of Visual Basic, the Controls Creation Edition. Many of these people will particularly welcome a programmer's guide at retail.

A key consideration with this book is that it's available in other ways, one retail and one through fulfillment: The book is part of the Visual Basic Deluxe Learning Edition; that is, it is boxed along with a version of VB software, a tutorial, and the VB Step by Step. That will have a different cover (without ISBN) but is essentially the same book. As for the fulfillment route, the book will be part of the hardcopy doc set that the VB group has a fulfillment arrangement for (also advertised in the product box). So our biggest channel opportunity is retail, for people who don't for whatever reason respond to the direct appeal in the box or for people who downloaded the CCE, use the product via a corporate license, or don't have a product box for whatever other reason.

Product Details

• Paperback: 898 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Pr (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572316047
• ISBN-13: 978-1572316041
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,267,491 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive detail of how to take advantage of VB 5, October 15, 1997

By A Customer

VB5 is truly significant in that, for the first time, the deep and rich object-based roots of Windows 95 are exposed to Visual Basic programmers. No short course nor book can reveal this depth, and Microsoft's 900 pages afford little waste in covering the points. From their current version of object-oriented terminology ("OLE out, ActiveX in") to the subtleties of project management, this book maps out the full scope of VB5 with enough depth to assure that you won't miss out on any of the system's significant new capabilities. Beware: this book is for the seasoned programmer. Its programming examples are designed only to demonstrate specific points, and otherwise provide no tutorial for developing your own applications. The good news here is that this book is authoritative in showing you the Microsoft vision of how VB5 is ideally intended to be used. The only bad news is that VB5 is not ideal in all ways, and you shouldn't depend on this book to point out the pitfalls or workarounds.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good as a reference, but Not a programming guide, April 6, 2000

By	Mike Barker (Baltimore, USA) - See all my reviews

While this book is a fairly good reference, it certainly is dreadful as a programming guide. Little things annoy throughout, such as the author constantly mentioning new topics only to cop-out and say "see Chapter X for more details". Some sections have this at the end of every paragraph, which makes is read like 'stereo instructions'. Also, while most programming books are quite dry, this one takes the cake for most 'sleep inducing'- it is a stream of information with no mention of possible uses or implementation. As an ASP/VBS developer I thought it would be easy to move from VBS to VB, but not with this book. Avoid if you are new to visual basic!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is well worth the price, September 30, 1998

By A Customer

For a Microsoft manual, this book is extremely well-written. I think had the author penned this for any other publisher, it might well be a best seller.

The book tackles the major new features of VB5 using some humorous examples in some caes to make its point.

I teach VB for a living, and I think for the money it's a valuable resource. I recommend that my students read it within the first few weeks of class.