Advice on VB Books

[mel_flynn]

I want to purchase a VB but haven't a clue what ones to go for.

I'm handy enough in VB (I've been using it for over a year) but it's all self thought ... so I've obviously only thought myself the things I think I need to learn ... if that makes any sence.

I've a list of books and would like some advice on whcih to buy:
Visual Basic

· ADO Programming in Visual Basic 6.0 (Holzner) + CD-ROM Publisher: Prentice Hall
· Beginning Visual Basic 6.0 (Wright) - Publisher: WROX Press
· Beginning Visual Basic 6.0 Database Programming (Connell) -Publisher: WROX Press
· COM+ Programming with Visual Basic (Mojica) - Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc
· Effective Visual Basic How to Improve your Visual Basic/Com+ Applications (Hummel et al) - Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
· Hitchhiker's Guide to Visual Basic & SQL Server 6th Edition Covers VB 6 (Vaughn) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Microsoft Press
· MTS Programming with Visual Basic (Hillier) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Sams
· Mastering Database Programming with Visual Basic 6 (Petroutsos) + CD-ROM Publisher: Sybex , Inc
· Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Professional Step by Step 2nd Edition (Halvorson) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Microsoft Press
· Practical Standards for Microsoft Visual Basic (Foxall) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Microsoft Press
· Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (Balena) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Microsoft Press
· Pure Visual Basic A Code-Intensive Premium Reference (Fox) - Publisher: Sams
· Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6.0 in 21 Days (Perry) - Publisher: Sams
· Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6.0 in 24 Hours Starter Kit (Perry) + CD-ROM/VB 6 Working Model - Publisher: Sams
· Subclassing & Hooking with Visual Basic (Teilhet) Harnessing the Full Power of VB/VB.NET - Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc
· Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6 Online in Web Time - Learn It Online! (Spenik et al) + CD-ROM/VB 6 Working Model - Publisher: Sams
· VB & VBA in a Nutshell The Language Features VB 6 (Lomax) - Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc
· VB COM A Visual Basic Programmer's Introduction to COM (Lewis) - Publisher: WROX Press
· VBA Developers Handbook 2nd Edition (Getz) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Sybex , Inc
· VBA for Dummies 3rd Edition (Cummings) + CD-ROM – Publisher: Hungry Minds
· Visual Basic 6 COM+ Programming Bible (Mueller) + CD-ROM - Publisher: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.
· Visual Basic 6.0 SuperBible (Jung/Waite Group) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Sams
· Visual Basic Developer's Guide to COM & COM+ (Freeze) - Publisher: Sybex , Inc
· Visual Basic Developer's Guide to the Win32 API (Brown) - Publisher: Sybex , Inc
· Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Win32 API Covers VB 4.0-6.0 (Appleman) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Sams
· Win32 API Programming with Visual Basic (Roman) + CD-ROM - Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc

[nswan]

not much help on books but i'd move onto vb.net if i were you!

[mel_flynn]

Will do at a later stage but need a book on VB first.

Suggestions??

[kleinma]

i have about 10 VB books.. and here is my suggestion to you:

If you get any book, I recommend one that is more reference than teaching, because books that teach tend to teach you things as "their" way of doing it.. which I don't always agree with. I find I get the best knowledge in 2 places though:

1) MSDN - I mean come on.. it's got pretty much EVERYTHING to do with VB in it... and if its not in the MSDN.. then there is an SDK for the specific objects you are programming

2) HERE - VBForums has tought me more than I learned when I went to school for programming

I'm not saying books are bad to have... but I have mostly reference books to look up how to do a specific thing.. because another thing is it is REALLY hard to read a computer book cover to cover... because lets face it.. they are boring as hell...

You should probably get books in the realm of ADO programming and Crystal Reports with VB programming... that seems to be your area if I'm not mistaken...

[kleinma]

oh yeah.. and this is a good site for books..

http://lcis.booksonline.com/

its down at the present moment for updates.. but should be back online soon..

I ordered 4 books from there for like 10 bucks.. because when you sign up.. you get to pick a promotion.. so I got 4 VB books and then you can cancel.. you don't have to buy anything else at all... at least that is how it was when I did it.. about a year ago.. worth checking out as computer books can get pricey...

[jayakumar]

hi,

the following books are best.
· Beginning Visual Basic 6.0 (Wright) - Publisher: WROX Press
· MTS Programming with Visual Basic (Hillier) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Sams
· Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (Balena) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Microsoft Press
· Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6.0 in 21 Days (Perry) - Publisher: Sams

[Vb^Forums™]

Originally posted by kleinma
oh yeah.. and this is a good site for books..

http://lcis.booksonline.com/

its down at the present moment for updates.. but should be back online soon..

I ordered 4 books from there for like 10 bucks.. because when you sign up.. you get to pick a promotion.. so I got 4 VB books and then you can cancel.. you don't have to buy anything else at all... at least that is how it was when I did it.. about a year ago.. worth checking out as computer books can get pricey...

That looks like its an awsome site but im curious if you could tell me if it will ship items to Canada and if their trustworthy and ship fast and stuff? Thanks for advice in advance man

[Vb^Forums™]

And also its all vb.net I cant find any on visual basic 6? Thanks for some help again

[techgnome]

My $0.02US:
Don't buy books on line.... if at all possible, find it at a brick'n'morter store first, flip through it, make sure it will serve your needs. Then only buy on line if you can get a deal.
Check out some of the reviews for the book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. But be sure to read the reviews w/ some objectivity....
Wrox has always been good to me. They are not beholden to MS. Their books are written by sofware professionals, for software professionals.
O'Reilly books are good too.
Stay away from _anything_ for Dummies or Idiots.
Be leary of anything fom Microsoft Press. I'm not saying they're no good, but they have an obvious slant to them.
Also, if it's by Appleman or Lhotka (Rocky).. then go for it. They are the best of the bunch. They know their stuff and they enjoy it.

For the titels you listed, here's what I think. If I gave no opinion, then it's because I've never heard of it.

· ADO Programming in Visual Basic 6.0 (Holzner) + CD-ROM Publisher: Prentice Hall
-- Never seen this one. We use the ADO book from Wrox.... excellent book.
· Beginning Visual Basic 6.0 (Wright) - Publisher: WROX Press

· Beginning Visual Basic 6.0 Database Programming (Connell) -Publisher: WROX Press

· COM+ Programming with Visual Basic (Mojica) - Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc

· Effective Visual Basic How to Improve your Visual Basic/Com+ Applications (Hummel et al) - Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
-- I wouldn't really bother with this one.

· Hitchhiker's Guide to Visual Basic & SQL Server 6th Edition Covers VB 6 (Vaughn) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Microsoft Press
-- Nor this one.

· MTS Programming with Visual Basic (Hillier) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Sams
· Mastering Database Programming with Visual Basic 6 (Petroutsos) + CD-ROM Publisher: Sybex , Inc
-- Good if you are going to get into MTS heavily

· Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Professional Step by Step 2nd Edition (Halvorson) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Microsoft Press

· Practical Standards for Microsoft Visual Basic (Foxall) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Microsoft Press

· Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (Balena) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Microsoft Press

· Pure Visual Basic A Code-Intensive Premium Reference (Fox) - Publisher: Sams

· Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6.0 in 21 Days (Perry) - Publisher: Sams
-- Good only if you have _never_ programmed in VB

· Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6.0 in 24 Hours Starter Kit (Perry) + CD-ROM/VB 6 Working Model - Publisher: Sams
-- Same here

· Subclassing & Hooking with Visual Basic (Teilhet) Harnessing the Full Power of VB/VB.NET - Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc

· Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6 Online in Web Time - Learn It Online! (Spenik et al) + CD-ROM/VB 6 Working Model - Publisher: Sams
-- ????

· VB & VBA in a Nutshell The Language Features VB 6 (Lomax) - Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc

· VB COM A Visual Basic Programmer's Introduction to COM (Lewis) - Publisher: WROX Press
-- If this is the book I'm thinking of, this is a good intro to COM.

· VBA Developers Handbook 2nd Edition (Getz) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Sybex , Inc
-- Only if you are going to do VBA programming (Excel, Word)

· VBA for Dummies 3rd Edition (Cummings) + CD-ROM – Publisher: Hungry Minds
-- Same here -- be warned about what I said about Dummy books though....

· Visual Basic 6 COM+ Programming Bible (Mueller) + CD-ROM - Publisher: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.

· Visual Basic 6.0 SuperBible (Jung/Waite Group) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Sams
-- It's not a "super" as it may suggest.

· Visual Basic Developer's Guide to COM & COM+ (Freeze) - Publisher: Sybex , Inc

· Visual Basic Developer's Guide to the Win32 API (Brown) - Publisher: Sybex , Inc
-- Use the next book.

· Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Win32 API Covers VB 4.0-6.0 (Appleman) + CD-ROM - Publisher: Sams
-- The bible of API from the "god" of APIs..... very handy and wonderful if you plan to do a lot of API calls.... This is a REFERENCE book, not a how-to.

· Win32 API Programming with Visual Basic (Roman) + CD-ROM - Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc
--I recommend the previous one over this one.

[kleinma]

Originally posted by Vb^Forums™
And also its all vb.net I cant find any on visual basic 6? Thanks for some help again

not sure about that.. like i said i ordered a while ago.. i know they are trustworthy because myself and several others ordered books from them.. its no scam or anything like that.. and ship time was quick... but as for their stock of books now.. im not sure... i just got my promo books and cancelled my membership.. as i only had signed up to get the promo books

[Vb^Forums™]

Lol kewl thats what I plan on doing but I wish they had vb books just not vb.net but thanks for your time and help

[Shaggy Hiker]

You got some good tips here, and I won't be saying anything really new, but I'd like to emphasize some of the nuances others wrote about.

Klienma pointed out that programming books are really boring. True! However, specific knowledge isn't boring. You already have a years experience? That's a fair amount in VB. You would probably find that you gain more from working on a project and dealing with specific issues as they arise. When you encounter something new, and need some new knowledge, that's when you go to the book. For that, a reference, either specific or general, would be best. Whatever general knowledge you could gain from reading a reference would probably be lost if you don't use it. Using the knowledge will provide the most benefit.

techgnome made a good point about buying on-line. I'd like to expand on that a little. If you look at programming books in a bookstore, you will probably have no difficulty finding excellent examples of the scams in programming book publishing. These books are padded with screen shots, wide margins, white space, and superfluous code (some code is valuable to read, but not all of it). All of these techniques are used to puff up the size (and the price) of the book. Simply scanning through a book for screen shots and margins can give you a fair idea of the quality of the book. Don't buy it if too much volume is given over to padding.

That's not to say that screen shots are necessarily bad, but if the book is using padding to increase size, it suggests that they aren't trying to sell it based on the quality of the writing.

Reviews on-line can be valuable, but I have often seen the writer or even the publisher write a review just to increase the number of stars (I've never seen a writer who didn't give their own book the highest rating). The more reviews, the better, but you are always taking a risk if you can't sample the text before you buy.

I always ask a question, and see if the book can give me a good answer to the question as a test. You can't do that on-line.

[frigginjerk]

if you look into getting
Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (Balena)

Then you should also check out his website vb2themax.com
Its a great site with lots of articles, tips and book reviews.

Fransesco Balena seems to great programmer. Just look threw the code bank at his site and you'll see what I mean.