Visual Basic 2008 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer)

I have been involved with Visual Basic since the first versions and VB development has been the larger part of my professional life since VB3. The .NET Framework now represents the leading edge for Windows developers and Visual Basic 2008 is the richest and most productive .NET language.

This book (like the others in the Programmer's Reference series by Wrox ) is intended to be read by programmers looking to update their knowledge or transfer their skills from other environments. A particularly enthusiastic beginner could probably use this book and the accompanying code samples (available on line) as an introductory text but space is not wasted on basic programming concepts.

This book wisely sticks to mainstream programming by first covering this latest release of the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and then largely concentrating on Windows Forms development and VB language elements - backed up by an effective treatment of the mysteries of .NET printing and a very important section on graphics. Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is well introduced but in reality needs a book of it's own to cover in any real depth. Anyone looking to develop ASP.NET web sites will need to find an alternative text although newcomers to VB would not be wasting their time in learning the intricacies of the language here before proceeding to a specialised book on that topic.

For those looking to get to grips with the latest in VB there are chapters on Generics and LINQ together with sections on the latest addition to error handling, new language syntax such as the ternary If() , Lambda functions, anonymous types, nullable types, operator overloading and extension methods.

The style of the book is involving yet authoritative. Rod Stephens has clearly thought through each language and framework feature and has provide considered views on their application and utility. It seems to me that where he offers advice it is based upon personal experience tackling real world problems.

The book ends with what is nowadays a customary lengthy section of appendices but in this instance they represent a genuinely useful quick reference as the author has been selective with regard to content and perceptive in his commentaries.

The author remarks in the introduction that it was possible for someone to know all there was to know about VB3. It was just also about possible to know all of VB6. However, VB.NET 2008 is altogether more vast and it is exceedingly difficult to define the point where the language ends and the .NET Framework begins. This book is a great foundation for anyone looking to explore the rich functionality of the .NET development environment and for those seeking to get bang up to date with Visual Basic.

Excellent VB 2008 introduction (3/3 people found this helpful)

An excellent introduction to the new Visual Studio 2008. Plenty of code examples available for download from the book's website as well. The appendices in particular are very good for reference - often a lot easier and quicker than using the VS help files, which can be quite slow and difficult to find what you want.

I've been using VB.Net since the version 1 beta release, and so know it quite well, but there's still a lot of stuff covered in the book that I either didn't know or had forgotten about. All in all, well worth the money, and should be a useful reference for a few years to come.

And as a bonus, it also increases your upper-body strength as well - quite large and heavy!

Visual Basic 2008 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer)

Rod Stephens

Reader Reviews:

Get up to date with VB 2008 (1/1 people found this helpful)

Excellent VB 2008 introduction (3/3 people found this helpful)

Similar Products

Categories