Basic Books

VB and VBA in a Nutshell: The Languages

Paul Lomax

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Development -> VBA
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Software Design, Testing & Engineering -> Software Development

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 45 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

VB & VBA in a Nutshell: The Languages documents the latest version of the world's bestselling rapid application development environment. Paul Lomax's explanation of the language comes in two main parts.

First, Lomax explains the structure and syntax of Visual Basic (VB) and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programs. He details all the important stuff, including how to work with variables, how to create custom functions, how to create classes, how to handle errors, and how to react to user events. If you're up to speed on general programming concepts and just want to know how to get something done in VB/VBA, you'll find this part of the book especially handy.

The second, and largest, part of the book is a language reference in the classic O'Reilly style. Every function, statement, keyword, and miscellaneous bit of code has a clear, complete entry. Each entry includes a statement of syntax, a description of the function's purpose, a quick example of its use, and some tips for using it successfully. The reference documents the language as it exists in VB6. --David Wall

Visual Basic 6 for Dummies (for Windows)

Wallace Wang

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"A witty, well-written guide to Visual Basic 6.0."

I have a stack of Visual Basic books to wade through, and I chose this one because, well, I love Wally Wang. We go way back, back to obscure computer magazines and that one night in Vegas when we found $600 (plus an unknown amount of a certain South American currency) in our hotel room. But that's a story for another day.

I love the way Wally (known as Wallace on the cover because "Wally Wang" just doesn't translate well in England) writes. He can certainly make a dull subject bright. There is no denying his humor in the figures and throughout the text and examples.

The book is massively entertaining. But the question is, does it teach Visual Basic well? And therein lies the rub, not only in this but also with all Visual Basic books. Unlike traditional programming languages, Visual Basic is both a language and a product. So, the question is, which do you talk about first, creating a Visual Basic program or using the Visual Basic interface? Wally opts for the interface first, which he handles well. Alas, my goal in learning any new programming language is to write the first program. In this book, that doesn't happen until chapter 4. Ouch.

Happily, though, once the book gets going, there's no stopping it--it is packed. The pace is swift, and the steps outlining each project are thick. This may be too much for some beginners, but it sated my appetite for relearning this programming language. (My first books were on GW Basic way back in the mid-1800s.)

The book's hefty cover price means it has a CD-ROM, which I didn't look at. But even without looking at it, I enjoyed reading Wally's text--something I haven't done in too long a time. --Dan Gookin

Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Professional Step by Step, Second Edition (Step By Step (Redmond, Wash.).)

Michael Halvorson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 100 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In 24 easy-to-follow lessons, Microsoft Visual Basic Professional 6.0: Step by Step covers all of the fundamentals of programming with VB6. The book breaks lessons down into clearly defined steps and concise discussions that assist in creating demonstrative sample programs.

A companion CD-ROM contains 84 projects, organized into 24 folders to match the chapters in the book, plus an extras folder. The sheer number of projects and abundance of source code provide a valuable resource that will help beginning programmers get started quickly.

Though it contains a complete introduction, the book avoids or simply briefs on some advanced topics like multiple document interface (which, of course, advanced programmers would need to be familiar with, though it receives only a one-page sidebar).

The discussion of object linking and embedding, while a tad Microsoft Office-centric, adequately introduces and explains a potentially difficult subject. The book also contains lessons on current topics, including DHTML and file transfer, a pleasant surprise as Richter gives these topics their due.

For those looking for a complete, hands-on introduction to Visual Basic programming, this book will provide a valuable resource. --John Keogh

Topics covered: Using the Visual Basic development environment; forms and projects; properties; exiting Visual Basic; creating a new project; running a program; creating an executable; using controls; menus and dialog boxes; variables; mathematical operators; conditional and looping code; debugging; printers and error handlers; graphics; drag and drop; file operations; modules, functions, and procedures; collections; static and dynamic arrays; string functions; text files; simple encryption; using Access databases; launching OLE-aware Windows programs; OLE Automation; the Windows clipboard; ActiveX controls; integrating sound and video; monitoring your systems memory; downloading files using FTP and HTTP; using Internet Explorer to display HTML files; working with DHTML; creating an HTML page that supports DHTML; using ActiveX controls in DHTML pages; brief discussion of preparing a DHTML project for deployment as an HTML file and DLL; ActiveX Data Objects; FlexGrid; using the CD-ROM.

Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (Mps)

Francesco Balena

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 89 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Great Reference 4 out of 5 stars.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful.

I am totally new to V.B. and am attempting to write a fairly complex application straight off. EVERY time I have been stuck I have refered to this book and it has so far always helped me out. As a beginner I do not always immediatly grasp the code samples, but after searching through some more basic texts then returning to this book, I have so far always got the results I am aiming for. It is almost as though the author has looked at what i am trying to do, then sat down and written an example or two of how I can accomplish it!

If I could only recommend one VB 6 book, this would be it. Great stuff.

Best VB 6.0 book I own. 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This book is a must have for any VB 6.0 programmer period. So buy it.

Not only is this book extremely informative, but Balena writes excellently. The way he communicates the information help's make the info stick in your head.

As for the informative part Balena covers all the major bases in depth and some of the more obscude/advanced topics to get your feet wet. He also shows you different and more efficent ways to write code.

If I had one complaint is that his code is not the most readable, Balena seems to center more on condensing his code and making it as efficent as possible rather than making it readable. He attempts to offset this with comments.

But that is also a postive about the book Balena covers different ways to write a statment to make it most efficent.

Editorial Review:

PROGRAMMING VISUAL BASIC 6 0

Access 2003 Power Programming with VBA

Allen G. Taylor, Virginia Andersen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Microsoft Access remains an important part of the Windows developer's environment, in that the doughty database management system represents a simple and relatively straightforward core for forms-based software modules. Access 2003 Power Programming with VBA is a resource for programmers (particularly novice ones) working with Access and its native tongue, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). The emphasis in these pages falls on getting specific tasks done (examples include modifying a stock menu bar, connecting to data sources, listening for interface events, and exporting XML). Other coverage is more basic, and appropriate for Access developers in their novitiate stage. It deals with such fundamentals as declaring variables, establishing control structures (such as loops and case statements), and using the features of the Visual Basic Editor.

Will this book help you? Probably, to some extent. It's well-written and the authors have made wise decisions about which aspects of the Access universe to include and which to leave out (Access is a big subject). Their explanatory sections are clear and easy to follow, and their code is clever enough. On the other hand, the odds are small that you'll get all the information you need out of this book, unless the application you want to write is super-simple. Take this book as one step in a potentially long journey toward the application you want, and in an even longer one toward VBA mastery. --David Wall

Topics covered: The most important tools and techniques to be used in writing applications based on Microsoft Access 2003. Software design and the differences among the many Access releases are covered at first, and a clever section on Access development without VBA explains database schema development and the use of standard forms. Most of the book deals with VBA, though, including its capacity to create graphical user interfaces, connect to databases, integrate with other applications, and work with XML data. A chapter on multi-user applications (which has mainly to do with database locking) is helpful.

Qbasic by Example (Programming (Que))

Greg M. Perry

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Remarable Book For Young Teens. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Greg Perry makes learning in this edition easy, and very enjoyable for people who want to learn qbasic. Even today there are many people that use the language, especially young teens.

The latest compiler has taken on a new image and GUI from a third party software vendor written for windows, if your not using the program that was provided with MS-DOS and windows 3.1 many years ago. Greg's book clips away functions and keywords that you will learn directly in qbasic. Each chapter takes you through a series of techniques that are common among all computer languages; things such as loops, data sorting, printing, and graphics.

One very good aspect of the book I like is that you can skip to chapters that describe keywords, and use them quickly, without any real knowledge of the language. The general layout in book is pretty good too.All the block print for programming is highlighted in blue, which clearly defines many short lessons throughout the chapters, and the rest of the book.

If you never programmed before, I would recommend this language, along with Greg's book. I've read and learned programming from titles in C/C++, but qbasic is a real delight. It's not all that difficult, and the syntax is very sparse, unlike C, where the scope of it's variables can go out of range. Semi-colons play a big part in C too, which adds fustration for most people.

The keywords are just like the english language with symbols, which anyone can learn very quickly. In just a few short hours, you can have a full color application up and running with greg's book, it's a truely remarkable presentation in learning to program. If you desire programming with windows, then qbasic will prepare you for Visual Basic which is known for rapid application development, and is gaining popularity around the world.

Editorial Review:

This Special Edition provides beginning programmers with a helpful format that simplifies the programming learning experience.

• Presents short chapters that illustrate quick learning progress-even through complex topics
• Open and friendly style makes extensive use of icons and illustrations to present technical material in an easy-to-read manner
• Coverage includes an introduction to QBasic language elements, as well as advanced topics such as data structures, subroutines and functions, and disk file processing

VBA Developer's Handbook, 2nd Edition

Ken Getz, Mike Gilbert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

WRITE BULLETPROOF VBA CODE FOR ANY SITUATION

This book is the essential resource for developers working with any of the more than 300 products that employ the Visual Basic for Applications programming language. Written by recognized VBA experts, it provides detailed coverage of a wide range of specific VBA programming challenges. Its careful, step-by-step instructions and thousands of lines of code offer answers, while teaching you to devise new and creative solutions. The instruction applies equally to all VBA environments, whether you are building standalone applications or customizing commercial products using their built-in VBA programmability.

Coverage Includes

• Manipulating text, numbers, and dates
• Using automation to control other applications
• Creating objects using VBA class modules
• Using standard search and sort algorithms from within VBA
• Creating standard dynamic data structures, including linked lists, binary trees, stacks, and queues
• Working with Windows system information, including memory status, screen info, mouse, keyboard, and power status
• Working with Windows Registry data
• Retrieving and setting Windows networking information
• Working with the Windows file system, iterating through folders, creating and deleting files
• Adding sound and movies to VBA apps using Windows multimedia extensions
• Tapping the system capabilities provided by the Windows Scripting Runtime library
• Writing add-ins for the Visual Basic environment

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

VBScript Pocket Reference

Paul Lomax, Matt Childs, Ron Petrusha

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Home Computing -> Internet

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Microsoft's Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript), a subset of Visual Basic for Applications, is a powerful language for Internet application development, where it can serve as a scripting language for server-side, client-side, and system scripting. Whether you're developing code for Active Server Pages, client-side scripts for Internet Explorer, code for Outlook forms, or scripts for Windows Script Host, VBScript Pocket Reference will be your constant companion. Don't let the pocket-friendly format fool you. Based on the bestselling VBScript in a Nutshell, this small book details every VBScript language element--every statement, function, and object--both in VBScript itself, and in the Microsoft Scripting Runtime Library. There's a special emphasis on the following details:

• The syntax, using standard code conventions
• The arguments accepted by the function or procedure, if any exist

Entries are arranged alphabetically by topic, so that you can, for instance, easily find details about that string-handling function that you can't quite remember. In addition, appendixes list VBScript operators and VBScript intrinsic constants. Regardless of how much VBScript programming experience you have, the VBScript Pocket Reference is the book you'll pick up time and time again as your standard quick reference guide to the VBScript language. It is indispensable for anyone writing scripts with VBScript.

Microsoft® Excel 2000 Power Programming with VBA

John Walkenbach

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 65 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If you've mastered Excel and need to develop customized applications, Microsoft Excel 2000 Power Programming with VBA should have a place by your side. Written by noted Excel expert and PC World columnist John Walkenbach, it will thrust you deep into the inner workings of Excel and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to get you writing code immediately.

Somewhat text-heavy (as programming books tend to be), it still contains a number of good illustrations and screenshots to effectively teach you. The first three sections cover the fundamentals of Excel and VBA; the next three deal with programming and development topics such as user forms, pivot tables, and event handling; the final section covers miscellaneous issues like compatibility, file manipulation, and class modules.

The five appendices are useful for referencing Excel and VBA information, and the accompanying CD-ROM contains all the code and files you'll need to work through the book, not to mention the shareware version of Walkenbach's Power Utility Pack. (The full version is available through a free offer.) Nobody ever said programming was easy, but with Microsoft Excel 2000 Power Programming with VBA it's a lot simpler. --Rob Lightner

Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6 in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself)

Greg Perry

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 49 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Providing a decent overview of how to construct graphical interfaces with Visual Basic 6, Sams' Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6 in 24 Hours quickly teaches the novice Visual Basic programmer how to write simple applications that work. Readers should keep in mind, though, that this book addresses Visual Basic from a beginner's perspective: you'll want another book to help you with more complicated aspects of the language.

Fortunately, the authors don't get bogged down in documenting every last menu item and button in the Visual Basic 6 environment, as do the authors of many introductory books. Rather, they explain how to write real--if simple and somewhat academic--programs. This book would be stronger if it included more material on the "Basic" portion of Visual Basic--the actual code that must be written manually when you reach the end of the visual environment's capabilities. While the authors provide plenty of information on each of the popular graphical user interface elements--list boxes, labels, and the like--they don't pay enough attention to the language that endows those components with functionality. To be fair, though, many books about visual development environments fall into this trap.

ActiveX controls, which you can create with Visual Basic 6, don't receive much space either. This is more a function of the language than of this book--no novice programmer will write controls of any consequence without first gathering some experience, certainly not in 24 hours. --David Wall