Amazon Review
Bruce McKinney's Hardcore Visual Basic is a revised edition
of his guide to advanced programming in VB. Updated for Visual Basic 5.0, this
book is best at outlining some of the new language features in Visual Basic
5.0, especially its improved support for type libraries and object-oriented
programming. The heart of this book is dedicated to ways of accessing the Win32
API from within Visual Basic, which is presented in expert detail with a library
of add-on functions. Sample DLL's, with libraries of VB extensions are included.
The author also presents ways in which Visual Basic does and does not conform
to an object-oriented programming model. Sample ActiveX controls, which use
classes and the new ActiveX capabilities of VB5, are also presented. The last
section, with a mix of tips and tricks for extending Visual Basic code, is also
rather hit-or-miss. So is the author's humor--sometimes verging on sarcasm--which
some readers will sometimes find irritating. (Once an employee of Microsoft,
McKinney bravely expresses his dissatisfaction with the direction that his former
company has taken with VB5.) Though this book completely ignores VB5's new enterprise
features, database and Internet support, which are surely some of its most appealing
enhancements, Hardcore Visual Basic does have a lot to say about developing
in one of the most popular RAD tools developers have today. It can definitely
ease the transition into object-oriented programming for VB developers used
to the older programming style.
Customer Reviews...
A reader from UK , 1 December
Hardcore Visual Basic for Adults
A book that could well end up as a door stop waiting for you to be ready to
read it. In the meantime a CD full of Type Library's and source code that can
with little or no tweeking be used in your own apps. Put 1% of Bruce's book
into practice and you will be a better programmer for it. With a deeper understanding
of Windows and Visual Basic, classes defined and discussed in the book and supplied(CD)
open up a wealth of answers and understanding. Look at any VB news group, Browsing
files, API calls, String handling are all common questions and a just a few
of the items that you will become quite expert in, and look back at those news
groups with a knowing grin, if only they knew of Hardcore Visual Basic.
A reader from Sao Paulo, Brazil
Complete
I think that this book is the most complete reference that you can find. Learn
everything, with good humor.
A reader from United States
Great!
The best VB book I've read in a long time. Taking API and class interface to
new levels, McKinney displays a high-performance, easy to understand way of
using advanced API's, and using simpler ones in better ways.