Book Review: Visual Basic 6 In Record Time
By Steve Brown. Published by Sybex, ISBN 0-7821-2310-4. UK Price 26.99
First Learn Your Environment
Where to Start with VB6 ? Well, I guess the obvious place is the Integrated Development Environment. OK, so why does every book on VB persist in telling you what the icons mean in the IDE ? I ought to be able to work that out myself. The reason I got a book for £27.00 was that I wanted to learn something new.
Software Distribution and Installation
One of the impressive things about this book is that it includes (quite extensive) chapter on building software distribution kits, installation and setup procedures etc. Don't forget to virus check your kit before you prepare it for shipment!
The problems of teaching Objects
Inevitably with a book addressing VB,
the author attempts to address the thorny problem of Object-orientated development. Most authors I have read (which is not many, admittedly) seem to feel that this subject is best treated as a single chapter, usually prefixed with some "catch-all" quote which trys to lull the unsuspected reader into a false sense of security - something like "you will get the general idea as you work with VB more.... you really need to get a book on OO development.."
In so doing, the author misses the opportunity to impart the principles of OO design as an integral part of VB development. In fact, the book itself should be shouting "OO" on every page. The IDE, for example, is a typical example of an OO environment. So why not introduce the principles "up front" ? Why try to hide it away.
Personally, I think a book which talks about OO design using examples to build up from the word GO would be a far more valuable approach than to tack it on as an added extra. Readers are not silly - and it is better to introduce good programming practice at the start, rather than allow people to get bad habits.
Having said that, this book has much to commend it, and even with these criticisms, it is a very worthwhile book.
For reference, you could look up the publisher's home page;- http://www.sybex.com .
Book Reviewed by Dennis Adams in January 2000.
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