Books for/about - Microsoft Application Developer

MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-536): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Application Development Foundation (Pro-Developer (Hardcover))

Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Tony Northrup Shawn Wildermuth Bill Ryan

ISBN: 0735622779
List Price: $69.99
Amazon Price: $44.09
Usually ships in 24 hours

Buy this book
from amazon.com
or from
amazon.co.uk

Avg Cusomer Rating: 2
Reviews:
Summary: Ok coverage but lots of mistakes
No book can really cover the entire material but the no. of typos, mistakes and incorrect code samples is really exasperating ... however if you are willing to supplement study by yourself, the practise questions and exams are sufficently indicative of the real exam.

Summary: great certification tool!!!
great certification tool!!!
but u will need also transcenders for exam preparation. contact me on my gmail account (certstuff). i will send u a list of transcenders i can sell u, 10$ each one. thnks

Summary: Terrible book!!..do NOT buy till a second edition!
I am already MCP and had read many training kits, but this would be with no doubt the worst, i will list my impression about this book in terms of the many negatives and rare positives i found.

NEGATIVES:
*chapters are mixed up with lessons, and both are VERY poorly organized,with ambiguos titles for chapters(like instrumentation , interoperation)you will be very lucky if you could guess the contents based on the titles!
*Very poor editing , you find many copy and paste errors in code, duplicated figures and questions to chapters in wrong place.
*finally and MOST IMPORTANT, providing MISLEADING and WRONG information(confirmed after contacting authors).
*does NOT cover even 50% of exam, i had to go to MSDN and other resources.

POSITIVES
*you get 15% discount voucher for the exam.
*authors are aware of their mistakes and are striving to make a better edition.

I would suggest that you dont buy this book unless you are in a hurry for the exam and /or this book is your only choice(another TK is on its way out).

Summary:

search for Microsoft+Application+Developer at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, google.com

Access 2002 Desktop Developer's Handbook

Publisher: Sybex
Authors: Paul Litwin Ken Getz Mike Gunderloy

ISBN: 0782140092
List Price: $59.99
Amazon Price: $37.79
Usually ships in 24 hours

Buy this book
from amazon.com
or from
amazon.co.uk

Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
Reviews:
Summary: THE Reigning Champ
Without a doubt, THE best book on Microsoft Access you will find. Most Access Developers will have several books on the shelf next to their desk gathering dust while they search through Google to resolve their latest dilema. Although I'm a Googler as well, my copy of ADH is frayed and worn...but never dusty. The authors write confidently and authoritatively, yet it seems that they take precautions to avoid intimidating the novice. I've seen reviewers referring to this book as "not for beginners." I was at the beginner-intermediate level when I first thumbed through it at a bookstore. I thought the pricetag was a little too high, but after about ten minutes I had to own it. Since then, it's brought me a long way. Whatever your level, if you really want to learn this stuff you will find great value here.

Summary: Excellent explanations
I'm comfortable with Access but when it comes to VBA I'm a newbie. This book doesn't only tell you what to do, but explains the why behind it. I have a database that I've put double digit hours (10+) into one problem. I got the book read up on combo boxes, the problem area, and in 30 minutes debugged my code to make them do what they were suppose to do. If I get nothing else out of this book it was worth it for that one issue, but upon further reading I'm learning the why's of Access. The code is still a little foreign but now I'm much more comfortable working in VBA. They use Reddicks naming convention which is different to me, but that's easy to look past. A great book!! Thanks Sybex!

Summary: Essential Reference
Don't let the "2002" in the title mislead you. This book is a valuable reference for Access 2003. If you are serious about the VBA programming, especially in Microsoft's Access, this book is essential. I have worked with the authors' and Access 97 and their Access 2000 versions and would have gone to their Access 2003 to version if it had been published. I agree with the publisher's choice to stick with the 2002 version because of the relative few changes to Access. Just last week, I referred to the textbook to see how to identify a control on a subform.

A second book I would recommend for VBA programmers is "Excel 2003: Power Programming with VBA" by John Walkenbach. Although this book focuses on VBA with Excel, the models and the presentation help develop a much richer understanding of VBA.

Summary:

search for Microsoft+Application+Developer at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, google.com

	Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Deluxe Learning Edition--Version 2003 (Pro-Developer) Publisher: Microsoft Press Authors: Microsoft Corporation
ISBN: 0735619069 List Price: $119.99 Amazon Price: $75.59 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 1 Reviews: Summary: Disappointed customer You screwed me up. I ordered a book not a CD version of it. Summary: Okay for absolute beginner Not bad, but definitely for absolute beginners, and some materials not truly oop oriented. Very little coverage of database applications or web applications; out of step with current development. Summary: 4/29/05 all disks in my copy all disks in my copy no installation issues at all looks like a great beginning book, cover all the basics. Summary:

search for Microsoft+Application+Developer at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, google.com

VBA Developer's Handbook, 2nd Edition

Publisher: Sybex
Authors: Ken Getz Mike Gilbert

ISBN: 0782129781
List Price: $49.99
Amazon Price: $31.49
Usually ships in 24 hours

Buy this book
from amazon.com
or from
amazon.co.uk

Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
Reviews:
Summary: Thorough, Instructional, with great code samples
This book has gotten me out of many scrapes. It is a rare book that can be read from the beginning, while trying out the sample code, as a way to learn the language, or as a reference book, to look up how to use a certain function effectively while writing code. Don't let the title fool you, this book is for those coding in VB just as much as it is for those using VBA. If you are going to buy one book on Visual Basic, let this be the one. If you are going to buy one book on Visual Basic, and see one movie this year, then buy this book and see Amelie. ;)

Summary: Reference Book
Good reference book... help you find tricks to do automation and to maximize the output of your VBA code. Not for newbies.

Summary: Object-Oriented Programming in VBA
Finally there is a book that addresses advanced/state-of-the-art topics and program functionality in VBA. Most other VBA books end their discussion of object-oriented constructs and custom classes with a weak example of a collection class. This book goes way beyond into custom events, interface and implementation classes, and error handling. You're left with the feeling that you have access to all the armament VBA has to offer. Plus, there are lot's of tips & tricks for everything else, and lot's of code you need but haven't had the time to write yourself.

Summary:

search for Microsoft+Application+Developer at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, google.com

Building Secure Microsoft ASP.NET Applications (Pro-Developer (Paperback))

Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Microsoft Corporation

ISBN: 0735618909
List Price: $49.99
Amazon Price: $49.99
Usually ships in 24 hours

Buy this book
from amazon.com
or from
amazon.co.uk

Avg Cusomer Rating: 4
Reviews:
Summary: Worthy Purchase
I agree with most of the reviews on this page. Regardless of Microsoft's current/past practices (which have absolutely nothing to do with the credibility of THIS book), it gives a good background on security in many situations. The part I found most helpful were the 'How To's' sections. There are good real world examples that are straight to the point and easy to comprehend. I code in C# w/SQL Server and all examples in this book use that combination; PERFECT FIT!

I would of bought this book just for the 'How To's' on hashing passwords and implementing roles with IPrincipal.

Summary: Wow. MS is certainly an unusual source of security info...
However, this is overall a good book on the subject.

While MS may not seem like the best source for security information, this really is a good book. Unlike the person ranting in another review, I personally don't care whether Bill Gates and MS is good or evil, or whether the security initiative at MS is a hoax or an honest effort. I care if this book can help me create a better, more secure ASP.NET application. And in that is is a success.

4 stars rather than 5 because the book is a little dry, and not exactly a page turner. However, there are things in here (like the section on hashing passwords) that will really make a difference in the security of your application.

Summary: Good Prescriptive Guidance
The Patterns and Practices Series represents the bridge between known best practices and applications. Busy application developers are frequently tasked with building complex and secure system, and at the same time, are required to operate with limited resources and time. This series, and ASP.NET Security specifically, give good prescriptive guidance for a large number of common application scenarios. The how-to sections are exceeding valuable. Check out other books in this series and you will find lots of good guidance to jump start development on the MS platform.

Summary:

search for Microsoft+Application+Developer at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, google.com

	ASP.Net 2.0 Cookbook (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)) Publisher: O'Reilly Media Authors: Geoffrey T Leblond Michael A Kittel
ISBN: 0596100647 List Price: $54.95 Amazon Price: $34.62 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 5 Reviews: Summary: Recipes run from the very simple coding solution to entire development strategies Michael Kittel and Geoffrey LeBlond's ASP.NET 2.0 Cookbook appears in its updated 2nd edition to include all new tips for version 2.0. Here are over a hundred solutions in C# and Visual Basic aimed to web developers who want an edition completely revised for 2.0. Recipes run from the very simple coding solution to entire development strategies and use O'Reilly's problem-and-solution oriented approach. This format lends to at-a-glance reference consultation - or to use as a classroom text. Either way, the authors' some thirty years experience working with ASP.NET lends to an authoritative text of solutions to common problems. Summary: Solving Common ASP.NET Problems Topics covered in this book: 01. Master Pages 02. Tabular Data 03. Validation 04. Forms 05. User Controls 06. Custom Controls 07. Maintaining State 08. Error Handling 09. Security 10. Profiles and Themes 11. Web Parts 12. Configuration 13. Tracing and Debugging 14. Web Services 15. Dynamic Images 16. Caching 17. Internationalization 18. File Operations 19. Performance 20. HTTP Handlers 21. Assorted Tips While this book is good, and chock full of lots of helpful information, I really think this text is just too big to be very useful. Some books are made to be really massive texts, but when I think of a "Cookbook", I don't expect to be wading through 1,000 different pieces of food before I can cook my meal. I couldn't even begin to imagine how heavy the text will be if there were a version 3 in the future. A second point to be made is that lots of the "tips" mentioned here are things that you can find in any other ASP 2.0 book, but here they are marketed to be kind of special things that you won't find anything else. I don't mean to razz on this book and say it isn't helpful for ASP.NET programmers (the new material here in version 2 is nice), but it's really bloated. I feel that cutting out a lot of the extra fat, trimming the size down a couple hundred pages, and focusing on the true "cookbook" suggestions would have been a better approach and made this a more essential purchase. **** RECOMMENDED Summary: This should be your Second ASP.NET book While this book doesn't go through all the details of writing an ASP page or application, it does tell you how to do all the little things that are going to occur to you after you commit to writing one. It's THE power programmer's reference. Summary:

search for Microsoft+Application+Developer at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, google.com

Microsoft Windows Internals, Fourth Edition: Microsoft Windows Server(TM) 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 (Pro-Developer)

Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Mark E. Russinovich David A. Solomon

ISBN: 0735619174
List Price: $59.99
Amazon Price: $37.79
Usually ships in 24 hours

Buy this book
from amazon.com
or from
amazon.co.uk

Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
Reviews:
Summary: Excellent reference speaking to the "internals" of Microsoft's OS's
I'm keeping this short and to the point. The content is rich and detailed. It truly speaks to how the Microsoft operating system functions on different levels. The book analyzes those different levels and goes into detail on how to use specific tools to "view what's happening".

My synopsis of the book is simple. When you "know what's happening", you can fix the problem. This book addresses various techniques and common occurrences that happen in the operating system and goes into detail about how to resolve them.

I've been diagnosing and troubleshooting Microsoft OS's since the NT3.51 days and wish I had read this book sooner (the rev 1 version).

I wish the book was available in PDF on a CD but alas, no such luck. The book is hardcover and reasonably heavy so it's not always convenient to bring it along. However, the content more than makes up for this lack of convenience.

Summary: Outstanding In-depth Analysis of Windows
I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a very technical analysis of Windows-XP/2K/S2003. Like I would imagine with most readers, I don't need to know everything about Windows but I do need to know everything possible about specific issues. For me, it's primarily the file system (NTFS). This is the best study that I have found. I have read Russinovich's work for years - and used his technical software - and have the utmost respect for him as an engineer, software developer, and a writer (However, he's probably very boring at parties!). For anyone interested in the intricacies of NTFS and other filing systems, I also recommend Brian Carrier's outstanding "File System Forensics Analysis".

Summary: Excellent technical reference
I purchased this book mainly to get detailed information about the NTFS file system. Not only did it satisfy this areas of interest, but I found it to be very informative in associated system areas such as the cache and virtual memory. I feel this book was an excellent purchase.

Summary:

search for Microsoft+Application+Developer at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, google.com

Microsoft Access Developer's Guide to SQL Server

Publisher: Sams
Authors: Andy Baron Mary Chipman

ISBN: 0672319446
List Price: $39.99
Amazon Price: $25.19
Usually ships in 24 hours

Buy this book
from amazon.com
or from
amazon.co.uk

Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
Reviews:
Summary: If I had bought this book first I'd have save a lot of money
I have a lot of SQL server books. Everything from SQL Server 2000 for Dummies up to SQL Server 2000 Stored Procedure Programming. And many times none of these books had what I needed. Then I would turn to this book. I was using VB.Net, so I figured this book wouldn't apply, but I was wrong. Even if you are not using Access, this book explains SQL Server the right way. Chipman and Baron offer simple but thorough explanations and samples of the things you actually need to know as a developer. They don't spend a lot of time on the things a SQL Server DBA might need to know that a coder would not.

Maybe their approach works so well for me because I came from an Access background, but I am willing to bet anyone coming straight from VB and needing to understand Transact SQL, effective stored procedures, funtions, and triggers would appreciate this book as well.

Summary: Appears to be an excellent book.
This answers a lot of programmer level questions about using MS-Access with SQL Server. It describes the limits and penalties when going the various routes. The book is quite clear in its descriptions. It would make a good addition to any Access programmer's collection.

Summary: One of the best
This is a great book. I have recommended it to coworkers who also purchased the book and they were equally impressed. This helped me have a much greater understanding of both Access and SQL Server and how they work together.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone using Access with SQL Server. It is easy to understand and has plenty of useful code examples. I use this as a reference on a regular basis.

Summary:

search for Microsoft+Application+Developer at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, google.com

Computers and Electronics Books || Automotive Books || Misc Books

| home |