The very best book for VB and Access?

[kupe]

Hooray! I am to be given a book on VB (for Access) if I would care to name it.

A little while ago, dcx693 recommended

Access 2002 Developer's Handbook, (Volume 1: Desktop Edition by Ken Getz, Paul Litwin, Mike Gilbert for desktop development with mdb files,)

Volume 2 for Access data projects.

Access Cookbook by some of the same authors.


And our master-coder, Mile-O-Phile, recommended

VB and VBA in a Nutshell

If you were to be given the most helpful VB book for use with Access, what would be your choice?

 

[Mile-O]

Definitely take the first one - that's about 2000 pages of reference, examples, and procedures. It costs a hell of a lot more, too.

The second one won't burn a hole in your pocket - it's only about £20.

 

[kupe]

Mile-O-Phile
Good to hear from you.

This is to be found at
http://books.reviewindex.co.uk/reviews_uk/1565923588.html

Customer Review #1: VB and VBA in a Nutshell: The Language
Very good but beware!!
This book is extremely useful. However it should be noted that this is not a teaching book and should not be treated as some kind of tutorial. It is a programmers reference and is only of use to people who have previous VB5/6 or VBA experience or another book which they are using to learn. (If you are learning from other material then this book will prove to be invaluable when it comes to fortifying your knowledge.) One final thing to note is that this book is not for Access Programmers!
I rate VB and VBA in a Nutshell: The Language - 4/5

What would you say to that?

 

[Mile-O]

This book is extremely useful. However it should be noted that this is not a teaching book and should not be treated as some kind of tutorial.

It is extremely useful. It isn't a teaching book although it does explain all the functions nicely. It most definitely isn't a tutorial.

It is a programmers reference and is only of use to people who have previous VB5/6 or VBA experience or another book which they are using to learn. (If you are learning from other material then this book will prove to be invaluable when it comes to fortifying your knowledge.)

I suppose.

One final thing to note is that this book is not for Access Programmers! I rate VB and VBA in a Nutshell: The Language - 4/5

It doesn't deal directly with Access in that it doesn't explore Object models relevant to Access.

It does, however, explain the functions prevalent in VBA whether it be Access, Excel, FrontPage, Powerpoint, or Visual Basic 6 itself. This, to me, is invaluable.


I still say the Developers' One is the one you want if it is getting bought for you.

 

[kupe]

And this is what is said at Amazon of the

Access 2002 Developer's Handbook

Suffice it to say that the Access Developer's Handbook (ADH) is legendary. It seems like not a week goes by at the comp.databases.ms-access newsgroup where someone with a question isn't directed to the ADH. Invariably, the handbook thoroughly and completely answers the question, usually with a comprehensive explanation including code. If you've never seen a copy, you owe it to yourself to give it a look. If, like me, you didn't read the Access 2000 version (I practically skipped Access 2000 entirely), you will definitely find the Access 2002 Developer's Handbook worth the read.

Seventy dollars.

 

[Mile-O]

Not as good as Developers' but cheaper and more for beginners, here's another book that I have:

Wrox Press

It's interesting to note that people who bought this book also bought the Atkins' Diet, according to Amazon.

 

[kupe]

Yes, the cover would turn anyone to Atkins or outright fasting.

But, yes, I'm sure you're right that the developers handbook is the one. We work with 2000, and that developers handbook is well down in price - $42 or $27 used. Cheers.

 

[stormin_norm]

Also good:

Alison Bater Matering Microsoft Access 2000 Development
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...1912612/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-4442711-7194428

AND

F. Scott Barker Microsoft Access 2000 Power Programming
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...1912498/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-4442711-7194428


Also check if the book coding examples are leaning toward DAO or ADO. I found Que's Using MS Access 2000 by Roger Jennings and the Access Cookbook coding examples were almost always DAO based. And I was hoping for more ADO examples.

 

[kupe]

Thanks, Stormin_norm. Two interesting titles there.

Don't know the first, but I know the second (we have it in the office) but I found it a bit too egotistical, and at times infuriating because what you'd expect to find often isn't there.

It's probably mostly me: but the movies or records that appeared to dominate - I thought - were hardly the areas most of us would be going there for.

I mean, go to www.fontstuff.com and you find that Martin Green provides for gratis some amazing coding, and far more useful.

I must be overlooking something in there. Be keen to hear what it has that wins you. Cheers.

 

[stormin_norm]

I guess the key was better ADO examples in the SAMS books than the Jennings & Orielly book. You are right about ego.

I generally am a HUGE O'Rielly fan. Their coding examples are typically fantastic, not just "hello world". But they always fell back to DAO.

I did not pick up Mastering VBA vol 1, out of stock at the local Borders. I'll swing by Barnes&Noble to check it out one day next week.

The Wrox books are excellent. Should have probably picked up this one.

I guess that is what this thread is getting down to:
Mastering series vs. Wrox.

 

[stormin_norm]

Also, by rule I found the "bible" books not so hot. Lots of pages with simple screen shots. So it may be thick, but only two chapters are useful.
ex: The waste time showing where to find the switchboard manager, and how to create an entry.

Unleashed wasn't bad, at least it covers the field properties in depth. thanks local library.

Rereading this thread....I will definitely follow Mile-o-Phile's advice on the Access Developers Handbook.
Thanks Mile-o-Phile.

 

[kupe]

Yes, Stormin_norm, agreed there, and envy your library's help. Libraries on this side of the pond are slow to offer books like this.

It's unfair to call the Bibles ' Bibles' because bibles they ain't, as you say. And like a lot of other computer books, there's a lot of the author talking into a tape for the typist, and little revision.

A book I've found really handy is Helen Feddema's www.helenfeddema.com/ and I think that is one of the O'Reilly publishing titles. (Is that the Newport RI O'Reilly who published sailing magazines, do you think?) Helen Feddema has been coding since, well, the old IBM look-alikes.

I've made a note of your recommendations, and will look out for them. Yes, I've used Mile-O-Phile's recommendation too for the book I'm to get. (Mile-O-Phile's an amazing wizard on this forum, I must say, and I'm a fan - even when he is at his iciest.)

Many thanks for your advice. Cheers

 

[Mile-O]

Icy?

 

[kupe]

Sorry, but like the deepest Glaswegian frost, it's been noted, guv'. But on the sunny days, we can all smile.

 

[Mile-O]

A MileSmile?

 

[Lister]

If you are anything like the "Newbie" that I was.
(And that wasn't that long ago)
The one book that moved up my understanding of Access. And covers most of the table, query, form topics with real world demos.
Is “Running Microsoft Access” by John L. Viescas.
It will take you from start to finish with good introduction in Macros, VBA and SQL.
With good form design and query structure.
If you are starting out, this is the book for you.
Any way my 2c

 

[kupe]

Hi Lister

Many thanks for the title. I see it's rated well at
http://www.aleksys.com/aleksys/BookDetail.cfm/BookID=97526/BookSubject_ID=1461

and not a bad price. Very grateful.

How's Napier these days? I lived there about a century ago (or so it seems.) Every so often I take a nostalgic trip there on the tourist site webcam.
Cheers