Build Your Own ASP.NET Website Using C# & VB.NET Review

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Build Your Own ASP.NET Website Using C# & VB.NET ReviewThis is the first Sitepoint book I have read and the second on ASP.NET.
The book requires that you have either Windows 2000, XP or 2003 installed and requires .NET Framework Redistributable (1.1 is the version the book is written for but most examples should work in v1.0), .NET Framework SDK, IIS (Or Cassini) Web Server, a modern web browser (e.g. IE v5.5+) and an editor. (Anything from notepad to Visual Studio will be sufficient). Access (JET), MSDE and SQL Server are the databases used in the examples. Instructions are included in the book on how to install and configure IIS and how to install MSDE and Access and how to attach the example database.
No previous knowledge of ASP.NET, C#, VB.NET, IIS nor databases is required. However you will need to be familiar with HTML before reading the book.
The format of each chapter is a brief, single paragraph introduction, then straight into the subject matter with a brief summary at the end. Throughout the chapters there is a liberal sprinkling of figures and tables and extensive code examples, nearly all of which are in both C# and VB.NET. During the course of the book a complete intranet application is developed which includes a helpdesk, employee store, newsletter archive, employee directory, address book and admin tools.
Pros
Extensive code samples
A complete intranet application is developed within the book.
Superb range of subject matter.
Liberal use of figures and tables.
Excellent layout.
A good tool for learning both C# & VB.NET.
Cons
Topics covered in each chapter are not listed at the beginning of each chapter.
If you are just a VB.NET or C# programmer the duplication of code examples in both VB.NET & C# may prove to be annoying and a waste of space.
Conclusion
My own opinion is that this is not the book for a casual hobbyist but aimed more towards at least a semi-professional developer. You will get more than a basic grounding in ASP.NET but will have to put in a fair bit of effort to extract everything the book has to offer. But what a lot it has to offer. The range of material covered is excellent. Of the many highlights the chapters on Datagrids & DataLists and Datasets were particularly impressive. The author's enthusiasm for ASP.NET shines throughout the book and his narrative style kept many of the duller topics interesting. The pace of the book is never pedestrian and sometimes quite frantic but always leaving you wanting even more.
At the end of the book you should feel confident to develop your own ASP.NET web sites in either C# or VB.NET. This book is another welcome addition to my bookshelf.Build Your Own ASP.NET Website Using C# & VB.NET Overview
A tutorial style book for absolute beginners that walks readers through an introduction to databases and programming concepts and then shows them how to build practical applications using Microsoft's technology.

Build Your Own ASP.NET Website Using C# & VB.NET guides readers through obtaining, installing and configuring all the necessary software to develop dynamic Websites. Then, it takes readers step-by-step through the process of creating full-blown, practical applications including an intranet, shopping cart with Paypal credit card processing and more. Throughout, the book focuses on best-practice code, ensuring application security and creating professional error handling routines.

Unlike most beginner books, SitePoint allow readers to choose between two programming languages, VB.NET or c#, when creating any of the applications in the book.


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Computer Science: A Structured Programming Approach Using C++ Review

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Computer Science: A Structured Programming Approach Using C++ ReviewFrom the back cover: "[...] no matter how powerful the language, it is still far too easy to write poor programs. [...]". The code examples in this book prove exactly this point.
The authors mention the ISO/ANSI C++ standard and claim to follow it "wherever possible" (sic). However, they make so many false statements that I seriously doubt that they have ever consulted the ISO/ANSI Standard documents, or any of the excellent text books on modern C++ design and coding practice (Cline, Meyers, Sutters.)
I believe (and I'm not alone) that in a modern C++ course std::vector should be introduced before arrays, and std::string before const char*. Not only are they safer, they are also *a lot* easier to use, and make it possible to come up with more interesting programming exercises than the endless array of meaningless numerical computations. Unfortunately, many instructors and authors consider std::vector and std::string to be "advanced topics", and torture their students and readers with the old stuff they had to learn themselves ten or more years ago. The authors belong to this category, I'm afraid: they learned C, and think that they know C++.
Let's have the book speak for itself.
Page 28:
"While C++ allows declarations and statements to be intermixed, we believe that functions should be organized for readability. Therefore, we continue to follow the C organizational concept that places declarations first in a function, followed by itsstatements."
On a related note, on page 40 the authors write:
"One final point about initializing variables when they aredefined: Although the practice is convenient and saves you a line of code, it also can lead to errors. It is better, therefore, to initialize the variable with an assignment statement at the proper place in the body of the code. This may take another statement, but the efficiency of the program is exactly the same, and you will make fewer errors in your code."
(My comments:) It is commonly accepted by knowledgeable C++ programmers that the practice of declaring variables near the point of their first use in one of the things that makes C++ a better C. It is the old style that leads to errors (forgetting to initialize variables) and maintenance problems (variables that are no longer used, but are still in the declaration section). Furthermore, it is considered good style to prefer initialization ( int sum = 0; ) over subsequent declaration and assignment ( int sum; sum = 0; ). The former is always more efficient, and the difference can be substantial when dealing with large objects for which construction is expensive. You may argue that this is of no concern for beginning C++ programmers, but I disagree; habits, both good and bad, form early.
--
From the code example on page 363: bool binarySearch (int list[ ],int end,int target, int &locn){ ... }
(My comments:) The first argument should be const-qualified: const int list[ ]
Not only does this protect the programmer from inadvertently changing any of the values stored in the array; it also makes it possible to use the function with const int[] arguments (which would fail to compile with the original code). The const keyword is an important asset of the C++ language, and students should be trained to use it properly from the beginning. Using the Standard Template Library will drive programmers who are not aware of const-correctness issues insane. The book is extremely sloppy in the const-correctness area.
--
Page 119:
"If a function has not been declared or defined before it is used, C++ will assume that you will provide that information when you link the program. Since there are no specifications,C++ will also assume that the return type is integer and that the parameter types correctly match the formal definitions."
(My comments:) This is not true: in C++, functions have to be declared before they are used, and there is no such thing as 'implicit return type int'. C++ really is different from K&R-style C.
--
On page 195, the following insight is highlighted:
"The else-if is an artificial C++ construct that is only used when
1. The selection variable is not an integral, and
2. The same variable is being tested in the expressions."
(My comments:) No further questions here, your honor.
--
It gets really interesting when the authors express their ideas on Object-Oriented programming. They claim that Object-Oriented programming is just a different view, but that the implementation is exactly the same as in structured programming. They are probably misguided by their own example of an elevator simulation program (in the chapter on classes), which is simply a structured program wrapped in a class, and has nothing to do with OO.Computer Science: A Structured Programming Approach Using C++ OverviewThis book, in the words of the authors, "teaches students first how to write good functions, and then how to implement them in classes." Designed for students with no prior programming experience, the book explains each basic principle of programming first in general, language-independent terms, and then discusses how the programming construct in question is implemented in C++. Given this approach, classes are presented in the second half of the text. The book incorporates coverage of software engineering principles and procedures throughout (starting with flowcharts), with each chapter concluding with a discussion of underlying software engineering concepts. Unlike competing books that are too difficult for first-year students, Forouzan and Gilberg take special pains to make their programming examples consistent and easy to read. This careful writing makes this book a solid choice for professors looking for a book that is easy to read and follow, without compromising the material's rigor.

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Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0: Programmer's Guide Review

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Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0: Programmer's Guide ReviewAs a contract programmer that has used VB since 2.0, I recommend this set, along with the "Reference Library" for any serious programmer, from rookie to pro. With each VB generation, I reread the Programmer's Guide. For example, chapters 9 and 10 are a must before the reader is ready for Reference Library's "Component Tools Guide" (which teaches you how to design and build ActiveX components.
Caveat for the rookies: Visual Basic has become a very complex and powerful language since its first release, when it was supposed to be used for GUI prototypes. You will need to spend time and effort learning the language and the various Microsoft strategies. I recommend SAM's "Teach Yourself VBx In 21 Days" and other beginner books in addition to this one. You can do a lot useful programming without ever touching the ActiveX component development.
BTW, there is an index and, yes, you will be referred to the online help for details in a lot of subjects. But that will be details and broader understanding. This book is already over 900 pages. "War and Peace" we don't need.Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0: Programmer's Guide OverviewCreated by the Microsoft Visual Basic development team in convenient, easy-to-digest print form, Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Programmer's Guide is a comprehensive resource for beginning to intermediate users. It is designed to help you get the best possible results from one of Microsoft's most popular programming systems for Windows. Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Programmer's Guide will help you learn programming fundamentals, create your first Visual Basic program, and optimize and distribute applications. Taken from the Programmer's Guide content available in the online documentation, but available in printed form only from Microsoft Press, the book provides vital insights into creating applications for stand-alone desktops, networked PCs, the Internet and intranets, and the components market.

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