Review of Microsoft C# Professional Projects (Paperback)

I purchased this book because I learn best by following examples based on real, useful projects.I have completed project 1 and thus far have these observations:

1)Though "validating data" is stressed, the example code does a very poor job of doing so.

2)The authors seem to forget what they need in their example forms.For example, the CustomerForm in project 1 is supposed to be able to add and edit records contained in a customer table.However, they authors forgot to create a way to add the record!

3)Some of the information is presented out of sequence and thus causes a great deal of confusion.For example, chapter 9 is on Validations and Exception Handling.It looks like this information was once part of chapter 10 and the authors decided that they should discuss validation first.However, it appears that they forgot to rewrite the material so that it would make sense in its new context!I found myself flipping back and forth between the two capters in order to finish the project.

4)Even with these problems, the book would still be useful if an online errata existed.However, I have not been able to locate one on the Website provided.

5)Project 1 presents an inconsistent interface.Each of the forms in the project has a similar purpose but entirely different interfaces and controls.I believe the authors did this in order to show the reader that there are different ways to use .NET Studio to do the job, but I do not recall that this was actually mentioned in the text.All I can say is do not use the projects in this book as models for good interface design.

I have been a programmer for almost three decades and I am already knowledgeable in Java, C++ and Visual Basic, so I am still able to use this book as a tutorial to learn the features of C# and the .NET programming interface.Since this book was still useful in that respect, I have given it 2 Stars instead of 1.However, if you are new to object oriented programming or new to programming in general, please give this book a skip.

Product Description
Incorporating six hands-on projects, Microsoft C# Professional Projects is your key to unlocking the power of C#. Each project builds upon the last and is based on a real-world situation. Enhance your C# skills as you create a customer maintenance system, an employee record system, a Web portal, and an airline reservation portal. You will be able to use the skills that you develop throughout the book to modify the projects as needed to fit your professional needs.

About the Author
Geetanjali Arora is an instructional designer who has worked with the NIIT for almost two years.She has done several projects with the NIIT that include instructor-led training (ILT), computer-based training (CBT), and Web-based training (WBT).She has written on both technical and non-technical subjects.At the NIIT, Geetanjali's responsibilities include scripting, construction, planning, and scheduling.She has also provided training on NexGen and Dreamweaver.

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Review of Microsoft ASP.NET Fast & Easy Web Development (Paperback)

REVIEW:While not completely atrocious, this volume is certainly not among my favorite IT books.To begin, it is written in very understandable english.However, this is misleading.Oftentimes, that simple english conceals details that are quite useful and downright necessary for the examples given.To quote page 178: "Write the code for the GetDocumentation method."Note that the book does not give you the complete code (unlike most tech books).All the reader gets is a screenshot of the VS.NET window.

Now, you might think that's not too bad.There's probably a CD or a website that you can download the source from, right?Wrong.The website listed on the back of the book and in the introduction is not a valid URL.I eventually tracked down the real publisher and downloaded the source code.Unfortunately, it's buggy and comes with a senseless installation application.

In essence, this book is a lot of flash and no substance.It doesn't clearly explain concepts nor does it adequately present the material.At times it acts as if the reader is already very experienced (not providing the full source) while at others it reads as if it were written for a CS 101 class (showing step by step which buttons to click to create a new app).

STRENGTHS: Very few and far between.The screenshots provided are useful for positioning of controls and overall appearance conformity.The book also does a decent job of introductory explanations such as "Introducing the .NET Initiative."Which, parenthetically you could also read for free about on Microsoft's site.These, however, do not outweight the glaring errors present though.

WEAKNESSES: Aside from the above complaints, a major issue that I had with the book is that it did not use standard Hungarian notation.Instead, the author used IDs such as "AdRotator1", "CalStart", "documentation", "picture", etc...Naming conventions like these simply scream "amateur" to me.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: If you still want to read it, I'd recommend that you already be familiar with VB.NET or C#.Also, an understanding of web technologies such as IIS and SQL Server are quite useful when the author neglects to tell you important information.

FOR SIMILAR/RELATED TOPICS, CONSIDER: I would recommend "ASP.NET by Example" (ISBN 0789725622) or "Sams Teach Yourself ASP.NET in 21 Days" (ISBN 0672324458).Both are far better.

Product Description
Don't spend your time wading through manuals to learn ASP.NET. Spend it doing what you do best-creating Web pages! Begin with an introduction to the .NET initiative. Then work your way through the concepts of ASP.NET, Visual Basic .NET, and ADO.NET. By the time you finish, you'll be using ASP.NET to create custom applications. Combining easy-to-understand instructions with visual examples, Microsoft ASP.NET Fast & Easy Web Development offers a unique, hands-on approach to ASP.NET that you won't find anywhere else. Less time, less effort, more results!

About the Author
Nitin Pandey works as a consultant with NIIT. He has authored several books, including Commerce Server 2000 Configuration and Administration, Visual Studio .NET for Dummies, and C# Professional Projects.

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