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Introduction to Programming
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 Customer Reviews
Excellent for programmers who don't know Excel, 17 May 2008
As a professional programmer I wondered whether this was going to patronise me too much; I needn't have worried, Walkenbach's approach is just right.
He tells it like it is, with plenty of good examples and real world applications for those examples. I'm sure Walkenback doesn't expect this book to teach you everything about Excel and whilst using it I searched for other examples on the 'Net which reinforced what he was teaching me.
But this was the book that provided me with the central learning experience and for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks John! A good book to start with., 09 Jun 2007
When I set out to learn a completely new technique in programming I like to start by reading a simple book, then follow that up by reading a higher level book. John Walkenbach's work is excellent for the first stage of this process. It is simply written (although I could manage without some of the "humor"), and he explains the basic techniques very well. I would argue with the "for dummies" part of the title, and would describe the book instead (apart from the humor) as suitable for the intelligent reader who starts Chapter 1 knowing little or nothing about VBA, but who is reasonably competent with Excel itself. By the end of Chapter 25, and after trying out some of the worked examples, such a reader should have a reasonable working knowledge of how to write VBA macros. Excellent for getting familiar with th VBA "basics"!, 24 Mar 2007
This book is fantastic for those who know nothing, or next to nothing about VBA programming in Excel, and want to learn the "basics" (no pun intended!).
You can read this book from cover to cover, practising examples on the way , and learning something every chapter. The author also makes reference to an accomanying website where you can download some of the programs to see them in action.
Furthermore, the book is written in very good humour, and you can have a laugh at the same time!
It is however very much a beginner's book, and does not go into great depth with VBA - if you purchase the book with that in mind then you really are on to a winner! If only I had an option to give this 6 stars !!, 13 Sep 2006
This book is a must have for anyone wanting to get to know VBA. Don't let previous books on VBA programming put you off, as these can either swing between patronising to the mega confusing (in my own experience). John Walkenbach takes you through this must have guide with patients and humour at an understandable and undaunting pace. Even when I was only half way through his book I was using the information I had gathered to streamline my many tedious excel spreadsheets and by the end of the book I wanted more. P.s. John, please bring part two !! Found this really useful, 01 Apr 2006
This book is really accessible, with loads of working examples. I needed to write a couple of custom functions for use in Excel 2002 spreadseets. And needed to get them working as addins. This book told me all I needed to know. A lot simpler to follow than some other books on this topic - such as one of the author's other books "Excel 2002 Power Programming with VBA". Brilliant.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for programmers who don't know Excel, 17 May 2008
As a professional programmer I wondered whether this was going to patronise me too much; I needn't have worried, Walkenbach's approach is just right.
He tells it like it is, with plenty of good examples and real world applications for those examples. I'm sure Walkenback doesn't expect this book to teach you everything about Excel and whilst using it I searched for other examples on the 'Net which reinforced what he was teaching me.
But this was the book that provided me with the central learning experience and for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks John! A good book to start with., 09 Jun 2007
When I set out to learn a completely new technique in programming I like to start by reading a simple book, then follow that up by reading a higher level book. John Walkenbach's work is excellent for the first stage of this process. It is simply written (although I could manage without some of the "humor"), and he explains the basic techniques very well. I would argue with the "for dummies" part of the title, and would describe the book instead (apart from the humor) as suitable for the intelligent reader who starts Chapter 1 knowing little or nothing about VBA, but who is reasonably competent with Excel itself. By the end of Chapter 25, and after trying out some of the worked examples, such a reader should have a reasonable working knowledge of how to write VBA macros. Excellent for getting familiar with th VBA "basics"!, 24 Mar 2007
This book is fantastic for those who know nothing, or next to nothing about VBA programming in Excel, and want to learn the "basics" (no pun intended!).
You can read this book from cover to cover, practising examples on the way , and learning something every chapter. The author also makes reference to an accomanying website where you can download some of the programs to see them in action.
Furthermore, the book is written in very good humour, and you can have a laugh at the same time!
It is however very much a beginner's book, and does not go into great depth with VBA - if you purchase the book with that in mind then you really are on to a winner! If only I had an option to give this 6 stars !!, 13 Sep 2006
This book is a must have for anyone wanting to get to know VBA. Don't let previous books on VBA programming put you off, as these can either swing between patronising to the mega confusing (in my own experience). John Walkenbach takes you through this must have guide with patients and humour at an understandable and undaunting pace. Even when I was only half way through his book I was using the information I had gathered to streamline my many tedious excel spreadsheets and by the end of the book I wanted more. P.s. John, please bring part two !! Found this really useful, 01 Apr 2006
This book is really accessible, with loads of working examples. I needed to write a couple of custom functions for use in Excel 2002 spreadseets. And needed to get them working as addins. This book told me all I needed to know. A lot simpler to follow than some other books on this topic - such as one of the author's other books "Excel 2002 Power Programming with VBA". Brilliant.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for programmers who don't know Excel, 17 May 2008
As a professional programmer I wondered whether this was going to patronise me too much; I needn't have worried, Walkenbach's approach is just right.
He tells it like it is, with plenty of good examples and real world applications for those examples. I'm sure Walkenback doesn't expect this book to teach you everything about Excel and whilst using it I searched for other examples on the 'Net which reinforced what he was teaching me.
But this was the book that provided me with the central learning experience and for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks John! A good book to start with., 09 Jun 2007
When I set out to learn a completely new technique in programming I like to start by reading a simple book, then follow that up by reading a higher level book. John Walkenbach's work is excellent for the first stage of this process. It is simply written (although I could manage without some of the "humor"), and he explains the basic techniques very well. I would argue with the "for dummies" part of the title, and would describe the book instead (apart from the humor) as suitable for the intelligent reader who starts Chapter 1 knowing little or nothing about VBA, but who is reasonably competent with Excel itself. By the end of Chapter 25, and after trying out some of the worked examples, such a reader should have a reasonable working knowledge of how to write VBA macros. Excellent for getting familiar with th VBA "basics"!, 24 Mar 2007
This book is fantastic for those who know nothing, or next to nothing about VBA programming in Excel, and want to learn the "basics" (no pun intended!).
You can read this book from cover to cover, practising examples on the way , and learning something every chapter. The author also makes reference to an accomanying website where you can download some of the programs to see them in action.
Furthermore, the book is written in very good humour, and you can have a laugh at the same time!
It is however very much a beginner's book, and does not go into great depth with VBA - if you purchase the book with that in mind then you really are on to a winner! If only I had an option to give this 6 stars !!, 13 Sep 2006
This book is a must have for anyone wanting to get to know VBA. Don't let previous books on VBA programming put you off, as these can either swing between patronising to the mega confusing (in my own experience). John Walkenbach takes you through this must have guide with patients and humour at an understandable and undaunting pace. Even when I was only half way through his book I was using the information I had gathered to streamline my many tedious excel spreadsheets and by the end of the book I wanted more. P.s. John, please bring part two !! Found this really useful, 01 Apr 2006
This book is really accessible, with loads of working examples. I needed to write a couple of custom functions for use in Excel 2002 spreadseets. And needed to get them working as addins. This book told me all I needed to know. A lot simpler to follow than some other books on this topic - such as one of the author's other books "Excel 2002 Power Programming with VBA". Brilliant.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
Great introduction to object orientated programming, 19 Nov 2008
I bought this book never having studied object orientated programming before.
Several weeks later I can now write basic programmes and understand more complicated ones written by others.
This book is by no means completely comprehensive; I suspect some of the later examples are more for illustrative purpose rather than useful in the real world.
I also found the constant use of command line arguments to input data a bit laborious.
A brief tutorial on how to operate any of the major IDE applications would also have been very useful.
However this book is very well written and easy to understand. Each concept is fully explored before moving onto the next.
The end of section multiple choice questions and problem based quizzes provide a great chance to test your knowledge of each chapter.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn java or to get started on object orientated programming.
Great for beginners in java or programming, 05 Oct 2007
I'm a pupil still at school but hoping to do Computer Games Technology at university next year. In preperation for my course which will involve C++, i was recommended by a senior lecturer to learn Java. I've seen a few books and this one is my favorite.
Again, I am still at school and find this book good. I'm using my spare time to learn Java so if it wasn't a good book, I wouldn't bother learning from it. Anyways, it is clearly layed out with a lesson for each day (although the lessons are long and will probably require a few days to complete each).
It is true that the book has some minor coding error but if you understand the language being taught up to the point of the error, it is really easy to spot and correct when writing it yourself. This also aids your learning; by spotting and correcting mistakes!
I had never done any programming or any sort before and this book is really helping me get my first language done with ease. Thus; this book is for complete beginners to programming or just to java.
If your looking to learn java and want an up-to-date book (for Java 6) this is it. Don't bother looking anywhere else or get an older book not meant for learning the newer versions of Java; GET THIS ONE.
Top stuff indeed!
Java 6 (Teach YourSelf), 18 Sep 2007
A very good and well written book. Covers all the basics and more advanced concepts of java programming. Unlike some books it shows fully coded working examples.
I would recommend this book to any students at university (like myself) or wanna be programmers.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for programmers who don't know Excel, 17 May 2008
As a professional programmer I wondered whether this was going to patronise me too much; I needn't have worried, Walkenbach's approach is just right.
He tells it like it is, with plenty of good examples and real world applications for those examples. I'm sure Walkenback doesn't expect this book to teach you everything about Excel and whilst using it I searched for other examples on the 'Net which reinforced what he was teaching me.
But this was the book that provided me with the central learning experience and for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks John! A good book to start with., 09 Jun 2007
When I set out to learn a completely new technique in programming I like to start by reading a simple book, then follow that up by reading a higher level book. John Walkenbach's work is excellent for the first stage of this process. It is simply written (although I could manage without some of the "humor"), and he explains the basic techniques very well. I would argue with the "for dummies" part of the title, and would describe the book instead (apart from the humor) as suitable for the intelligent reader who starts Chapter 1 knowing little or nothing about VBA, but who is reasonably competent with Excel itself. By the end of Chapter 25, and after trying out some of the worked examples, such a reader should have a reasonable working knowledge of how to write VBA macros. Excellent for getting familiar with th VBA "basics"!, 24 Mar 2007
This book is fantastic for those who know nothing, or next to nothing about VBA programming in Excel, and want to learn the "basics" (no pun intended!).
You can read this book from cover to cover, practising examples on the way , and learning something every chapter. The author also makes reference to an accomanying website where you can download some of the programs to see them in action.
Furthermore, the book is written in very good humour, and you can have a laugh at the same time!
It is however very much a beginner's book, and does not go into great depth with VBA - if you purchase the book with that in mind then you really are on to a winner! If only I had an option to give this 6 stars !!, 13 Sep 2006
This book is a must have for anyone wanting to get to know VBA. Don't let previous books on VBA programming put you off, as these can either swing between patronising to the mega confusing (in my own experience). John Walkenbach takes you through this must have guide with patients and humour at an understandable and undaunting pace. Even when I was only half way through his book I was using the information I had gathered to streamline my many tedious excel spreadsheets and by the end of the book I wanted more. P.s. John, please bring part two !! Found this really useful, 01 Apr 2006
This book is really accessible, with loads of working examples. I needed to write a couple of custom functions for use in Excel 2002 spreadseets. And needed to get them working as addins. This book told me all I needed to know. A lot simpler to follow than some other books on this topic - such as one of the author's other books "Excel 2002 Power Programming with VBA". Brilliant.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
Great introduction to object orientated programming, 19 Nov 2008
I bought this book never having studied object orientated programming before.
Several weeks later I can now write basic programmes and understand more complicated ones written by others.
This book is by no means completely comprehensive; I suspect some of the later examples are more for illustrative purpose rather than useful in the real world.
I also found the constant use of command line arguments to input data a bit laborious.
A brief tutorial on how to operate any of the major IDE applications would also have been very useful.
However this book is very well written and easy to understand. Each concept is fully explored before moving onto the next.
The end of section multiple choice questions and problem based quizzes provide a great chance to test your knowledge of each chapter.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn java or to get started on object orientated programming.
Great for beginners in java or programming, 05 Oct 2007
I'm a pupil still at school but hoping to do Computer Games Technology at university next year. In preperation for my course which will involve C++, i was recommended by a senior lecturer to learn Java. I've seen a few books and this one is my favorite.
Again, I am still at school and find this book good. I'm using my spare time to learn Java so if it wasn't a good book, I wouldn't bother learning from it. Anyways, it is clearly layed out with a lesson for each day (although the lessons are long and will probably require a few days to complete each).
It is true that the book has some minor coding error but if you understand the language being taught up to the point of the error, it is really easy to spot and correct when writing it yourself. This also aids your learning; by spotting and correcting mistakes!
I had never done any programming or any sort before and this book is really helping me get my first language done with ease. Thus; this book is for complete beginners to programming or just to java.
If your looking to learn java and want an up-to-date book (for Java 6) this is it. Don't bother looking anywhere else or get an older book not meant for learning the newer versions of Java; GET THIS ONE.
Top stuff indeed!
Java 6 (Teach YourSelf), 18 Sep 2007
A very good and well written book. Covers all the basics and more advanced concepts of java programming. Unlike some books it shows fully coded working examples.
I would recommend this book to any students at university (like myself) or wanna be programmers.
Engaging and easily understandable, 10 Nov 2008
I've got oodles of programming books and I'd put this one up with the best of my collection. It's carefully written to ensure all levels of experience and aptitude are catered for, I'd class myself as somewhere in the intermediates with a decent knowledge of actionscript 2 and I found it enormously useful.
All examples and diagrams make perfect sense, and the explanations they use have actually helped me come to terms with other programming paradigms I'd used but never fully understood.
Thoroughly recommend this one.
Awesome..., 29 Jul 2008
After endlessly searching for a decent AS3 book but having to settle with intermediate to advanced book I found this little gem and started some research. After finding reviews on the flashblog and other resources I decided to go ahead with the purchase.
not only is this book well illustrated in full colour, it also gives you a sense that your learning at a steady pace without feeling like your missing something as you progress.
The online resource site offers all of the files needed to sit and study the chapters in the book closer.
I have also recently embarked on what I thought was a problem with one of the resource files and emailed the support group, I was astonished to get a reply within 15 Minutes, pity that I was being a fool and there was no problem. Non the less the help was amazing.
I can't recommend this book enough for anyone wanting to make the jump from AS2 to AS3 or for anyone completely new to AS3.
Thank you
Easir to follow than Big Colin, 25 Jul 2008
I really like this book, It's a lot easier to follow than Colin Mook's essential one (Which of course you do actually need as well) Pretty straight to the point, easy to read and understand although I'm probably slap bang in the middle of the target audience - intermediate user with a fairly good understanding of key concepts and how OOP works. I don't recommend it for the absolute beginner and calling it "A beginners guide" is a bit misleading but as a transitional guide, its really good.
There are quite a few typos, it must be said and some of them are quite confusing. I also found that the choice of variable names occasionally made it less clear as to what's intended.
Overall, highly recommended and pretty much the second AS3 book you should have (Although buying it before Mr Mooks is probably a better idea if you get my drift)
I generally now use this one as my main learning guide and "Essential ActionScript 3.0" as a more detailed reference
best buy fopr every actionscript level, 15 Jul 2008
If you read this book and Essential actionscript 3 i actually belive you will be able to learn just as much if not more from Learning Actionscript 3 even though essential as3 is over 3x heavyer both mentally and physicaly - based on the fact the this book delivers the content in such an lite and understanable way in full color.
Best begginer AS3 book, 04 Jun 2008
Since I got the new Flash CS3 I browse the web looking for AS3 books to help me in the transition to the new AS3, as a flash designer I found this is the best book you can get, it will let you get your hands dirty very quickly with the new AS3, it explain very nicely how it works and why.
One of the best thing is the online support, you get all the exercises files, and here is a fact I email a question about a piece of code, and got answer 5 min later, yes 5min!!! it cant get better than that, well maybe it was a bit of luck, but in any case is pretty good.
So if you are not a developer, how needs to understand all the fuzz about AS3 and OOP get this book.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for programmers who don't know Excel, 17 May 2008
As a professional programmer I wondered whether this was going to patronise me too much; I needn't have worried, Walkenbach's approach is just right.
He tells it like it is, with plenty of good examples and real world applications for those examples. I'm sure Walkenback doesn't expect this book to teach you everything about Excel and whilst using it I searched for other examples on the 'Net which reinforced what he was teaching me.
But this was the book that provided me with the central learning experience and for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks John! A good book to start with., 09 Jun 2007
When I set out to learn a completely new technique in programming I like to start by reading a simple book, then follow that up by reading a higher level book. John Walkenbach's work is excellent for the first stage of this process. It is simply written (although I could manage without some of the "humor"), and he explains the basic techniques very well. I would argue with the "for dummies" part of the title, and would describe the book instead (apart from the humor) as suitable for the intelligent reader who starts Chapter 1 knowing little or nothing about VBA, but who is reasonably competent with Excel itself. By the end of Chapter 25, and after trying out some of the worked examples, such a reader should have a reasonable working knowledge of how to write VBA macros. Excellent for getting familiar with th VBA "basics"!, 24 Mar 2007
This book is fantastic for those who know nothing, or next to nothing about VBA programming in Excel, and want to learn the "basics" (no pun intended!).
You can read this book from cover to cover, practising examples on the way , and learning something every chapter. The author also makes reference to an accomanying website where you can download some of the programs to see them in action.
Furthermore, the book is written in very good humour, and you can have a laugh at the same time!
It is however very much a beginner's book, and does not go into great depth with VBA - if you purchase the book with that in mind then you really are on to a winner! If only I had an option to give this 6 stars !!, 13 Sep 2006
This book is a must have for anyone wanting to get to know VBA. Don't let previous books on VBA programming put you off, as these can either swing between patronising to the mega confusing (in my own experience). John Walkenbach takes you through this must have guide with patients and humour at an understandable and undaunting pace. Even when I was only half way through his book I was using the information I had gathered to streamline my many tedious excel spreadsheets and by the end of the book I wanted more. P.s. John, please bring part two !! Found this really useful, 01 Apr 2006
This book is really accessible, with loads of working examples. I needed to write a couple of custom functions for use in Excel 2002 spreadseets. And needed to get them working as addins. This book told me all I needed to know. A lot simpler to follow than some other books on this topic - such as one of the author's other books "Excel 2002 Power Programming with VBA". Brilliant.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
Great introduction to object orientated programming, 19 Nov 2008
I bought this book never having studied object orientated programming before.
Several weeks later I can now write basic programmes and understand more complicated ones written by others.
This book is by no means completely comprehensive; I suspect some of the later examples are more for illustrative purpose rather than useful in the real world.
I also found the constant use of command line arguments to input data a bit laborious.
A brief tutorial on how to operate any of the major IDE applications would also have been very useful.
However this book is very well written and easy to understand. Each concept is fully explored before moving onto the next.
The end of section multiple choice questions and problem based quizzes provide a great chance to test your knowledge of each chapter.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn java or to get started on object orientated programming.
Great for beginners in java or programming, 05 Oct 2007
I'm a pupil still at school but hoping to do Computer Games Technology at university next year. In preperation for my course which will involve C++, i was recommended by a senior lecturer to learn Java. I've seen a few books and this one is my favorite.
Again, I am still at school and find this book good. I'm using my spare time to learn Java so if it wasn't a good book, I wouldn't bother learning from it. Anyways, it is clearly layed out with a lesson for each day (although the lessons are long and will probably require a few days to complete each).
It is true that the book has some minor coding error but if you understand the language being taught up to the point of the error, it is really easy to spot and correct when writing it yourself. This also aids your learning; by spotting and correcting mistakes!
I had never done any programming or any sort before and this book is really helping me get my first language done with ease. Thus; this book is for complete beginners to programming or just to java.
If your looking to learn java and want an up-to-date book (for Java 6) this is it. Don't bother looking anywhere else or get an older book not meant for learning the newer versions of Java; GET THIS ONE.
Top stuff indeed!
Java 6 (Teach YourSelf), 18 Sep 2007
A very good and well written book. Covers all the basics and more advanced concepts of java programming. Unlike some books it shows fully coded working examples.
I would recommend this book to any students at university (like myself) or wanna be programmers.
Engaging and easily understandable, 10 Nov 2008
I've got oodles of programming books and I'd put this one up with the best of my collection. It's carefully written to ensure all levels of experience and aptitude are catered for, I'd class myself as somewhere in the intermediates with a decent knowledge of actionscript 2 and I found it enormously useful.
All examples and diagrams make perfect sense, and the explanations they use have actually helped me come to terms with other programming paradigms I'd used but never fully understood.
Thoroughly recommend this one.
Awesome..., 29 Jul 2008
After endlessly searching for a decent AS3 book but having to settle with intermediate to advanced book I found this little gem and started some research. After finding reviews on the flashblog and other resources I decided to go ahead with the purchase.
not only is this book well illustrated in full colour, it also gives you a sense that your learning at a steady pace without feeling like your missing something as you progress.
The online resource site offers all of the files needed to sit and study the chapters in the book closer.
I have also recently embarked on what I thought was a problem with one of the resource files and emailed the support group, I was astonished to get a reply within 15 Minutes, pity that I was being a fool and there was no problem. Non the less the help was amazing.
I can't recommend this book enough for anyone wanting to make the jump from AS2 to AS3 or for anyone completely new to AS3.
Thank you
Easir to follow than Big Colin, 25 Jul 2008
I really like this book, It's a lot easier to follow than Colin Mook's essential one (Which of course you do actually need as well) Pretty straight to the point, easy to read and understand although I'm probably slap bang in the middle of the target audience - intermediate user with a fairly good understanding of key concepts and how OOP works. I don't recommend it for the absolute beginner and calling it "A beginners guide" is a bit misleading but as a transitional guide, its really good.
There are quite a few typos, it must be said and some of them are quite confusing. I also found that the choice of variable names occasionally made it less clear as to what's intended.
Overall, highly recommended and pretty much the second AS3 book you should have (Although buying it before Mr Mooks is probably a better idea if you get my drift)
I generally now use this one as my main learning guide and "Essential ActionScript 3.0" as a more detailed reference
best buy fopr every actionscript level, 15 Jul 2008
If you read this book and Essential actionscript 3 i actually belive you will be able to learn just as much if not more from Learning Actionscript 3 even though essential as3 is over 3x heavyer both mentally and physicaly - based on the fact the this book delivers the content in such an lite and understanable way in full color.
Best begginer AS3 book, 04 Jun 2008
Since I got the new Flash CS3 I browse the web looking for AS3 books to help me in the transition to the new AS3, as a flash designer I found this is the best book you can get, it will let you get your hands dirty very quickly with the new AS3, it explain very nicely how it works and why.
One of the best thing is the online support, you get all the exercises files, and here is a fact I email a question about a piece of code, and got answer 5 min later, yes 5min!!! it cant get better than that, well maybe it was a bit of luck, but in any case is pretty good.
So if you are not a developer, how needs to understand all the fuzz about AS3 and OOP get this book.
Great little book, 12 Jun 2008
I bought this book because I am a programmer and need to interact with SQL on a daily basis. However...I do not want to know the fine grain details about database management systems. This is a great little book. It is very easy to read and met my needs perfectly. The samples are all easily achievable in 10 minutes, just like it says on the cover. This makes them very easy to scan over for a refresher when you are trying to work out a solution to a problem. It does not go into great details on the more advanced topics, however it does offer a primer on some of them such as transactions and cursors. Overall I would have no hesitation in recommending this book. It won't make you a SQL pro...but it will definitely make you more comfortable in common situations using this query language.
Perfect for beginners, 19 Apr 2008
This is the best book I have seen for people learning SQL from scratch. It takes you through the basics very quickly without assuming prior knowledge. Recommended for anyone with little or no prior SQL experience. You may want a basic SQL reference book to complement it.
You are better off with online tutorials, 27 Jan 2008
I recently wrote a simple database application for a hobby use. I have previous experience with SQL, but I wanted a handy reference to remind me of the basics. Time and time again I found this book useless, and resorted to an online search. I found the organisation of the book odd. If you want to create a simple application to learn with, you have to start from the back, as he tells you how to create a database and tables at the end.
Good Basic Introduction, 10 Dec 2007
This book is a great place to start for SQL. It tells you pretty much everything you are going to need to know for basic database usage. The later chapters on more advanced features such as triggers and stored procedures aren't massively useful as they don't go into enough depth but the author does say that they are only really intended to give you an idea of what you can do, not how to do it.
This book isn't going to teach you everything you need to know about SQL but it will give you the basics quickly and painlessly.
A great (if not simplistic) reference, 19 Jun 2007
This is a great reference for those starting out with SQL, or those just looking for a quick reference book to keep on their desks.
Don't be mistaken tho, it's by no means a complete reference, and doesn't cover any of the advanced SQL, but it's explanation of triggers, stored procedures, and transactions is a great reference to get around those mental syntax blocks
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for programmers who don't know Excel, 17 May 2008
As a professional programmer I wondered whether this was going to patronise me too much; I needn't have worried, Walkenbach's approach is just right.
He tells it like it is, with plenty of good examples and real world applications for those examples. I'm sure Walkenback doesn't expect this book to teach you everything about Excel and whilst using it I searched for other examples on the 'Net which reinforced what he was teaching me.
But this was the book that provided me with the central learning experience and for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks John! A good book to start with., 09 Jun 2007
When I set out to learn a completely new technique in programming I like to start by reading a simple book, then follow that up by reading a higher level book. John Walkenbach's work is excellent for the first stage of this process. It is simply written (although I could manage without some of the "humor"), and he explains the basic techniques very well. I would argue with the "for dummies" part of the title, and would describe the book instead (apart from the humor) as suitable for the intelligent reader who starts Chapter 1 knowing little or nothing about VBA, but who is reasonably competent with Excel itself. By the end of Chapter 25, and after trying out some of the worked examples, such a reader should have a reasonable working knowledge of how to write VBA macros. Excellent for getting familiar with th VBA "basics"!, 24 Mar 2007
This book is fantastic for those who know nothing, or next to nothing about VBA programming in Excel, and want to learn the "basics" (no pun intended!).
You can read this book from cover to cover, practising examples on the way , and learning something every chapter. The author also makes reference to an accomanying website where you can download some of the programs to see them in action.
Furthermore, the book is written in very good humour, and you can have a laugh at the same time!
It is however very much a beginner's book, and does not go into great depth with VBA - if you purchase the book with that in mind then you really are on to a winner! If only I had an option to give this 6 stars !!, 13 Sep 2006
This book is a must have for anyone wanting to get to know VBA. Don't let previous books on VBA programming put you off, as these can either swing between patronising to the mega confusing (in my own experience). John Walkenbach takes you through this must have guide with patients and humour at an understandable and undaunting pace. Even when I was only half way through his book I was using the information I had gathered to streamline my many tedious excel spreadsheets and by the end of the book I wanted more. P.s. John, please bring part two !! Found this really useful, 01 Apr 2006
This book is really accessible, with loads of working examples. I needed to write a couple of custom functions for use in Excel 2002 spreadseets. And needed to get them working as addins. This book told me all I needed to know. A lot simpler to follow than some other books on this topic - such as one of the author's other books "Excel 2002 Power Programming with VBA". Brilliant.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
Great introduction to object orientated programming, 19 Nov 2008
I bought this book never having studied object orientated programming before.
Several weeks later I can now write basic programmes and understand more complicated ones written by others.
This book is by no means completely comprehensive; I suspect some of the later examples are more for illustrative purpose rather than useful in the real world.
I also found the constant use of command line arguments to input data a bit laborious.
A brief tutorial on how to operate any of the major IDE applications would also have been very useful.
However this book is very well written and easy to understand. Each concept is fully explored before moving onto the next.
The end of section multiple choice questions and problem based quizzes provide a great chance to test your knowledge of each chapter.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn java or to get started on object orientated programming.
Great for beginners in java or programming, 05 Oct 2007
I'm a pupil still at school but hoping to do Computer Games Technology at university next year. In preperation for my course which will involve C++, i was recommended by a senior lecturer to learn Java. I've seen a few books and this one is my favorite.
Again, I am still at school and find this book good. I'm using my spare time to learn Java so if it wasn't a good book, I wouldn't bother learning from it. Anyways, it is clearly layed out with a lesson for each day (although the lessons are long and will probably require a few days to complete each).
It is true that the book has some minor coding error but if you understand the language being taught up to the point of the error, it is really easy to spot and correct when writing it yourself. This also aids your learning; by spotting and correcting mistakes!
I had never done any programming or any sort before and this book is really helping me get my first language done with ease. Thus; this book is for complete beginners to programming or just to java.
If your looking to learn java and want an up-to-date book (for Java 6) this is it. Don't bother looking anywhere else or get an older book not meant for learning the newer versions of Java; GET THIS ONE.
Top stuff indeed!
Java 6 (Teach YourSelf), 18 Sep 2007
A very good and well written book. Covers all the basics and more advanced concepts of java programming. Unlike some books it shows fully coded working examples.
I would recommend this book to any students at university (like myself) or wanna be programmers.
Engaging and easily understandable, 10 Nov 2008
I've got oodles of programming books and I'd put this one up with the best of my collection. It's carefully written to ensure all levels of experience and aptitude are catered for, I'd class myself as somewhere in the intermediates with a decent knowledge of actionscript 2 and I found it enormously useful.
All examples and diagrams make perfect sense, and the explanations they use have actually helped me come to terms with other programming paradigms I'd used but never fully understood.
Thoroughly recommend this one.
Awesome..., 29 Jul 2008
After endlessly searching for a decent AS3 book but having to settle with intermediate to advanced book I found this little gem and started some research. After finding reviews on the flashblog and other resources I decided to go ahead with the purchase.
not only is this book well illustrated in full colour, it also gives you a sense that your learning at a steady pace without feeling like your missing something as you progress.
The online resource site offers all of the files needed to sit and study the chapters in the book closer.
I have also recently embarked on what I thought was a problem with one of the resource files and emailed the support group, I was astonished to get a reply within 15 Minutes, pity that I was being a fool and there was no problem. Non the less the help was amazing.
I can't recommend this book enough for anyone wanting to make the jump from AS2 to AS3 or for anyone completely new to AS3.
Thank you
Easir to follow than Big Colin, 25 Jul 2008
I really like this book, It's a lot easier to follow than Colin Mook's essential one (Which of course you do actually need as well) Pretty straight to the point, easy to read and understand although I'm probably slap bang in the middle of the target audience - intermediate user with a fairly good understanding of key concepts and how OOP works. I don't recommend it for the absolute beginner and calling it "A beginners guide" is a bit misleading but as a transitional guide, its really good.
There are quite a few typos, it must be said and some of them are quite confusing. I also found that the choice of variable names occasionally made it less clear as to what's intended.
Overall, highly recommended and pretty much the second AS3 book you should have (Although buying it before Mr Mooks is probably a better idea if you get my drift)
I generally now use this one as my main learning guide and "Essential ActionScript 3.0" as a more detailed reference
best buy fopr every actionscript level, 15 Jul 2008
If you read this book and Essential actionscript 3 i actually belive you will be able to learn just as much if not more from Learning Actionscript 3 even though essential as3 is over 3x heavyer both mentally and physicaly - based on the fact the this book delivers the content in such an lite and understanable way in full color.
Best begginer AS3 book, 04 Jun 2008
Since I got the new Flash CS3 I browse the web looking for AS3 books to help me in the transition to the new AS3, as a flash designer I found this is the best book you can get, it will let you get your hands dirty very quickly with the new AS3, it explain very nicely how it works and why.
One of the best thing is the online support, you get all the exercises files, and here is a fact I email a question about a piece of code, and got answer 5 min later, yes 5min!!! it cant get better than that, well maybe it was a bit of luck, but in any case is pretty good.
So if you are not a developer, how needs to understand all the fuzz about AS3 and OOP get this book.
Great little book, 12 Jun 2008
I bought this book because I am a programmer and need to interact with SQL on a daily basis. However...I do not want to know the fine grain details about database management systems. This is a great little book. It is very easy to read and met my needs perfectly. The samples are all easily achievable in 10 minutes, just like it says on the cover. This makes them very easy to scan over for a refresher when you are trying to work out a solution to a problem. It does not go into great details on the more advanced topics, however it does offer a primer on some of them such as transactions and cursors. Overall I would have no hesitation in recommending this book. It won't make you a SQL pro...but it will definitely make you more comfortable in common situations using this query language.
Perfect for beginners, 19 Apr 2008
This is the best book I have seen for people learning SQL from scratch. It takes you through the basics very quickly without assuming prior knowledge. Recommended for anyone with little or no prior SQL experience. You may want a basic SQL reference book to complement it.
You are better off with online tutorials, 27 Jan 2008
I recently wrote a simple database application for a hobby use. I have previous experience with SQL, but I wanted a handy reference to remind me of the basics. Time and time again I found this book useless, and resorted to an online search. I found the organisation of the book odd. If you want to create a simple application to learn with, you have to start from the back, as he tells you how to create a database and tables at the end.
Good Basic Introduction, 10 Dec 2007
This book is a great place to start for SQL. It tells you pretty much everything you are going to need to know for basic database usage. The later chapters on more advanced features such as triggers and stored procedures aren't massively useful as they don't go into enough depth but the author does say that they are only really intended to give you an idea of what you can do, not how to do it.
This book isn't going to teach you everything you need to know about SQL but it will give you the basics quickly and painlessly.
A great (if not simplistic) reference, 19 Jun 2007
This is a great reference for those starting out with SQL, or those just looking for a quick reference book to keep on their desks.
Don't be mistaken tho, it's by no means a complete reference, and doesn't cover any of the advanced SQL, but it's explanation of triggers, stored procedures, and transactions is a great reference to get around those mental syntax blocks
Super Useful, 19 Nov 2008
I run three different websites and have found this All-In-One Desk Reference to be an invaluable aid as I upgrade my sites to XHTML and CSS; I've learned a lot along the way and feel much more in control of my sites than I ever have before. The book is written in a direct and simple manner; and the occasional use of humour is usually well-timed and a good memory aid to boot. This Reference comes with a CD full of useful software (including the great [and free] Aptana Studio, which I'd never heard of before) for Windows, Mac and Linux users. My only gripe is that there is more software for Windows users on the CD than for people who use other operating systems; however, it is easy to Google and find alternative free programs when necessary.
All in all, this is a hugely useful and concise book that I would recommend to anyone starting out in web development - it can take you from beginner level to advanced very quickly.
Worth every penny, 05 Nov 2008
This is indeed a perfect book for a beginner its not just informative but its a great light reading. To be a good teacher is not enough just to know the material one have to have teaching talant that Andy Harris unquestionably have.
If a question pops into your head during the reading you will probably have the answer in the next two sentences.
I highly recommend this book its clear, written with great sense of humor
and its truly all you need to start your way in the web developing world.
Great For Beginners, 28 Oct 2008
A must for anyone starting out in the web design business. A bit of HTML knowledge does help before starting the book as I think it may be a bit confusing for a complete novice. If you understand the basic concepts of this book will take you to the next level and beyond. It is well written with some humour (a godsend I think when reading technical books) as if the author is sitting next to you, and has plenty of tips, warnings and techical information. It is easy to follow with clear diagrams for each step - the CD is an added bonus and will probably be very useful to many beginners who want to follow each step. The book has taught me a vast amount that I couldn't get from internet sites, and the pricetag is very reasonable. Definately a worthwhile purchase!
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for programmers who don't know Excel, 17 May 2008
As a professional programmer I wondered whether this was going to patronise me too much; I needn't have worried, Walkenbach's approach is just right.
He tells it like it is, with plenty of good examples and real world applications for those examples. I'm sure Walkenback doesn't expect this book to teach you everything about Excel and whilst using it I searched for other examples on the 'Net which reinforced what he was teaching me.
But this was the book that provided me with the central learning experience and for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks John! A good book to start with., 09 Jun 2007
When I set out to learn a completely new technique in programming I like to start by reading a simple book, then follow that up by reading a higher level book. John Walkenbach's work is excellent for the first stage of this process. It is simply written (although I could manage without some of the "humor"), and he explains the basic techniques very well. I would argue with the "for dummies" part of the title, and would describe the book instead (apart from the humor) as suitable for the intelligent reader who starts Chapter 1 knowing little or nothing about VBA, but who is reasonably competent with Excel itself. By the end of Chapter 25, and after trying out some of the worked examples, such a reader should have a reasonable working knowledge of how to write VBA macros. Excellent for getting familiar with th VBA "basics"!, 24 Mar 2007
This book is fantastic for those who know nothing, or next to nothing about VBA programming in Excel, and want to learn the "basics" (no pun intended!).
You can read this book from cover to cover, practising examples on the way , and learning something every chapter. The author also makes reference to an accomanying website where you can download some of the programs to see them in action.
Furthermore, the book is written in very good humour, and you can have a laugh at the same time!
It is however very much a beginner's book, and does not go into great depth with VBA - if you purchase the book with that in mind then you really are on to a winner! If only I had an option to give this 6 stars !!, 13 Sep 2006
This book is a must have for anyone wanting to get to know VBA. Don't let previous books on VBA programming put you off, as these can either swing between patronising to the mega confusing (in my own experience). John Walkenbach takes you through this must have guide with patients and humour at an understandable and undaunting pace. Even when I was only half way through his book I was using the information I had gathered to streamline my many tedious excel spreadsheets and by the end of the book I wanted more. P.s. John, please bring part two !! Found this really useful, 01 Apr 2006
This book is really accessible, with loads of working examples. I needed to write a couple of custom functions for use in Excel 2002 spreadseets. And needed to get them working as addins. This book told me all I needed to know. A lot simpler to follow than some other books on this topic - such as one of the author's other books "Excel 2002 Power Programming with VBA". Brilliant.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
Great introduction to object orientated programming, 19 Nov 2008
I bought this book never having studied object orientated programming before.
Several weeks later I can now write basic programmes and understand more complicated ones written by others.
This book is by no means completely comprehensive; I suspect some of the later examples are more for illustrative purpose rather than useful in the real world.
I also found the constant use of command line arguments to input data a bit laborious.
A brief tutorial on how to operate any of the major IDE applications would also have been very useful.
However this book is very well written and easy to understand. Each concept is fully explored before moving onto the next.
The end of section multiple choice questions and problem based quizzes provide a great chance to test your knowledge of each chapter.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn java or to get started on object orientated programming.
Great for beginners in java or programming, 05 Oct 2007
I'm a pupil still at school but hoping to do Computer Games Technology at university next year. In preperation for my course which will involve C++, i was recommended by a senior lecturer to learn Java. I've seen a few books and this one is my favorite.
Again, I am still at school and find this book good. I'm using my spare time to learn Java so if it wasn't a good book, I wouldn't bother learning from it. Anyways, it is clearly layed out with a lesson for each day (although the lessons are long and will probably require a few days to complete each).
It is true that the book has some minor coding error but if you understand the language being taught up to the point of the error, it is really easy to spot and correct when writing it yourself. This also aids your learning; by spotting and correcting mistakes!
I had never done any programming or any sort before and this book is really helping me get my first language done with ease. Thus; this book is for complete beginners to programming or just to java.
If your looking to learn java and want an up-to-date book (for Java 6) this is it. Don't bother looking anywhere else or get an older book not meant for learning the newer versions of Java; GET THIS ONE.
Top stuff indeed!
Java 6 (Teach YourSelf), 18 Sep 2007
A very good and well written book. Covers all the basics and more advanced concepts of java programming. Unlike some books it shows fully coded working examples.
I would recommend this book to any students at university (like myself) or wanna be programmers.
Engaging and easily understandable, 10 Nov 2008
I've got oodles of programming books and I'd put this one up with the best of my collection. It's carefully written to ensure all levels of experience and aptitude are catered for, I'd class myself as somewhere in the intermediates with a decent knowledge of actionscript 2 and I found it enormously useful.
All examples and diagrams make perfect sense, and the explanations they use have actually helped me come to terms with other programming paradigms I'd used but never fully understood.
Thoroughly recommend this one.
Awesome..., 29 Jul 2008
After endlessly searching for a decent AS3 book but having to settle with intermediate to advanced book I found this little gem and started some research. After finding reviews on the flashblog and other resources I decided to go ahead with the purchase.
not only is this book well illustrated in full colour, it also gives you a sense that your learning at a steady pace without feeling like your missing something as you progress.
The online resource site offers all of the files needed to sit and study the chapters in the book closer.
I have also recently embarked on what I thought was a problem with one of the resource files and emailed the support group, I was astonished to get a reply within 15 Minutes, pity that I was being a fool and there was no problem. Non the less the help was amazing.
I can't recommend this book enough for anyone wanting to make the jump from AS2 to AS3 or for anyone completely new to AS3.
Thank you
Easir to follow than Big Colin, 25 Jul 2008
I really like this book, It's a lot easier to follow than Colin Mook's essential one (Which of course you do actually need as well) Pretty straight to the point, easy to read and understand although I'm probably slap bang in the middle of the target audience - intermediate user with a fairly good understanding of key concepts and how OOP works. I don't recommend it for the absolute beginner and calling it "A beginners guide" is a bit misleading but as a transitional guide, its really good.
There are quite a few typos, it must be said and some of them are quite confusing. I also found that the choice of variable names occasionally made it less clear as to what's intended.
Overall, highly recommended and pretty much the second AS3 book you should have (Although buying it before Mr Mooks is probably a better idea if you get my drift)
I generally now use this one as my main learning guide and "Essential ActionScript 3.0" as a more detailed reference
best buy fopr every actionscript level, 15 Jul 2008
If you read this book and Essential actionscript 3 i actually belive you will be able to learn just as much if not more from Learning Actionscript 3 even though essential as3 is over 3x heavyer both mentally and physicaly - based on the fact the this book delivers the content in such an lite and understanable way in full color.
Best begginer AS3 book, 04 Jun 2008
Since I got the new Flash CS3 I browse the web looking for AS3 books to help me in the transition to the new AS3, as a flash designer I found this is the best book you can get, it will let you get your hands dirty very quickly with the new AS3, it explain very nicely how it works and why.
One of the best thing is the online support, you get all the exercises files, and here is a fact I email a question about a piece of code, and got answer 5 min later, yes 5min!!! it cant get better than that, well maybe it was a bit of luck, but in any case is pretty good.
So if you are not a developer, how needs to understand all the fuzz about AS3 and OOP get this book.
Great little book, 12 Jun 2008
I bought this book because I am a programmer and need to interact with SQL on a daily basis. However...I do not want to know the fine grain details about database management systems. This is a great little book. It is very easy to read and met my needs perfectly. The samples are all easily achievable in 10 minutes, just like it says on the cover. This makes them very easy to scan over for a refresher when you are trying to work out a solution to a problem. It does not go into great details on the more advanced topics, however it does offer a primer on some of them such as transactions and cursors. Overall I would have no hesitation in recommending this book. It won't make you a SQL pro...but it will definitely make you more comfortable in common situations using this query language.
Perfect for beginners, 19 Apr 2008
This is the best book I have seen for people learning SQL from scratch. It takes you through the basics very quickly without assuming prior knowledge. Recommended for anyone with little or no prior SQL experience. You may want a basic SQL reference book to complement it.
You are better off with online tutorials, 27 Jan 2008
I recently wrote a simple database application for a hobby use. I have previous experience with SQL, but I wanted a handy reference to remind me of the basics. Time and time again I found this book useless, and resorted to an online search. I found the organisation of the book odd. If you want to create a simple application to learn with, you have to start from the back, as he tells you how to create a database and tables at the end.
Good Basic Introduction, 10 Dec 2007
This book is a great place to start for SQL. It tells you pretty much everything you are going to need to know for basic database usage. The later chapters on more advanced features such as triggers and stored procedures aren't massively useful as they don't go into enough depth but the author does say that they are only really intended to give you an idea of what you can do, not how to do it.
This book isn't going to teach you everything you need to know about SQL but it will give you the basics quickly and painlessly.
A great (if not simplistic) reference, 19 Jun 2007
This is a great reference for those starting out with SQL, or those just looking for a quick reference book to keep on their desks.
Don't be mistaken tho, it's by no means a complete reference, and doesn't cover any of the advanced SQL, but it's explanation of triggers, stored procedures, and transactions is a great reference to get around those mental syntax blocks
Super Useful, 19 Nov 2008
I run three different websites and have found this All-In-One Desk Reference to be an invaluable aid as I upgrade my sites to XHTML and CSS; I've learned a lot along the way and feel much more in control of my sites than I ever have before. The book is written in a direct and simple manner; and the occasional use of humour is usually well-timed and a good memory aid to boot. This Reference comes with a CD full of useful software (including the great [and free] Aptana Studio, which I'd never heard of before) for Windows, Mac and Linux users. My only gripe is that there is more software for Windows users on the CD than for people who use other operating systems; however, it is easy to Google and find alternative free programs when necessary.
All in all, this is a hugely useful and concise book that I would recommend to anyone starting out in web development - it can take you from beginner level to advanced very quickly.
Worth every penny, 05 Nov 2008
This is indeed a perfect book for a beginner its not just informative but its a great light reading. To be a good teacher is not enough just to know the material one have to have teaching talant that Andy Harris unquestionably have.
If a question pops into your head during the reading you will probably have the answer in the next two sentences.
I highly recommend this book its clear, written with great sense of humor
and its truly all you need to start your way in the web developing world.
Great For Beginners, 28 Oct 2008
A must for anyone starting out in the web design business. A bit of HTML knowledge does help before starting the book as I think it may be a bit confusing for a complete novice. If you understand the basic concepts of this book will take you to the next level and beyond. It is well written with some humour (a godsend I think when reading technical books) as if the author is sitting next to you, and has plenty of tips, warnings and techical information. It is easy to follow with clear diagrams for each step - the CD is an added bonus and will probably be very useful to many beginners who want to follow each step. The book has taught me a vast amount that I couldn't get from internet sites, and the pricetag is very reasonable. Definately a worthwhile purchase!
Best beginner's guide out there, 28 Aug 2008
In my honest opinion, as a person who really needs concepts to be "dumbed down" before I can absorb it, this is really THE starting point for learning C++. It contains no unneccesary frills or flowery language in the text and has a wealth of code examples to get the point across. It has bonus expert sections that beginners may decide to skip, and for the more initiated it explains many questions that crop up regarding the language.
I base this review from my experience from reading this book after reading "C++ For Dummies" which was quite average and used too many colloquialisms which made the text very wordy. Seeing as programmers usually think more in terms of algorithms as opposed to large paragraphs of "fun" explanations, this clearly swings the vote in favour of Herbert Schildt's book.
An excellent read!
very good inroduction to C++, 18 May 2008
this is a very good book as an introduction to C++. The book provide you with codes that are suitble for both windows and linux. It has some explaination about G++ the C++ complier that often used in linux as well as the book gives some explaination about visual C++. If you are a total novice, this book takes it easy with novices. If you are an advanced programmer with any other language but C then this book is a very good start to C++ and to some extend C. Best to learn this book in linux, try to avoid Visual C++ because it is almost a new language created for the .net. With the dotnet microsft has put java, C++ in its pocket and now even javascript and more language has fallen into microsoft trap of cross platform application development. Java is going to be the worst injury from the .net once the .net travels to linux(advancement in the mono project) Java won't be used that often for one simple reason, All the .net language are almost the same and that include the similarties of deferent types of langauge for example Viusal C++ is more related to VB.net than the original C++ programming language even though VB.net and C++ totally different in syntax.
Generally speaking C++ is not a very good start for learning programming however the more advanced you become the more you relise the importance of C++ so cut it short and start with C++.
The good thing about this book is that it explains things step by step if you are a bignner then you will appreciate it. If you are an intermediate programmer with other languages such as C#, then this book will consalidate the programming elements that you need in any programming language. if you are an advanced programmer (sure you will know what to buy as an introduction to C++) This book will be helpful and depends on what you define helpful.
Satisfied, 05 Feb 2008
This is a great book, it brings you through the basics step by step and brings you on to more complicated stuff the more you progress throughout the book, i highly recommend people to buy this book and i can assure you if your dedicated in learning C++ this book will help you bigtime..
Good for new programmers, 14 Oct 2006
It is the best choice for those who are beginner in programming. It assumes that you know nothing about programming.
But if you know C language or the basis of programming, you should try other books. Because it is a time waste for them. I regret a little for buying this book because I know C and it is like repeating same things in many pages of this book
Great much better than others`, 04 Aug 2006
I love this book, its simply fantastic. I have tried another C++ Beginners book and i *thought* c++ was ridiculously hard and i would never acomplish it. ( sams teach yourself c++ in 21 days ) i mean i had read like 2 hundred pages of this book and it was still on the basics - i think i hadn't even reached the cin >> command !! this one however does move at an okay pace. Herb Shild really knows his stuff, sometimes however he explains it a little TOO thoughrouly and i end up having to re-read certain parts of the chapter again. There is a learning cve towards the end of this book though. it suddenly becomes a lot more comlicated once you hit the pointers, although im pretty sure this is because i had a little experience in the BASIC language, and nothing at all like pointers ever came up. I attempt to read 1 chapter in a go, although after i feel my brain has been fried in the latter parts of the book.
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When it comes to working a little "behind the scenes" magic for a Web site or putting together a UNIX script which interrogate databases and produce reports based on the information they contain, there are few better la | | |