This book is a really good reference. It has made me much more efficient. It has good information of the new features of VB 2005. It has several chapters on the basics of VB as well as advanced features such as generics and attributes. I would definitely recommend buying it if you are already familiar with VB and want a good reference book for VB 2005. I try not to program without it within arms reach

Despite the perception that Visual Basic should be something to learn out of a book, despite the perception that this book gives (inasmuch as it states that the book is designed for someone who wants to learn Visual Basic .net as their first language) this hardly deals with the practical applications of the program and deals more with syntax.

If I had to compare it with something, I'd say it was like being handed all of the components of a car-- new, shiny, efficient, and much assembly required. The book was a real let-down in the sense I thought I'd be buying a tutorial and ended up with a paperweight. It gets two stars because it frankly IS a good desk reference if you have the program and several other tutorial books which do what this book had initially promised.

Visual Basic 2005 In A Nutshell is a wonderful companion reference for any and all VB developers. With the new features in the 2005 version of VB, this guide is a great book to have by your side when you are working on your latest Visual Basic application.

Packed with nearly 750 pages of reference material, this is a great books that is written well, without too much bloat (just the way I like it). The first 150 pages cover the basics of using the VB language, the next 300 is reference for keywords, classes, functions, etc, and the 300 page or so covers the 'My' reference (VERY IMPORTANT) and other odds and ends of the language.

I love the Nutshell books because they cut through the muck and get right to the point. The size of the books make them perfect for keeping by your side, and that familiar brown coloring scheme makes them easy to see on your shelf.

If you program VB, pick this book up, it will truly make your life easier!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This is a fantastic reference book for VB prorgrammers. The examples are great. They aren't too long and get right to the point of what they are trying to illustrate. The organization is perfect and the writing is crisp.

It's hard to compete with the convenience of the MSDN. But sometimes the MSDN is tough to navigate and it's just easier to pick up a book and find what you are looking for. And the book you pick up should be this book.

I've always missed the printed help manuals that used to come with development tools. I used to carry them around with me and browse through them whenever I had a bit of time. So I was happy to read this book, which has a nice big PRINTED reference section. There are several sections that cover various topics such as object orientation, data types, delegates & events, operators, and so on. The book also covers the new features of Visual Basic 2005, such as operator overloading and generics. My favorite part is the section on the My namespace. Cool stuff.

This is mainly a reference book. The authors did a very good job of also making this a readable book. That's a rare feat.

Bottom line: this book is a keeper, and will be sitting on my bookshelf at work.

Are you a developer who has used previous versions of Visual Basic (VB); are new to VB; or, are learning VB for the first time? If you are, this book is for you. Authors Tim Patrick, Steven Roman, Ron Petrusha and Paul Lomax, have written an outstanding book that focuses on the language elements of .NET-powered Visual Basic--on its statements, functions, procedures, directives, and objects.

Patrick, Roman, Petrusha and Lomax, begin by discussing how VB has been transformed into its .NET variation, and how and why the .NET version is different from previous editions of VB. Then, they cover some of the features of the .NET Framework that most impact the VB developer. The authors continue by discussing the basic concepts of object-oriented programming and show how to implement VB's object-oriented features in your code. In addition, they also look at the standard VB data types and how to use them. The authors also show you the operators you should use to manipulate data in VB. Then, the authors discuss the entry points that allow the .NET runtime to execute your code and show how to structure the code in a VB program. Next, they offer a fast paced overview of the Framework Class Library and some of its features. Next, the authors show how events work and what they mean to you as a programmer. Then, they explain attributes and show you how to use and define them. The authors continue by describing the generics feature and provide examples for its use. In addition, they also show you how to use unstructured error handling and structured exception handling. The authors also provide you with syntax and usage information for all major VB language features, plus information on some of the more useful .NET Framework features that are not officially part of the VB language. Finally, the authors fully document the My Namespace feature, a convenient new library introduced with VB 2005.

Keeping the preceding in mind, this excellent book provides essential information on the VB language for the .NET platform. It thoroughly details all the functions, statements, directives, objects, and object members that make up the VB language.