Any VB.NET programmers here?

[judas]

Looking for a couple of book recommendations for starting VB.NET programming. I have a couple of years VBScript experience doing web stuff, but that's about it - no 'real' programming experience since mucking about on a Commodore 64 when I was a kid

There are a couple of books on Amazon I'm thinking of getting:

Beginning VB.NET and The Ultimate Vb.Net and Asp.Net Code Book

The main purpose of all this is to be able to write small standalone apps that can be scheduled to perform various SQL functions and fire off e-mails from the web server, or to import data from various files and dump it all into a central database. I'm pretty sure VB.NET should be up to that - it had better be as I've already bought a copy

Any words of wisdom would be appreciated

[Plotloss]

Shirley vbSCript can do what you want?

VB.NET is a bit like using a hammer to crack a nut if thats all you want to do...

[Alex]

The Wrox book is excellent. The code book is more for coders with a bit of experience.

The online help and samples are also very good in .NET (amazingly), so I would have a look there too.

[judas]

Plotloss said:

Shirley vbSCript can do what you want? VB.NET is a bit like using a hammer to crack a nut if thats all you want to do...

In most cases yes, but I'll be damned if I can find a way to schedule stuff to run automatically. Plus, I need to do some stuff that can operate without needing a web server. Time to stop pissing about and learn big boys programming I think...

[gopher]

I can highly recommend O’Reilly books; they do a number which are .net and vb.net related.

Whatever book you choose I would spend some time familiarising yourself with the framework libraries, what ever language you choose the libraries are the key. If you have not already downloaded the framework SDK, do so, as this has full documentation including examples and tools, anytime spent understanding these will not be wasted.

Cheers

Paul

[ATG]

You might want to consider learning C# instead of VB.net
There is very little difference between the two and C# is syntactically similar to Java and C++ should you ever want to tke a look at those languages.

[Plotloss]

Use Windows Task Scheduler to run a vbs file at a set time...

[judas]

I don't have a programming background - I've just drifted into it via graphic design to web design to back-end coding, so stuff like C++ scares the bejesus out of me. Hell, I don't even like javascript I don't see myself becoming a hard-core coder; I'm pretty comfortable with vbscript, and my requirements are quite modest. Plus, I've already forked out for VB.NET

[judas]

Plotloss said:

Use Windows Task Scheduler to run a vbs file at a set time...

That was my initial plan, but I don't know anything about writing standalone vbs files. Also, would this get around the 'no web server' requirements? Sorry if I sound thick - but I'm only a designer

[tim_s]

ATG said:

You might want to consider learning C# instead of VB.net There is very little difference between the two and C# is syntactically similar to Java and C++ should you ever want to tke a look at those languages.

seconded!

[tim_s]

if you're going to write a .NET standalone app with either VB or C# I would strongly recommend getting hold of a copy of Visual Studio.NET otherwise it's a real pain to compile apps from the command prompt especially if you haven't done it before.

>> Edited by tim_s on Thursday 13th May 11:21

[Plotloss]

judas said:

Plotloss said: Use Windows Task Scheduler to run a vbs file at a set time... That was my initial plan, but I don't know anything about writing standalone vbs files. Also, would this get around the 'no web server' requirements? Sorry if I sound thick - but I'm only a designer

Just save the vbScript out of notepad with a .vbs extension.

The no web server requirements depends on what you are doing.

This does allow you to schedule vbScript apps though.

[ATG]

judas said:

I don't have a programming background - I've just drifted into it via graphic design to web design to back-end coding, so stuff like C++ scares the bejesus out of me. Hell, I don't even like javascript I don't see myself becoming a hard-core coder; I'm pretty comfortable with vbscript, and my requirements are quite modest. Plus, I've already forked out for VB.NET

Have no fear! If you learn VB.net then you could at any time switch to C# without much effort and that would then let you read Java and C++.

None of these languages is conceptually much harder than any other (though this is far from obvious from half tha books that are out there). The real difference is how big a pain in the arse they are to use.

>> Edited by ATG on Thursday 13th May 11:25

[judas]

Plotloss said:

Just save the vbScript out of notepad with a .vbs extension.

I'll have a play when I get some free time and see what happens.

Plotloss said:

The no web server requirements depends on what you are doing. This does allow you to schedule vbScript apps though.

An example of the 'no web server' thing is as follows:

Application developed with Director is installed on multiple laptops. The app is basically a prettified questionnaire and generates a data file with the results in. These datafiles are then e-mailed to client's head office and need compiling into a central database for statistical analysis using SPSS. So far, the only solution I have been capable of producing with my limited knowledge is to write a ASP app running on a web server that parses the files and dumps the contents into the database. The database can then be exported via Excel to SPSS! Not exactly an elegant solution, and it poses some problems - noteably I need to drive over to the clients office to set up the web server and manually install and configure the software, rather than supplying a disc they can install themselves.

[LaurenceFrost]

Try Programming Microsoft Visual Basic .NET by Francesco Balena.

Serves as a great reference and tutorial book.

Well worth the money.

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735620598/qid=1084526978/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_11_2/026-9873651-0926030