You don’t need a college degree in computer science, an aptitude for mathematics, or special schooling to be a programmer; all you need is a computer and the curiosity to learn. Since Visual Basic 2005 Express is designed to make Windows programming easy for everyone - from hobbyists to professional software developers - it’s a perfect starting point for beginners. VB Express 2005: Now Playing (No Starch Press) takes that easy approach and runs with it, providing a short primer on the general principles behind computer programming before moving on to explain how to use the Visual Basic Express user interface and then how to write programs using the Visual Basic language.

In VB Express 2005: Now Playing, best-selling Visual Basic author Wallace Wang covers all the bases, including various programming shortcuts for specific functions and an overview of the built-in Help system that comes with VB Express, so that, by the time readers finish the book, they’ll be comfortable enough to progress on their own. At the same time, the book doesn’t “dumb down” the important information would-be programmers want to learn. VB Express 2005: Now Playing also features a companion CD full of short source code examples that readers can run and modify on their own, as well as movies that demonstrate how to accomplish specific tasks -hence, “Now Playing.”

As one of the best-selling VB authors, Wally was the obvious choice to write this book,” said Bill Pollock, founder of No Starch Press. “Very few authors are as adept at explaining technical topics so clearly.”

VB Express 2005: Now Playing is organized into five logical sections so readers can quickly find the information they need:

• Part I teaches how to understand, use and customize the VB Express user interface, including menus and commands, so that readers will be comfortable navigating it.

• Part II explains how to design a user interface with VB Express.
• Part III introduces specific user interface controls, such as buttons, check boxes and pull-down menus, and how to use BASIC code to make the interface work.
• Part IV focuses on writing BASIC code that will make a program useful.
• Part V includes additional information to make readers’ programs more interesting and functional, from connecting to database files to displaying pictures and playing sound.

This latest release of the Visual Basic product appeals to a new generation of aspiring programmers while staying true to its original roots as a tool for making Windows programming simple, fast and, most important, fun. VB Express 2005: Now Playing provides readers with the foundation in programming they’ll need to learn and use the product to the fullest.

Tags: visual basic, no starch press, vb express 2005, wallace wang