View Larger Image	Paul Lomax O'Reilly Media, Paperback, Published October 1998, 633 pages, ISBN 1565923588
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• Programming Languages : Visual Basic
• Programming Languages : VBA
• * Series - Int/Adv Users : In a Nutshell
• Programming : Object-Oriented

• O'Reilly Media

The bulk of this book contains an alphabetical language reference that covers all aspects of Visual Basic for Applications by focusing on the following areas:

• The syntax, using standard code conventions
• A discussion of whether or not the operation of the keyword is different in a macro environment (e.g., in Office) than in Visual Basic
• A list of arguments accepted by the function or procedure, if any
• A description of the data returned by a function
• A section of notes and solutions to real-world gotchas, and various undocumented behaviors and aspects of the language that help the reader avoid potential problems
• A brief example to illustrate the use of the keyword
• A cross-reference to other keywords

The remainder of the book also contains a vast body of information that is not strictly related to the VBA keywords in the reference section. Topics covered include:

• A fast-paced introductory tutorial to VBA programming
• Basic VBA programming concepts, such as its data types and its support for variables, constants, and arrays
• Error handling in VBA applications
• Object programming with VBA
• Using VBA with particular applications. Excel and Project are utilized to show how to work with an application's integrated development environment and to take advantage of its object model

Jan 23, 2003     Rand E. Gerald (rgerald@usa.net) from Lisle, Illinois, USA
Most Used Reference
I write VB, primarily VBA in Access and this book is my most used reference. It contains most of the same information as can be found in the help menus, but I find that a book is still faster than looking up information in the help menus and it's portable - you can take it "down the hall" for a break.

In my opinion the only fault with this book is that it is missing some of the Access specific VBA statements such as DoCmd - but, for that you can always use the help menus.

Two other things that would make a nice addition to the book: A large teble of the various constants that can be referenced and a table of the numeric codes (hexadecimal and decimal) for the most common RGB colors.

Jun 26, 2001     Justin Kunz (jkunz@ipcapitalgroup.com) from vermont
O'Reilly Scores Again
Since you may not be familiar with the "Nutshell" series books by this publisher, I will start by telling you that this book is strictly a reference intended for the intermediate or advanced VB programmer. If you are new to the language, do not purchase this book expecting to learn how to program. You already know your If..Then..Else and Select Case statements. What this book does is give you a quick reference to find that date function that you have never used or remind you the exact syntax of a Property Set procedure.

The bulk of the book (80-85%) is the language reference alphabetized and some appendices dividing the language reference up by other methods, such as similar functions/methods, data types, operators, etc. Chapter 4 "Class Modules" contains a concise, 20-page refresher on how to object-orient your VB with classes. I had studied a few other books on OOP VB but still don't have it down pat, this chapter will be my guide until I can do classes in my sleep. Very little covered on API functions but also a great section on ActiveX (creating, registering, unregistering, Controls, EXE vs. DLLs).

Probably the biggest question I faced was: "Why get this book when I have an MSDN subscription at work?" This book is supposed to pick up where that takes off. I hate searching through the whole MSDN for one method. It can take forever. Plus, this book will travel with me.

On a side note, I'm studying for my MCSD and this book has been very valuable. From my past experience with Microsoft exams, you never know when you are going to get a specific question about a particular function, property and method and have to know the default value, or which property would not belong to an object. If you have never used it before, you'll have no idea. It's no fun to actually "study" such a reference book, but this book is very detailed and comprehensive about what everything does and how it could be used. I know the more I thumb through this thing, the better the chance I have of nailing a question on a test. Would make a great complimentary book to the MCSD VB exams 70-156 and 70-155.

Jul 26, 2000     seraph64@netzero.net from Denver
Wonderful Language Reference
I have been using this book as a reference for VB since the introduction of VB6 and I love the way this book presents information. Any syntax question I have is answered in this book. I agree that it is not a teaching tool. There is no information on the "visual" in Visual Basic. If you are looking for information on any controls, look somewhere else, but get this book if you just need a quick, dirty syntax reference.

Jun 27, 2000     DJ Dr. Evil from Denver, CO
Excellent Reference, Not a Teaching Tool
The O'Reilly books are far and away the best REFERENCE volumes out there. They are not meant to teach you a language, but instead offer the experienced developer a quick and through source of information. The books are well designed and I really like that the format is the same, pretty much, from book to book.

May 19, 2000     wilycat (wilycat@excite.com) from Northern California
Comprehensive and concise information
If you aren't into dragging around 20 or 30 pounds of 'official' documentation or simply want a view from a slightly different angle (without the self-promotion and bs that have all-to-often become part and parcel of 'technical' volumes, this is for you. Paired with the equally useful VB Controls in a Nutshell, it provides sufficient information for the experienced programmer in the vast majority of cases. Sure, if you're a professional you'll have complete Visual Studio documentation in printed form and available via MSDN. But if you don't have a network connection or a pack mule, this will lighten your load and give you the info you need.

Jan 24, 2000     Herry from New York
Nothing you can't find on MSDN
This book is disappointing. You'll probably find 99% of the information in the book from MSDN. It DOES NOT teach you how to use VB. You'll only learn the syntax of Visual Basic. It doesn't explain very well either... e.g. what's the difference between a code module and a class module? You won't find the answer here. Whereas "Java in a Nutshell" contains pretty much everything you need to know about the language, "VB and VBA in a nutshell" has a few holes. It's not a comprehensive reference on VBA. I'd recommend "Programming Visual Basic 6" by Microsoft Press.

Jun 23, 1999     A review from San Francisco, CA
O'Reilly Delivers Again.
I think O'Reilly is hands down the best tech publisher out there. I have yet to be disappointed with any of there books, especially the nutshell series. This is the only reference for VB and VBA. Can't waith for the Visual Basic Controls Nutshell in July.

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