N. Schultz said
I learned BASIC as a child, and needed to upgrade to Visual Basic as a teen. I learned it from two sources: Learning Visual Basic in 21 Days, and this book, Hardcore Visual Basic. I learned some very simple things from the former, but the latter taught me what the compiler was actually doing and how the programs were structured.
It's not a book for those that are beginners with computers, but for someone already familiar with computers, this book is invaluable. If you already understand Visual Basic (4, 5 or 6, but not .NET) and want to learn how to make it do something difficult, you are the target audience. I suspect I was unusual in using it as part of learning the language, but it worked. Either a good working knowledge of a computer or of Visual Basic are required to get much out of the book, but it works with either to work on the other.
The reason the price is devalued is that Microsoft included the text in many versions of their MSDN documentation. Not all version include it, and those released over the last few years no longer contain it. I learned from the online copy, but have now picked up a hard copy as they are far nicer to read.
Dennis Djenfer said
Even though this book is out of print, I would like to review it. Better late than sorry. This is the best book about VB I have ever read, and a tremendously inspiring book about programming. Even though VB is not my preferred programing language, this book really gave me a kick and I started to appreciate VB in a way that I had never done before.
Bruce McKinney does not only reveal all those sneaky details about VB that you whish you had known long before, but also teaches you a lot of useful stuff about the windows API, type libraries and COM. It is not a book for beginners, but should be read as soon as possible after passing the beginners level. Read it carefully from cover to cover, because it will reveal important details about windows and programming that you don't find in other books about advanced VB.
Unfortunately, this book is about VB 5.0, which means that it has lost its relevance in the ever changing world of Microsoft Visual Basic. It's a shame that Bruce McKinney did not write a programming book about a more stable programming language. With his knowledge, passion and inspiring writing style I'm sure it would have been a classic book about programming.
Ankush Narula said
When I first picked up Hardcore VB, it sat on my shelf for a good three months next to the other 5 advanced VB books that I wanted to read first. Like anyone else, I thought I should read the less advanced stuff first. In retrospect, I realize that I probably could have started with Hardcore VB - and then tossed most of the other books in the trash. Bruce McKinney cuts through the fluff and assumes the reader can hold his/her own. His book covers the basics of COM, callback functions, subclassing and multithreading with awesome clarity - like no other VB book to date (perhaps Matthew Curland's new book is a close second). For intermediate and advanced VB programmers, this book is truly foundational - if not absolutely essential. Bruce McKinney's jovial approach makes all of this material that much more palatable than any technical book I've ever read. For my sake (and yours!), I hope Bruce chooses to continue writing technical books. Ten thumbs up from me and my colleagues.
Christopher Palmer said
I've been a VB programmer ever since VB 1.0 and a C/C++ programmer before that. With all of the "Teach Yourself xxx in 7 Days" books for beginners and the regurgitated help files with 80% of a 1000 page book taken up with code samples, Hardcore Visual Basic is hands down the best book ever written about programming with Visual Basic. Yes, it doesn't cover specific targets in depth (e.g., database programming, Internet programming, etc.), but it gives you the tools and the knowledge to really utilize the language and environment to its full potential. I haven't released a commercial or internal product without the VbCore.DLL and the Win.TLB support since I bought the book. If you don't have this book yet, be sure and get it while copies are still available. It is a true shame that it is going out of print...
Matthew Wills said
Hardcore Visual Basic is a fantastic title - one that any experienced VB developer should have at least read (if not OWN). Now that it is out of print (and MS has taken it off the MSDN CDs), locating a copy will be harder than ever but keep your eyes open. McKinney has a great writing style and pulls no punches. Not all of it is immensely practical, but if you want to deepen your understanding of VB and really sink your teeth into some technical detail (which VB so often hides from you) this is the book for you.
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