Best book for .NET framework reference/bible?

[Ben Mann]

Hi, I have been developing business applications in VB since version 3 and
consider myself an experienced VB programmer.

I am looking to learn .NET and would like to get a reference book for the
..NET framework.

I have spent some time looking at reviews and am considering the following:

The Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the .NET Framework Class Library by
Powers & Snell
-or-
Applied Microsoft .NET Framework Programming in Microsoft Visual Basic .NET
by Jeffrey Richter & Francesco B
-or-
Programming .NET Components by Juval Lowy

Please can anyone who has read any of these books give feedback to help me
choose. Or warn me if I'm about to waste my money...

Thanks,
Ben.

 

[Eric Sabine]

I have a plethora of .NET books that I have never been too impressed with.
At last Feb's VSLIVE I was disappointed that during midnight madness I won a
VB.NET book. But I have to say that "Visual Basic .NET and the .NET
Platform" by Andrew Troelsen is IMO the best VB.NET book I have touched. I
liked it so much I bought it's identical cousin "C# and the .NET Platform."
Actually the C# book was written first. Both books are identical in layout,
examples, etc. So you can see the exact same discussions and examples in
both languages. The other book I find myself picking up often, but just for
the code snips, is "VB .NET and SQL Server 2000: Building an Effective Data
Layer" by Bain and Gosnell. Also of notable mention is Microsoft Press'
"ADO.NET"

hth
Eric

 

[Maniaque |CIA|]

Hi, I have been developing business applications in VB since version 3
and
consider myself an experienced VB programmer.

I am looking to learn .NET and would like to get a reference book for the
.NET framework.

I have spent some time looking at reviews and am considering the
following:

The Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the .NET Framework Class Library
by
Powers & Snell
-or-
Applied Microsoft .NET Framework Programming in Microsoft Visual Basic
.NET
by Jeffrey Richter & Francesco B
-or-
Programming .NET Components by Juval Lowy

Please can anyone who has read any of these books give feedback to help
me
choose. Or warn me if I'm about to waste my money...

Thanks,
Ben.

I can send you a couple of *.chm books, if you want, but they are quite
big. Just send me an e-mail.

 

[Rob Windsor [MVP]]

Hi Ben,

I would recommend you start out with the following books:

- Moving to VB .NET: Strategies, Concepts, and Code by Dan Appleman
- Applied Microsoft .NET Framework Programming in Microsoft Visual Basic
..NET by Jeffrey Richter & Francesco B
- Programming Visual Basic .NET by Francesco Balena

 

[Ben Mann]

Thanks for your advice.

After reading several reviews and receiving advice from various forums I
have decided on the following two books:

"Moving to Vb .Net: Strategies, Concepts and Code" by Dan Appleman
To help with the transition from VB6 to VB.NET.

"Visual Basic Programmers Guide to the .NET Framework Class Library" by Lars
Powers and Mike Snell
For a reference to the .NET framework classes.

Thanks again,
Ben.