 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group For the Bookshelf |
Using Visual Basic for Applications-Excel edition
reviewed by Tony Stevenson
The introduction and the first chapter of this book explains what Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is, why it is important, and the hows and whys of its use. Some people have unfairly described VBA as just another macro language. Yes, it is a macro language but it is also much more. It is a fully featured programming language, a dialect of Visual Basic, that makes it easy, quick, and fun to write applications.
Visual Basic (VB) itself is fast becoming the environment to which many professional programmers are turning as their preferred way of developing Windows applications.
Most importantly, VBA is destined to become the vehicle that will allow you to manipulate many (if not all) of the applications running on your PC. The physical organisation of this book is excellent, with a liberal use of screen shots, tables, and the inclusion of sample code to demonstrate how the theory can be implemented. Tips and notes are also generously used throughout the book, both highlighting and reinforcing those points that will make your VBA programming more potent. One appendix presents style guidelines for developing professional code, which is vital if your job involves writing commercially viable applications. The book has been compiled in such a way that it can be read by both beginning and experienced programmers.
If you want to stay in touch with how to program and coordinate the Microsoft software packages that are now available (as well as their future products), it is necessary to become proficient in VB/VBA. This book is an ideal place to start. Que Corporation, the publishers, have maintained their usual excellent standard, which results in books that are comprehensive, easy to read, and to understand.
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Jeff Webb:Using Visual Basic for Applications - Excel edition ISBN 1 56529 725 3 Published by Que Corporation 878 pages RRP $65.95 |
Teach Yourself Visual Basic for Applications in 21 Days
reviewed by Tony Stevenson
It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with software developments in the PC industry. It is not always possible to learn new technology at work (your boss has his own work schedule laid out for you), or financial/family commitments might prevent you from attending professional courses or seminars. A book
that shows you how to teach yourself a new language, in the comfort of your own home, in a short time, is certainly worth investigating.
Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), although a new macro programming language, has evolved from Visual Basic (VB), which itself is a descendant of the original BASIC. What's the difference between VB and VBA? VB is a separate off-the-shelf product that allows you to develop Windows applications quickly. VBA is destined to become Microsoft's universal macro language-it is already being integrated into their products, with Excel 5 being one of the first. In the past, when you bought a new package, you had to spend considerable time learning the idiosyncrasies of that product's macro language. However, with VBA, you can swap from one package to another (provided that they are equipped with VBA), confident that a lot of what you have already learnt will still apply.
Teach Yourself VBA in 21 Days is not a small book at over 900 pages, but it has been organised efficiently into easily digestible daily chunks. Each day's lesson includes a brief summary of the topics covered. A
Questions & Answers section is used to clarify points raised during the lesson. A Workshop section provides a quiz and exercises that can be used to test your understanding of the subjects covered so far (the answers and explanations are provided in an appendix).
Knowledge of both Visual Basic and Visual Basic for Applications is vital if you want to position yourself in the market place as a Microsoft tools programmer. This book is an ideal way of gaining both the theory and the practice required to become a VB/VBA practitioner.
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Matthew Harris: Teach Yourself Visual Basic for Applications in 21 Days ISBN 0 672 30447 3 Sams Publishing 909 pages RRP $59.95 |
UNIX in Plain English
Reprinted from the November 1994 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
reviewed by Major Keary
This is a particularly good reference to UNIX commands, compact in both size and content. Unlike the usual run of
quick reference guides, this is not a simple alphabetical listing. The authors have given thought to the way in which information is presented under various headings.
An introductory overview briefly explains the peculiarities of UNIX commands and structures using a tutorial approach. It is very useful.
Then follows a simple, but clever, table of if you want to ... information. Instead of
convoluting entries just to get the right word at the beginning, the entries are in plain language with the key word italicised. For example, the entry:
perform math calculations
appears at the place where a reader would expect to find "calculations"; and, in case "math" was chosen as the key word,
perform math calculation
appears in the place where "math" would occur in an alphabetical listing.
A column under the heading, Use the UNIX Command ..., provides the relevant
command(s) - in the case of math calculations there are two, bc and dc and the use of each is explained in the main section. The
bc command has many complexities and three pages are devoted to a brief description.
Then follows a comparative DOS-UNIX command list that gives DOS commands with the UNIX equivalent. In some cases there is no equivalent, such as for APPEND; in other cases there are several, such as for COMP-UNIX has
bdiff, crap, diff, diff3, and sdiff.
The bulk of the book is taken up by descriptions of the UNIX commands organised by group:
The purpose of each command is given with an example and options. Related commands are also included. For example,
who is the command for who is logged on and it displays the names and other information about users logged on the system. There are some fourteen options that can be used with
who and each is listed with a succinct explanation of its function.
A comprehensive listing of ftp commands is included in a separate chapter. A brief, but well-selected, bibliography points readers towards useful publications abut UNIX. And there is an index that makes finding commands or subjects quite easy. I was also impressed with the occasional R notes, such as: Do not confuse the
unmame command with the uuname command.
Those who normally run under non-UNIX operating systems, but who have to use UNIX commands-particularly for Internet connections-will find this an excellent handbook.
Reichard and Johnson: UNIX in Plain English
ISBN 1 55826 345 5
300 pages
Published by MIS Press
RRP $29.95
