: Readers frequently highlight the quality of the intelligent descriptions and short, usable code excerpts.
Francesco Balena's (specifically the 2003 Version) is widely considered a definitive "bible" for the language. Spanning over 1,400 pages, it serves as an exhaustive core reference for developers transitioning from legacy VB6 to the .NET environment. Key Highlights
: It is particularly effective for veteran VB6 programmers. Balena provides pragmatic guidance on porting existing code and adopting new object-oriented capabilities like inheritance and polymorphism.
: The book is praised for its massive scale, covering everything from basic language syntax to advanced topics like threading, reflection, and ADO.NET .
Programming Microsoft Visual Basic .NET (Core... - ThriftBooks
: The companion CD is often noted for its value, containing the searchable eBook of the text plus Balena’s previous work, Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 . Critiques and Considerations