I recently took a class on VB. The book we were using, "Programming Business Applications with Microsfot VB 6.0", was very informative for a beginner like myself. However the Class started going into DB (Data Bases) and was going totally opposite from the point I wanted to get to. Can anyone recommend a book they''ve liked? I''ve been on the resources and links to this site, but I just wanted to get some info from some "seasoned veterans" in VB. I would like to do beginning Game Design but I want a book of reference that I can learn to use more commands. i.e. User Events, programming theorys, maybe some source code and tests. Thanks -Chalma/Pspiro

You might say VB was engineered for databases. Even though you can write games in it, they are usually slow and clunky. Take a class in C++ now, and then look into Win32 programming, and then maybe games.

Games take a lot of math and a lot of coding skill. To be well equipped, you need BC level Differential calcules(OK, not a must, but it really smoothes out the physics), second year algebra/trig, and physics is good too. Usually, you need at least one semester of college level C/C++ in console and 1 semester in Win32 C/C++.

-----------------------------
The sad thing about artificial intelligence is that it lacks artifice and therefore intelligence.

Two VB books that I like are Sam''s Teach Yourself Visual Basic In 24 Hours and Visual Basic 6.0 In Action (Microsoft Press).

When in doubt (because both books are seriously lacking in some areas) read up on the MSDN documentation.

Invader X
Invader''s Realm

For gaming, I''ve found that once you know VB, books aren''t very good and websites are much more useful, up to date, and... free

www.vbexplorer.com

would ge great for learning general VB, then once you are quite comfortable with that, if you want to jump into games:

www.rookscape.com/vbgaming/ (message board currently down, but should be up soon... hopefully)

You will find that you only use a handful of commands once you have learnt it, really only the basic ones that they teach you from the very beginnning. If.. Then.. End If. For.. Next. Do.. Loop. Dim. Sub.. End Sub. Function.. End Function. Type.. End Type.

From there, it is more about using the methods and properties exposed to you from different objects, which will let you actually do stuff.

Trying is the first step towards failure.