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A press release from No Starch Press:

NEW TITLE USES FLASH MOVIES TO TEACH VB EXPRESS 2005

Covers programming basics before diving into details, companion CD includes "movies" that help explain concepts

December 7, 2005, San Francisco--You don't need a college degree in computer science, an aptitude for mathematics, or special schooling to be a programmer; all you need is a computer and the curiosity to learn. Since Visual Basic 2005 Express is designed to make Windows programming easy for everyone--from hobbyists to professional software developers--it's a perfect starting point for beginners. "VB Express 2005: Now Playing" (No Starch Press, $29.95 US) takes that easy approach and runs with it, providing a short primer on the general principles behind computer programming before moving on to explain how to use the Visual Basic Express user interface and then how to write programs using the Visual Basic language.



In "VB Express 2005: Now Playing," best-selling Visual Basic author Wallace Wang covers all the bases, including various programming shortcuts for specific functions and an overview of the built-in Help system that comes with VB Express, so that, by the time readers finish the book, they'll be comfortable enough to progress on their own. At the same time, the book doesn't "dumb down" the important information would-be programmers want to learn. "VB Express 2005: Now Playing" also features a companion CD full of
short source code examples that readers can run and modify on their own, as well as movies that demonstrate how to accomplish specific tasks - hence, "Now Playing."

As one of the best-selling VB authors, Wally was the obvious choice to write this book," said Bill Pollock, founder of No Starch Press. "Very few authors are as adept at explaining technical topics so clearly."

"VB Express 2005: Now Playing" is organized into five logical sections so readers can quickly find the information they need:

-Part I teaches how to understand, use and customize the VB Express user interface, including menus and commands, so that readers will be comfortable navigating it

-Part II explains how to design a user interface with VB Express

-Part III introduces specific user interface controls, such as buttons, check boxes and pull-down menus, and how to use BASIC code to make the interface work

-Part IV focuses on writing BASIC code that will make a program useful

-Part V includes additional information to make readers' programs more interesting and functional, from connecting to database files to displaying pictures and playing sound.

This latest release of the Visual Basic product appeals to a new generation of aspiring programmers while staying true to its original roots as a tool for making Windows programming simple, fast and, most important, fun. "Visual Basic 2005 Express: Now Playing" provides readers with the foundation in programming they'll need to learn and use the product to the fullest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wang is the best-selling author of Visual Basic 6 For Dummies (Wiley), the Steal This Computer Book series, Steal This File Sharing Book, and The Book of Nero 6 (all No Starch Press). He is also a successful standup comic who has appeared on A&E's "Evening at the Improv" and appears regularly at the Riviera Comedy Club in Las Vegas.

Visual Basic 2005 Express: Now Playing
by Wallace Wang
January 2006, 496 pp. w/ CD, $29.95
1-59327-059-3

Available at fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (www.nostarch.com, orders@nostarch.com, 800.420.7240).

ABOUT NO STARCH PRESS: Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent computer book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainment-unique books on technology, with a focus on Open Source, security, hacking, programming, and alternative operating systems. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. See www.nostarch.com for more. (And by the way, most No Starch Press books use RepKover, a lay-flat binding that won't snap shut.)

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