Writing a book is a lot like writing a Visual Basic application. Well, except for the part about finding a publisher, and working with an editor. And then there’s that pesky rule about correct spelling. Come to think of it, they’re really quite different. But in one way, books and programs are similar: both are written to meet the needs of the user. When writing software applications, the user’s needs drive the organization and features of the final program. When writing a book, like the one you’re looking at now, the needs of the user—that’s you, the reader—drive the organization and features of the final text. So it was with you in mind that I set out to write this book. Oh, there’s the fame and the prestige, but it’s really about you. You, the person who seeks to understand Visual Basic and the .NET Framework on which it is built. When I thought about you and your needs, I came up with these ideas:

You might know how to program, but maybe not

In the programming world, there are four types of people: (1) those who already program joyfully; (2) those who don’t program, but will learn it and love it; (3) those who don’t program, but will learn it and struggle with it; and (4) those who should return this book immediately to the bookstore. If you are in one of the first three groups, this book is definitely for you. I believe that anyone who can break down a task into its basic step-by-step instructions can successfully program in Visual Basic. If you are unsure about your ability to quantify tasks in this way, you might want to start out with a book on basic programming concepts.