| Publisher: |
Microsoft Press |
| Author: |
Matthew Stoecker and Steven Stein |
| Hardcover: |
765 pages |
| Level: |
Beginner through Advanced
|
Readability:  |
Layout:  |
Examples: |
This is an excellent way to prepare for the 70-526 exam. This training kit had all of the things that I expect from a training kit. It includes a 765 page book and a CD with the text of the book in pdf format, the code samples, and test preparation software.
The book thoroughly covers developing client applications with .NET 2.0. Each chapter starts with an overview and exam objectives being covered in the chapter. To tie together the theoretical with the practical, the authors made liberal use of screenshots, code, and practice labs describing the concepts and showing the reader how to complete the task that is associated with the concept. Chapters are broken up into lessons and each lesson concludes with questions to answer. The answers are in the back of the book.
The end of most chapters provide a good overview of the material and are a good way to determine if you have learned the material. They have the following:
- Chapter Summary - an overview of the main concepts covered
- Terms - New terms introduced in the chapter that the reader should be able to define
- Case scenarios - for the reader to complete
- Suggested Practices - tasks for the reader to complete
The CD included in the kit contains exam prep software with 300 questions. The software can be configured to simulate a certification exam or can be configured for study. In the study mode, numerous test parameters can be configured such as number of questions, lessons covered, and time allotted.
Below are the chapters and a sample of the information included in the chapter. Note that there is much more to the chapter than can be included in a review so this is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of everything covered by the book.
Ch1 - Windows Forms and the User Interface
Covers the basic information on developing a Windows Forms user interface. In lesson 2 the book covers container controls including some that are new to .NET 2.0 such as the FlowLayoutPanel and the TableLayoutPanel.
Ch2 - Configuring Controls and Creating the User Interface
Covers the basics of working with UI controls. One gem I gleaned from this chapter was the "Document Outline Window". This window has saved me a lot of time on forms with numerous container controls. I suspect there are a lot of developers that aren't aware of this new window.
Ch3 - Advanced Windows Forms Controls
Covers creating and configuring the various types of list display controls (ListView, Treeview, ComboBox, etc..), value-setting controls, date-Setting controls, image display controls, the web-browser control, and the NotifyIcon component.
Ch4 - Tool Strips, Menus and Events
Provides overview of the ToolStrip and MenuStrip controls. This chapter includes a lesson on using events and event handlers.
Ch5 - Configuring Connections and Connecting to Data
This chapter is an overview of connecting to a database and managing transactions against the database.
Ch6 - Working with Data in a Connected Environment
If you are developing applications that are always connected to a database, you will find this chapter useful. As well as the expected coverage of working with DataReaders and the command object, this chapter also covers saving and retrieving BLOBs from the database and performing Bulk Copy operations against SQL Server.
Ch7 - Create, Add, Delete, and Edit Data in a Disconnected Environment
In some environments you may find yourself developing an application that works with data but is sometimes disconnected from it's data source. This chapter describes how to deal with the issues synchronizing the local data with the central datasource.
Ch8 - Implementing Data-Bound Controls
Describes how to use data-binding to create forms where the data is automatically synched with the underlying data source.
Ch9 - Working with XML
Shows how to use the .NET framework to read, write, and work with XML files.
Ch10 - Printing in Windows Forms
Covers the various printing related dialogs, the PrintDocument component, and the PrintPreview control.
Ch11 - Advanced Topics in Windows Forms
Covers advanced topics such as working with MDI forms, globalization, localization, and drag and drop operations.
Ch12 - Enhancing Usability
Covers implementing accessibility features and configuring the many controls designed to enhance the user experience. A usable UI would use many of the following controls: ProgressBar, ToolTip, ErrorProvider, HelpProvider, and scroll bars. The authors also cover how to persist application settings between sessions.
Ch 13 - Asynchronous Programming Techniques
In order to have a responsive user interface, you may need to move long running processes to another thread. This chapter covers ways to do this including background processes, using delegates asynchronously, and threading.
Ch14 - Creating Windows Forms Controls
Covers the 3 different types of user controls: composite, custom, and extended controls. The authors also show how you can display a bitmap for your control.
Ch15 - Deployment
Covers both deploying Click-Once applications and as creating setup projects. ClickOnce is an easy way to deploy applications so they are self-updating. This chapter contains a walkthrough of exactly how to set up ClickOnce.
Overall, I think this is an excellent resource for anyone studying for the 70-526 MCTS exam. It is also a good comprehensive reference book of Windows Forms development for .NET 2.0.