The tools-based focus of this tutorial is what sets it apart. While the authors provide background on such important standards as COM+ for building middle-tier components, the book is anchored by real hands-on examples (and plenty of screen shots where appropriate) on using tools like Visual Basic and SQL Server 2000.

First the book leads you through a discussion of the latest developments and tools from Microsoft (like COM+, SQL Server 2000, and SOAP for communicating on distributed systems). There's a thorough tour of COM+, which gives DNA its middle-tier prowess. You'll learn COM+ configuration, security, and deployment, as well as how to use COM+ transactions and asynchronous message processing with built-in MS Message Queue services. Later, there's a concise introduction to ADO database programming, as well as the new support for XML in SQL Server 2000. Useful debugging advice will help you out with server-side components, which can be notoriously hard to troubleshoot.

Final sections present a fairly substantial case study for an airline reservation system built with middle-tier components and ASPs for a Web interface. (There is also an e-commerce application for renting construction equipment.) The book also walks you through implementing a back-end database, middle-tier COM+ components and a browser-based front end built with ASP.

At least until the new Microsoft .NET Framework arrives, any system architect or developer can rely on this title to get a sense of how to build effective software for the enterprise. Professional Windows DNA is a thorough and up-to-date guidebook on the constantly shifting terrain of Microsoft tools and technologies. It's filled with pretty much everything you need to know to develop scaleable Web applications with Visual Basic and Windows 2000. --Richard Dragan