To become a Microsoft Certified Developer (MSCD), you need to pass a total of four certification tests. MSCD Visual Basic 6 Core 3 Exam Cram Pack can help you tackle three of them: the MSCD Visual Basic 6 Distributed test (70-175), the MCSD Visual Basic 6 Desktop exam (70-176), and the MSCD Architectures test (70-100). The set provides a thorough introduction to the details of Visual Basic 6. It gives you a tour of basic VB used on the client, including an overview of new features and tools available in version 6. Once you"ve mastered the fundamentals, you can focus on distributed applications with MSCD Visual Basic 6 Distributed Exam Cram, which surveys thin-client computing on the Windows platform with VB. You"ll learn how to build COM objects that take advantage of MTS on the middle tier for better scalability and performance. Of course, VB is also good at building browser-based interfaces, and you"ll learn how here. This title will be especially valuable if you have experience with traditional VB and want to make the leap to a thin-client multitiered computing paradigm. MSCD Architectures Exam Cram, the third in the set, is a quick-start tour to the Microsoft Solution Framework (MSF), the official step-by-step software design process promoted in Redmond. The companion CD-ROM for each book contains an electronic version of the text, which makes searching easy. The standout feature of the set is that the practice exams are now given online--a much more realistic simulation of the actual certification testing process. Whatever your level of knowledge, if you want to get certified as an MSCD, you can perhaps do no better than this set of three valuable titles. MSCD Visual Basic 6 Core 3 Exam Cram can help you succeed in obtaining the coveted professional credential. --Richard Dragan Topics Covered: Overview of the Microsoft Certified Software Developer (MCSD) program; MCSD exam 70-175, exam 70-176, and exam 70-100 test preparation guides; fixed-length and adaptive test strategies; conceptual, logical, and physical designs; Visual SourceSafe and source control; installing and configuring MTS; user services; COM components; ASP- and browser-based clients in VB; WebClasses and the DHTML Designer tool; ActiveX control tutorial; ActiveX Documents; business services; MTS-enabled components; data services; introduction to SQL; ADO basics; testing and debugging distributed applications; deployment; using DCOMCNFG.EXE; maintaining distributed applications; load balancing; versioning; Visual Basic data types; types; enumerated types; arrays; VB procedures; control basics; menus; VB 6 language extensions; collections and dictionaries; classes; interapplication communications; OLE Automation; ActiveX; linking and embedding; DDE; calling Win32 API functions in VB; ActiveX components; error-handling techniques; database APIs; ADO classes; using the ADODC control; the DataEnvironment tool; reports; online help options; debugging tips; VB compiler options; p-code vs. native code; deployment options; history of information systems; the Microsoft Solution Framework (MSF) overview; MSF team; process, application, and solution models; business requirements; security; performance; scalability; multitiered systems; data storage options; relational database basics; normalization; conceptual and logical designs; designing user interfaces; user services; prototypes; iterative software development process; internationalization tips; physical designs; practice questions; and sample test.