Reviews for Programming Windows 5th Edition Book/CD Package: The definitive guide to the Win32 API (Microsoft Programming Series)

1. Good grounding, still relavant lacks explanations of more modern libraries

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2010

   The book is excellent in what it does : cover windows api from 95 onwards to NT. However it lacks updates for the windows XP or later minor changes. However the essentials here are still very relevant. Win32 API has not changed much and is still relevant in the days of managed C# if timing is critical to your application.
   Maybe it needs an update to more closely tie modern libraries such as WPF and Forms with the underlying windows API.
   I was expecting maybe a little more detail about the messaging infrastructure of windows api.
   Overall this is an good book if you would like to tweak pre-existing UI and mix it with newer technologies.
   
   Dr. S Marvasti
   
   

2. very good

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, November 12st, 2009

   It is surely the best book I've found that permits you to extend your C++ knowledge to the Windows world.

3. An Exposition In How To Write Excellent Computing Texts

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, August 12th, 2009

   When I wanted to add graphics to my programs back in the day, Microsoft made it easy with a great library for C on MSDOS. Then Windows came along and Microsoft added obfuscation rather than explanation, with nonsense such as "message maps" and Class Wizards. Being one (or more) steps removed from a real understanding of how to drive Windows didn't do it for me. Then I found this book - forget your "Learn in 24 hours" series, " for Dummies" or a plethora of self-proclaimed "experts" filling reams of dead trees with dead wood. Here is a genuine Software Engineer who writes clearly, authoritatively, accurately - in fact just brilliantly about the REAL engine of Windows. The text is backed up by an arsenal of working, well-written and meaningful code that finally lets the frustrated illustrator (me in this case) see his world graphically rather than as endless lists of numbers (DSP is my thing). Back up your knowledge of the Windows API with MSDN on-line and a copy of Jeffrey Richter's "Advanced Windows NT" (still current in these days of Vista and 7) and maybe a decent graphics library (I recommend Quinn-Curtis' legacy library for C) and you will be back in control of your view of the world from a PC.

4. Excellent

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, December 12th, 2006

   We got dumped in the deepend with regards to Win32 API programming by our university course which had so far only introduced basic C++ concepts and then expected full Win32 GUI app's and simple games to be developed.
   
   Well this book solved my problems, an excellent resource for Win32 API programming, keeps well away from the filthy MFC approach :-)
   
   Look no further for pure Win32 API development. The only thing I didnt find in this book that I later needed was details of the Printing API.

5. Wonderful Book

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, September 12th, 2006

   this book is one of the best that i have purchsed, it descusses everything there is about programming windows and how the C++ programming language runs applications. it covers everything from the mouse, windows, threading to the internet, and how to programme it. it has lots of good examples, and i would reccomend this to and programmer starting out with c++. even those that have a few years experiance its still a very good referance gude adn will still teach you a thing or two.