Inside DirectX [With Contains Source Codes]

Clear, concise, and detailed enough to get you well on your way. Unless you're looking for Direct3D, this book is nearly flawless. I've been programming in DirectX for years and I still reference this book. It's a perfect mix of a reference and tutorials. To beginners: don't expect to master DirectX from one book. It takes time, experimentation, and a lot of wading through code. (This book will really help you get started, though)

The DirectSound, DirectDraw, DirectInput and DirectPlay APIs are all described in a one-two-three fashion. The functions you need are presented more or less in the order you need to call them. If you get stuck, there's usually a sample you can pick apart to get you un-stuck.Direct3D coverage would be nice, but as 3D graphics is rather more complicated than the other stuff, it's probably a subject for a book all of its own...

What I expected: A paper copy of the docs that ship with the DirectX SDK.What I got: A great understanding of how DirectX works with out someone else's idea of how you should wrap up the DirectX COM. I now have four books on DirectX, this is the only one I even bother looking at anymore. It's true there are not a lot of "try this" exercises. But on the up side, the whole book has usefull information, unlike others where half the book is just code you can find on the CD anyway. If you want to learn DirectX with out all the clutter that other books contain, get this book!

A no-nonsense approach to DirectX. Instead of attempting to create wrapper class for the DirectX objects, they reference and use it directly. A book for those who are more interested to know how to use DirectX then having a set of ready wrapper classes. It was disappointing however to note the lack of D3D. Perhaps they should come up with a book on D3D or DirectMedia. Very good book, a must have for beginners and experts! After all, experts may know the tips and tricks of DirectX, but do they realy know the 'how and why' of it? Who better to know those than the developers of DirectX!

This book rocks!This is the first time that I have bought a book and it was accessible straight away. It is written so clearly that even new-comers should be able to understand it.Written by Microsoft for DirectX, this is THE guide to using DirectX5.Can't wait for Inside Direct3D!