Programming Windows

I own 'Programming Windows 95' which is a previous version of this book...this newer version adds additional information, while retaining the best of the older versions. I'm a self-taught software engineer and have relied on books for most of my training. When I needed to learn the Win32 API to write Windows application programs, I initially turned to the Microsoft website and their tutorials, but found this approach frustrating because there was no overall picture presented...a lot of knowledge was assumed.Petzold's book was the answer to my frustrations...it assumed no Windows specific knowledge, although general C/C++ background is assumed. The book starts with simple examples that are thoroughly explained. Once enough topics are covered, an excellent overview of Windows as an event-driven operating system is presented, and the remainder of the book is devoted to covering real-world, useful examples in enough detail that they provide starting points for the reader's own development projects.In the companies for which I've worked, most of the programmers refer to Petzold's book as the 'bible' for Windows programming...for good reason. This is the best book for learning Windows programming if you are starting with no previous knowledge of the Windows operating system.

This is an absolutely golden book. Don't be intimidated by the page count or the title - this book is actually a very easy to use ground up tutorial in Win32 programming. He starts out talking about the basics and then slowly moves into more advanced topics.As always it's important to know what a book is NOT. This book is not a tutorial for writing windows applications, nor does it discuss MFC or most of the common methods used today for rapidly producing computer programs. This is not REALLY a reference book on win32 either.Instead it provides a tutorial-style documentation for the monstrous win32 API at its most fundamental levels. This book sets the standard for all other code written for any modern version of windows. It addresses real world issues and real world solutions to those problems (such as the chapter dedicated to making unicode friendly programs), as well as some historical issues (the difference between wParam and lParam).No manual is without its flaws. This book is a bit too braod spectrum in the detail levels. There are places in the book where he will delve into details that you could care less about, and there are points that he will put in two or three sentences and assume you understand, although you may not. Despite this, this book is essential to everyone writing code for Microsoft Windows (ANY version). You needn't read it cover to cover, but readiny section I (about 1/3 of the book) is essential. My one wish is that this book came in three volumes, if you haul it between home and school/office it gets to be buronsome. That's about all I can really complain about with this book.

This book is excellent for learning windows programming. To the reviewer who complains about no c++ examples, the author clearly states in the first few pages of the book that his intention is to give an understanding of windows programming based on C and the underlying win32 API, which is the fundamental knowledge required for windows programming. Other OO architectures such as MFC can be very useful but hide from the programmer many details which can be important for someone trying to learn how windows programs work. Also, the complaint about no asserts in the book .. well, again, the author mentions in the book that he left them out (in most places) because it makes code less readable, and students are less likely to read and understand a long program full of error checking.Be warned, this book is huge, 1500 pages. Its not a book for those looking for a quick introduction to windows programming. Its intended to give an in-depth knowledge of windows programming and it does a very good job at that.

As everybody says, Programming Windows by Charles Petzold, now in its fifth edition is the definitive guide to the Win32 API, and windows based programming in general. Anybody who has experience in C programming and would like to learn how windows programs are written will be very happy reading this book, and will come away with a new found knowledge of windows programming. Covering all the basics such as the structure of a windows program written in C, and the major aspects of the GDI, and other advanced topics after reading this book you will be ready to write your own windows programs, and then be ready to move onto more advanced topics such as MFC, where it helps to know what is really going on. The major topics covered in the book are graphics which include the printer, bitmaps, palettes, text and fonts, and also metafiles. The advanced topics go to include the basics of the multiple-document interface, multithreading and DLL's, and also sound programming and a small bit of internet programming. Those who want to know more about how the more advanced topics work would be happy reading Programming Applications for Microsoft Windows by Jeffrey Richter also, which goes into more detail about threads and DLL's than this book.

This is one of those better text. In fact, the most complete Win32 API tutorial i've seen so far. Excellent for the C mediate programmer ready to step into the huge world of Windows. It moves at an average pace and after you complete it, it's a great reference for the Win32 API. I recommend this before taking on any other API programming like DirectX, OpenGL, MFC...(you'd be crazy to start those without learning the inner meanings of Windows first! )