Thread: Are these books ok?

  1. #1
    Grammar Police HybridM's Avatar
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    Are these books ok?

    Hi everyone,

    I've "come into some money" and I've decided to go on a book buying spree. I've been doing some searching around and some browsing of the board and I've come up with these books:

    "The C++ Programming Language" by Stroustrup

    "Effective C++" by Meyers

    "Programming Windows" by Petzold

    and "Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9.0" Frank D. Luna

    I have a couple of questions about these:

    Programming Windows is pretty old. I realise the API is pretty much the same, but I heard rumours of Longhorn scrapping the API, which seems unlikely to me (?). I also realise that longhorn is a few years away, so I guess it will be useful.

    And the last one on DirectX, I really want a book on DX9.0, learning an outdated version seems pointless. On amazon.com, this book has a 5 star rating, but there are only 3 reviews. Does anyone have this book and if so is it any good, and if not can you recommend a better one.

    I am shopping for books to last me a while, and I'm unsure of where I eventually want to specialise with regard to programming, so I want to cover my bases. Last thing, are there any other books that you would really recommend (I guess I'm kinda mid-level)?

    EDIT: Oh yeah, and I wasn't sure where to post this so sorry if it's on the wrong board.
    Last edited by HybridM; 08-18-2003 at 01:02 AM.
    Thor's self help tip:
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    If you have few experience in programming, i advice you to learn C++ first. recommend "C++ Primer"!!!
    then you can learn "Programming Windows" by Petzold
    next "MFC"

  3. #3
    Grammar Police HybridM's Avatar
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    I know C++, well enough to advance to other things while learning.

    I don't think I want to learn MFC at all.
    Thor's self help tip:
    Maybe a neighbor is tossing leaf clippings on your lawn, looking at your woman, or harboring desires regarding your longboat. You enslave his children, set his house on fire. He shall not bother you again.

    OS: Windows XP
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    Oh, I can't stand my poor English

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    I don't think I want to learn MFC at all.

    Why?

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    If you program in windows, I think you never leave the "MFC"

  7. #7
    mustang benny bennyandthejets's Avatar
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    I haven't yet found the need for MFC. I'm doing fine with pure Win32 API, bit I guess things could change. I would only use MFC once I completely understood what was going on under the hood. I suppose it may speed up software development, however, it's not for everyone.
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  8. #8
    Grammar Police HybridM's Avatar
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    Exactly what BaTJ said, anything MFC does it does through Win32 API anyway, so why not cut out the middle man. Anyway, what about the other books and any other recommendations.
    Thor's self help tip:
    Maybe a neighbor is tossing leaf clippings on your lawn, looking at your woman, or harboring desires regarding your longboat. You enslave his children, set his house on fire. He shall not bother you again.

    OS: Windows XP
    Compiler: MSVC

  9. #9
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    "Beginning Direct3D Game Programming 2nd Edition" was a great book for me.

    Also, if you're getting Stroustrup's book, make sure you get the special edition. Go to Stroustrup's homepage, here to find out why.
    Check out all my dimensions:
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  10. #10
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    I have Petzold & Stroustrup...

    Petzold - GOOD! - This is considered the windows programming book. It's a good tutorial... You don't have to know anything about Windows programming to get started with this book. However, it's not really set-up as a "Teach Yourself" book. There aren't any questions or exercises. It is an excellent reference book too. You don't have to know alot of C++ to get started either... he uses C... Of course you can use the WinAPI functions with objects, the STL, or any other C++ shtuff.

    If I understand how Windows works, killing the API would mean that no existing applications would run on the new OS.

    Stroustrup - MIXED - It's like I'm reading a book on beginning brain surgery... and I don't have the medical/biology/physology background... Not for beginners! It's not that he's a bad writer, it just seems to be written for advanced computer science students. There is a lot of information in this book, and it's cool to have a book by the "creator" of C++. It's a good book to have in your library.

    Myers - I don't have this book, but it is frequently recommended, as is "Thinking in C+" by Bruck Eckel. (Which I don't own either) I think you can download it free!

    A couple of other non-book references -
    You can download a copy of the ANSI C++ standard for about $20 from www.ansi.org. Of course, this is even harder to understand than Stroustrup, and it is difficult to find what you're looking for in a non-hyperlinked PDF file. (I haven't printed-it out... ~750 pages.)

    And, Dinkumware.com has a complete reference of all the standard library functions which is free online, or about $20 for an HTML download.
    Last edited by DougDbug; 08-18-2003 at 01:07 PM.

  11. #11
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    be sure you get the special edition
    Actually, you just need a current printing (whatever that means) of the 3rd edition, because the site says:
    The only difference between the current printings of the special edition and the 3rd edition is the cover.

  12. #12
    Grammar Police HybridM's Avatar
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    Ok cool, I think I will get these books then, but has NO ONE read that DirectX book? Maybe I should ask in the game forum.

    I have done some Win32 API, I've made a Notepad clone but that's about it, though Notepad seems to cover quite a few different features, I assume Petzold covers the more advanced stuff as well?

    I did see that reading Stroustrup is like pulling teeth, but it also seems to be an essential resource, so I'll get that.

    I'm also thinking about buying MSVC.NET 2003, standard edition. I could get the edumacational version, but then I'm not allowed to distribute my programs, but man talk about a money drain!
    Thor's self help tip:
    Maybe a neighbor is tossing leaf clippings on your lawn, looking at your woman, or harboring desires regarding your longboat. You enslave his children, set his house on fire. He shall not bother you again.

    OS: Windows XP
    Compiler: MSVC

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