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*sigh* I constantly find myself looking online to find how to do this and that for windows. I have noticed a lot of people on web sites (and even the boards here) push buying "Programming Windows" by Petzold. On amazon it is over $40 so I just wanted some opinions here. Should I buy it?
YES!
I have no clue about the book itself but I do know that it's so much easier to learn from a book (unless you have dual monitors of course;) ). And just think, it's always a great resourse.
-Fool
Petzold is probably the book to have for Windows coding. Yes, its expensive, but it is a superb reference and you will not be dissapointed. I also like Herb Schildt's "Programming Windows 98 from the ground up". This book acts as a great intro and is quite a bit cheaper. You will pick it up for about $25-$30.
I brought Petzold awhile back and i have found it a very usful book. It does leave some areas a little bit un explained like its last chapter on the internet... but over all i reccomend this book. It also comes with a cd that contains the whole book on it and all of the souce code throughout the book.
I like Fool's answer. I do think a book is golden for referrence and an excellent learning tool. I guess I really don't care about the $42 since it is for a greater cause. Besides the book is pretty big.
Fordy, Schildt's or Petzold? I need more of a reference tool than anything else.
>>Fordy, Schildt's or Petzold? I need more of a reference tool than anything else.
Well..... Both books are good for slightly different reasons. I keep both by my side when coding. Petzold is wealth if info and has some things witch Schildt doesnt (Memory Management, MDI....), but the main things that you would want as a reference are all present (Printer Control, Graphics, Common Controls....). Also there are some things in Schildt whitch are not there in Petzold (Screen Savers, Help Systems...)
I cant really recommend one over the other as they are both good books and both act as great references.
>>It does leave some areas a little bit un explained like its last chapter on the internet...
I dont have this because I have the 4th edition (I was gutted when I found that the 5th had this as a new chapter, as I really wanted a book with Winsock at the time). A good reference I found on this subject was "Network Programming for Windows". Its published by M$Press and has loads of great stuff. The one bad thing I will say about it is that it can be a pig to read in places. The two authors are network software designers for M$ and so they do know a thing or two about winsock.
fordy you little diamond you....
scan in the chapters on common controls and tooltips etc. and email them to me and i'll do it for the last chapter on internet programming for you. You see the chapter on common controls is missing from the 5th edition.
well i can't tell you about the book but i can recommend a place to go for information on windows programming
http://www.codeguru.com