Thread: need book recommendations

  1. #1
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    need book recommendations

    i need a book that deals with win32 application in c++ in dev or visual studio both would be good.

  2. #2
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    What are you looking for ... Windows API?

    theForger's Win32 API Tutorial

    That will get you started...

    The really big story is on msdn...

    MSDN Library

    If It's windows... it's there.

  3. #3
    Registered User technoexam's Avatar
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    You can use wikipedia to satisfy your all needs or use Brent Rector, Joseph M. Newcomer book which may be useful for you..

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    Quote Originally Posted by technoexam View Post
    You can use wikipedia to satisfy your all needs or use Brent Rector, Joseph M. Newcomer book which may be useful for you..
    Wikipedia isn't much of a Windows programming resource... If you're looking for detail on a particular function, you should go right to the source MSDN... the MicroSoft Developer's Network... published by the authors of the code itself. You can also download the entire Windows API help data base and a bunch of useful tools in the Windows SDK if you want the information available locally.

    There are a number of good books out there, even the worst of them will teach you something. But it seems most people get started on the Forger's site.

  5. #5
    Registered User technoexam's Avatar
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    Yah CommonTater... Its true.. But wikipedia helps to get some actual program structures in some case. But as u said, MSDN is more useful than wikipedia.. Thanks..

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    Quote Originally Posted by technoexam View Post
    Yah CommonTater... Its true.. But wikipedia helps to get some actual program structures in some case. But as u said, MSDN is more useful than wikipedia.. Thanks..
    Do you have any clue of the bad ju ju you get when doing scoop and poop coding?
    If I had to make an educated guess... I'd say 80% of runtime errors come from copying 3rd party code into programs.

    If you can't write it yourself... stay out of the project.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by CommonTater View Post
    I'd say 80% of runtime errors come from copying 3rd party code into programs.
    I am currently consulting, 6 months working out how to upgrade some legacy systems.

    I was checking the code during the scoping phase and found code that had been cut 'n paste directly from the web, even the variable names and comments left unchanged.
    "Man alone suffers so excruciatingly in the world that he was compelled to invent laughter."
    Friedrich Nietzsche

    "I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars......the rest I squandered."
    George Best

    "If you are going through hell....keep going."
    Winston Churchill

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    Quote Originally Posted by novacain View Post
    I am currently consulting, 6 months working out how to upgrade some legacy systems.

    I was checking the code during the scoping phase and found code that had been cut 'n paste directly from the web, even the variable names and comments left unchanged.
    And I should think it obvious that problem is going to get worse with time.

    Just look at some of the stuff we see here... "My father got sick, I had to care for him, the assignment is due tomorrow"... Yeah right... I'd also bet real money half of the code we are asked for help debugging here comes straight from some website or someone else's course notes.

    People simply do not value craftsmanship anymore.
    We used to care about how well we did our jobs... now all we seem to care about is getting the paycheck while actually doing as little as possible to earn it.

    Old saying.... If it's worth doing at all it is worth doing right.
    Last edited by CommonTater; 05-14-2011 at 02:35 AM.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by novacain View Post
    I am currently consulting, 6 months working out how to upgrade some legacy systems.

    I was checking the code during the scoping phase and found code that had been cut 'n paste directly from the web, even the variable names and comments left unchanged.
    If its Windows based and poor quality, no doubt it came directly from MSDN. Their sample code is diabolical. The libraries they make available aren't much bettereither. They released a library with C++ and C# components, can't remember what it was for now but I took one at the C++ class and spotted 5 memory leaks in about 200 lines. And this was joint published with an MVP's involvement too.

    If you're looking for detail on a particular function, you should go right to the source MSDN... the MicroSoft Developer's Network... published by the authors of the code itself.
    You'd think that'd guarantee it some kind of quality. It's fine on generalities and you can trust the prototypes (mostly), but all too often it gets the little details wrong. For example, GetMessage doesn't return -1 on an invalid message pointer, it crashes (if it's not NULL). Likewise the completion routine to ReadFileEx isn't optional, and will crash if you give it NULL.

    It's the best we have, but it's far from perfect. And then there's the functions they don't tell you about, which aren't all of the 'only useful to other MS components' type.

  10. #10
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    Also consider using a GUI Library (such as Qt) instead of Win32 API if you can. It will serve you well in the end.
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

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