Introduction to MFC Programming with Visual C++ [Paperback]

Richard M. Jones (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0130166294 | ISBN-13: 978-0130166296 | Publication Date: January 1, 2000

Most MFC introductory guides show you how to generate code with Microsoft's AppWizard and then modify it -- but give you little understanding of how to program in MFC. This book is different: it starts with the MFC fundamentals you need to really know what you're doing -- and also takes you much further than most competitive books. By the time you're introduced to the AppWizard, you'll have the knowledge to take full advantage of it! Start by understanding the fundamentals of object-oriented programming, the essential concepts underlying MFC, the structure of MFC programs, and the Document/View architecture. Master not only MFC's common interface controls, but also more advanced concepts, including building ActiveX controls and database access. Introduction to MFC Programming contains dozens of diagrams and programs -- from snippets to sizable programs designed to demonstrate key software engineering and database access techniques.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

1662J-5

• Not just a "run-the-wizard, push-the-buttons" guide -- real MFC mastery!
• Starts from ground zero: no object-oriented expertise required!
• An important but simple example illustrations how MFC invokes your virtual functions.
• Introduces MFC Document/View Architecture, program structure, and much more.
• Includes more than 90 short programs illustrating collection classes, mouse and keyboard techniques, common controls, menus, and more.
• Covers bitmap graphics and database access.

Simply the most effective, thorough introduction to MFC you can find!

If you really want to master MFC, there are no shortcuts, but there is one great book: Introduction to MFC Programming with Visual C++.

Unlike many MFC books, this one doesn't start with Microsoft's AppWizard. Rather, it begins by giving you an in-depth grounding in the structure of MFC programs: an understanding that will serve you well in every program you write. Author Richard Jones also introduces the fundamentals of object-oriented programming with MFC and Visual C++, the essential concepts underlying MFC, the Document/View architecture, and much more.

Once you understand how MFC really works, Jones helps you accomplish more than you ever imagined. You'll not only master MFC's common interface controls, but also database access, and much more. Introduction to MFC Programming with Visual C++ contains dozens of diagrams and programs—from to-the-point snippets to sizable programs designed to demonstrate powerful software engineering techniques.

About the CD-ROM

• The accompanying CD-ROM contains all sample code from the book.

About the Author

Richard Jones is Professor at Western Connecticut State University, and has been teaching MFC and Win32 programming for four years.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130166294
• ISBN-13: 978-0130166296
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #743,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Understand and Informative!, August 5, 2000

By 

Aung T Maw - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction to MFC Programming with Visual C++ (Paperback)

I have been programming C++ for like 2 years but don't know anything about MFC. This book helps me learn MFC. Jones' explanations are really good and there are a lot of screen-shots to support that. Rather than reading through the code, you look at the screen-shot, and you know right away what a program does. The other thing is the book doesn't use AppWizard right away. Jones makes you start from the scratch which gives you the insight look on all MFC classes and data types. But this book doesn't teach C++! You have to know basic C++ and some OOP, or you will feel lost most of the time. If you are new to MFC, go get this book. If you alreay know MFC, this book will be too easy for you. If you don't know C++, this is not your book. I also recommend that you get MS Visual C++ 6.0 so that you could try out all the programs in the book. Keep it up! There are cool Windows applications ahead!

50 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction with many code examples, June 25, 2001

By 

Dr. Lee D. Carlson (Baltimore, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introduction to MFC Programming with Visual C++ (Paperback)

For reader who has a fairly good background in C++, this book is a good introduction to MFC programming/Visual C++. It is written for individuals who want an in-depth practical understanding of MFC programming, and who are willing to put the time and effort into the learning of it. The book includes a CD which includes the 90 different sample programs in the book.

In chapter 1, the author introduces MFC utility objects in console applications. The three utility classes CString, CPoint, and CRect are used to create a simple Windows application. The author is careful to distinguish between a console application, which has the main() function, and a windows program, which does not. The CString class is used, instead of the standard C++ library class, and this is standard in MFC programming. The author advises the reader to think of CString objects as an actual object, and not as a pointer to a string. This is an example of value (or "copy") semantics, wherein the value is copied, and not just the pointer. Programmers concerned about performance issues commonly use this feature of C++. The author gives an interesting method to extract a string from a stream into a CString object, and how to use the Format() function to convert a value to a string for eventual display in a window.

A review of classes in C++ is given in Chapter 2, with emphasis on how virtual functions get executed in windows applications. The author shows explicitly how to use Visual Studio to add a class and member functions, and a good discussion is given on the difference between passing parameters by value, by reference, and by pointer. The role of the member function "this" is discussed also.

Chapter 3 could be skipped by the reader interested only in MFC windows applications, according to the author, where he discusses collections and class templates. Object and pointer array collections are treated via the code examples. The author discusses the three different ways of performing tasks on collections, and discusses how to use pointers to objects, which is very advantageous from a memory management point of view. He is also gives an interesting discussion on serialization.

The actual building of MFC Windows programs begins in Chapter 4, without using the AppWizard. The event handling via keyboard and mouse input is given the main emphasis, and the author gives a detailed discussion on the steps taken by a window event. The different types of member functions in the CMainFrame class are given a thorough treatment. The reader is first asked to use an MFC virtual function in this chapter.

In the next chapter, the author shows how to get graphics shapes in the windows, via device context attributes. This is followed in Chapter 6 by a discussion on how to use the mouse and keyboard to make changes to text and graphics.

The window controls are then discussed in Chapter 7, and the author gives a very detailed discussion on how controls fit in to CMainFrame. The process by which event and notification messages are handled is summarized in a diagram. List boxes, combo boxes, and scroll bars are all treated in detail using the example programs. This is followed naturally in Chapter 8 by a discussion of menus and dialog boxes in the context of resource editors.

Finally in Chapter 9, the author uses the AppWizard to generate an application. A simple program example begins the discussion, followed by a non-document application. The author carefully explains the steps used in the AppWizard to give the reader more insight on just how it is able to do its job. Then in Chapter 10, the AppWizard and the ClassWizard are used to refine and extend the discussion on menus, toolbars, and dialogs. A good program example is given for a dialog-based application.

Time-dependent messaging and XOR drawing mode are the subjects of the next chapter. The three functions for timer control are discussed, along with a discussion of animation. This is followed in Chapter 12 by a treatment of bitmap graphics, with bitmap editors via MS Paint discussed.

Messaging via the MFC functions SendMessage() and PostMessage() is discussed in Chapter 13. These functions are discussed in a setting more general than modeless dialogs. Modeless dialogs are however discussed in detail in the chapter, and the difference between modal and modeless dialogs clearly explained.

The next chapter of the book discusses how to use the document view architecture and the author shows in detail the major classes involved in its use. The reader can see the CMainFrame object as a container object, which will adjust the sizes of the windows it contains if the mainframe window is resized. The document and view classes are derived from the CDocument and CView classes. The discussion is helpful in that it shows how to use the member functions in these classes to propagate information to all views. The author also shows how to serialize the document objects.

In the last chapter the author shows the reader how to use Visual C++ to manipulate an existing ODBC database. The discussion is very brief, but it does the reader with database knowledge of how to generate code to interact with these databases.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most important of three you need., March 24, 2000

By 

Anonymous Coward (Mendocino, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction to MFC Programming with Visual C++ (Paperback)

This is an excellent book. It is an introduction, but that doesn't mean it gives little information - it leaves out lots of things you don't need, but there's plenty here. It doesn't leave out important details, and when you need to know something, it isn't hidden. I said "three books". You also need the Prosise book, and maybe(but probably not) one of those crash course books(21 days, 15 minutes, whatever), but this book helped me a lot. It is well written, and follows a good path at a steady pace. The only thing I wish for is that the answers to the problems were included or available on the CD or web. This is not a book on C or C++, but if you have only a little experience programming you won't be stumped. It's also not version-specific. If you use version 1.52 through version 6 of VC++ you'll be fine.