Customer Reviews

Learn Visual C++ Now: The Complete Learning Solution for Visual C++ (Learn Now)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This book tackles a lot of ground - perhaps too much - by glancing over explanations. It will teach you how to use an obsolete version of the Visual C++ product. It includes a good crash course in OO programming. But it bombs out trying to teach the basics of the MFC. I still don't understand 75% of the code I read. It's a good start, but most readers will have a long way to go with Visual C++.

I have purchased other C++ books before, Visual C++ in 12 easy lessons (SAMS Publishing 1995) and it covered simple non-Windows programming... Then I purchased Programming Microsoft Visual C++, Fifth Edition (Microsoft Press 1998) which was way beyond what I had learned in my first book. Learn Visual C++ Now, is a great step in bridging the gap between a simple understanding of C++, to complex Windows programming. Of course, you do need to understand at least the fundamentals of the C language before you attempt to read this book.

As an intermediate DOS C++ programmer, I found this book extremely difficult to grab hold of. The organization of it is questionable and assumes entirely too much. The second chapter which introduces Windows programming afforded absolutely no hand holding and could not be understood well until you'd finished the rest of the book.

The intro to object oriented programming in chapters 3 and 4 was good, but it was not friendly. If I was not already familiar with the topic, I would not have been able to follow it very well.

Learning on Visual C++ v1.0 was frustrating, since most of the things that were taught are completely outdated. I understand gaining an appreciation for where Windows programming came from, but I fear that making the jump to v6.0 now will make me realize how far behind I am.

If you are a beginner, don't even bother with this. Get a book that is more friendly and starts you on a newer version.

If you are an advanced DOS C++ programmer, you'll benefit more from a more up to date book.

The included copy of Visual C++ v1.0 is nice, but you'd be better off getting a more up to date book and just buying a new copy of the standard version of v6.0 or v5.0.

This book would have been nice in 1994.

I bought this book hoping that I could learn Visual C++ from it, boy was I wrong. All the code in this book doesn't even conmpile with the lastest versions of Microsoft's own compiles let alone other compilers. Don't buy it you will waste your money

The correct title should have been "Review Visual C++ Now." If you once knew MFC and needed some quick training wheels to get back on track, this book is very useful. But to start here at the beginning of the learning curve would be folly. I knew MFC a few years back and this book helped me as a quick refresher. For that, I give it 4 stars.

I went through this book, and only have a slightly better idea of how to use Visual C++ now than before I started. The autor throws technical jargon out so quickly that it can become disorienting, even to a programmer with c/c++ for DOS experiance. The examples given in the book are explained poorly, and some sections of code are skipped over completely.

Don't expect this to be the only Visual C++ book you will need. However, it should be a good fit if you 1) already understand generic C++, 2) are new to MFC, and possibly even new to Windows programming. After reading this book, you should be able to use the MFC Class and App Wizards, and efficiently reference more detailed VC++ and Windows books such as Kruglinski's "Inside Visual C++", or Beveridge's "Multithreading Applications in Win32", etc. It's also a terrific bargain if you want a cheap, _legal_ version of C++ to use at home, because it comes with VC++ 1.0. It took me approximately 40 hours to read. "Learn Visual C++ Now" does have a few limitations: it's a little out of date, but using a little common sense I quickly converted its 16-or-32-bit-compatible samples to VC++ 5.0. Also, it does not touch ActiveX, COM, ATL, or the Internet, and it deliberately avoids dealing with the (non-MFC) native Windows API.

This book may have been good back when visual c++ 1 was used but not now, also they just throw the words at you and they don't include a summed up defention of the word. There are lots of other books that are a better buy

I recommend this book to all who are new to Visual C++. It may be a little "outdated" but it still works on the latest versions.

I thought this was a great book. First of all, learning VC++/MFC is not easy (title is a little off). Having said that though, the easiest way is to have an experienced/knowledgeable teacher who knows what material to cover, and puts some effort into working out their explanations. That is exactly what this book was for me. I read several others beforehand, but they were sort of flash-in-the-pan - perhaps they were trying to convince me I'd learned, rather than helping me learn. The book focuses on VC++/MFC. The compiler with it is VC1.0, but I had no problem running examples on VC5.0. In fact, I ran some of the work on VC5 (office) and some on VC1 (home) without confusion. That's what I mean that the material was well-chosen - the core intents of VC/MFC haven't altered from 1.0 to 5.0. Can't understand other reviewer's problems, unless s/he simply didn't like the number difference. I'd rate the Yao brothers book a close second, and just placed an order for Blazchuk(sp?)'s book.