Mastering Visual C++ 6 [Paperback]

Michael J. Young (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mastering | Publication Date: October 1998

This text provides an introduction to Microsoft's Win 32 programming architecture. It aims to allow the programmer to create commercial applications for Windows 98 and Window NT 5 platforms. The CD-ROM includes source code, executable programs and SDKs.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Although this capable text has little to say about Internet and database programming, it can serve as a worthy guide to introducing beginning programmers to the most important features of programming for today's Windows platforms.

The book uses plenty of screen shots to teach you how to install and get up and running with Visual C++ 6. After introducing the basic features of this powerful tool, Mastering Visual C++ describes the basics of C++. Importantly, the author integrates new Visual C++ features (such as the new and improved ClassView tool) when talking about C++ classes, making this text an ideal choice for those who appreciate a hands-on approach.

The heart of this book is a sort of case study on how to build a basic drawing program (similar to the Microsoft Paint utility). The author uses this example to illustrate how to do basic to advanced programming with Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC). The program starts out simply (as an application based on skeleton code generated by the AppWizard) and then the author adds features (using additional MFC classes) for document/view architecture, file input/output (I/O) (for saving and loading files), mouse and keyboard processing, and dialog-box programming.

Additional chapters add graphics capabilities for drawing with the "mini-draw" application. The final chapters introduce some of the basics of using ActiveX/object linking and embedding (OLE) technology, with examples for creating OLE servers and containers, and--a much more common task nowadays--creating and programming with ActiveX controls. Other advanced, and very useful, material includes a bit of the synchronization objects available to MFC programmers for coordinating among multiple threads. --Rich Dragan

Product Details

• Paperback: 1397 pages
• Publisher: Sybex Inc (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782122736
• ISBN-13: 978-0782122732
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.6 x 2.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,943,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is The Best Tutor for Introductory Visual C++!, November 23, 1999

By 

Richard K. Min (Dallas, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mastering Visual C++ 6 (Paperback)

This is one of the best introductory book on Visual C++ (assuming that its reader should have a good understanding on C or C++). I had a very hard time to figure out Visual C++ by myself, reading several introductory books. And even worse I did not getting the clear picture on the difference between C++ and Visual C++. (I believe that the key difference and factor is in its Software Development Environment, for its Code-Generating integrated tool & environment, and its superb Application Wizard). By the way I had over 20 years of various systems and applications experience, along with my teaching experience at various colleges. And this book guides me like a toddler to learn how to walk, one step at a time. And I thank for its presentation which is very easy to follow.

As noted by a few contra-reviews on this book, there are a few places that even the compilation will be failed. And it is very frustrating to check line by line to figure out for type-error or what is missing, or for who made a mistake. For example (Chapter 16, pages 687-694), it will flag a fatal error for CDialog::OnInitDialog(). And one should define a member function: virtual BOOL OnInitDialog(), in CDlgDemoDlg class to refer CDiaglog::OnInitDialog().

I am about a halfway-through for last two months, reading this book line by line and trying by trial-and-error, in my spare times. But my effort is worthy and I give so far A+ for this book and the insightful skill of the author, Michael J. Young. As I scan through the book for its content, I am very impressed with its comprehensiveness on the major key topics, essential in Visual C++. I strongly recommend this book for those learning Visual C++, first time.

Richard K. Min, Dallas, Texas, USA. November 23, 1999.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I have read on basic MFC!, August 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mastering Visual C++ 6 (Paperback)

This book should be read by everyone wanting to learn MFC and C++ programming. It is written in a good tutorial form, with many exciting examples, and a complete introduction to the C++ programming language. The only minus is that it doesn't cover the really advanced sides of MFC and Visual C++. If you want to learn MFC from the novice's point of view, read this book!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great startup book for Visual C++ 6.0!, June 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mastering Visual C++ 6 (Paperback)

This book is a must have for anyone who is starting up with Visual C++ 6.0 I had done almost no MFC programming prior to getting this book, and after reading it cover to cover, I have been able to write basic MFC applications. The book is also good at pointing you to the MS Reference CD locations for additional information that isn't covered. Though not a "bible" per se, it is a must have for Visual C++ beginners (you should know C however).