Customer Reviews

Win32 System Services: The Heart of Windows 98 and Windows 2000 (3rd Edition)

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

 

 

I can't say enough good things about this book. But let me try.

If you want to understand how 98/NT/Win2K works under the covers, read this book. Brain and Reeves 'break it down' for you in simple language and C code that works.

If you hate Windows and think Unix is the only true OS, read this book. You'll still like Unix better, but you'll appreciate how truly wonderful Win32 is.

If you need to write code for the Win32 platform, especially server code, read this book. I bought this book when I needed to learn how to write NT services. An hour later I had my first service running.

I also learned how to write threaded code using this book.

Don't wait another moment. Buy this book now. You'll keep it at your side and use it all the time.

This is a classic work on par with Stevens' TCP/IP books.

I only wish Brain wrote a book for every subject that I needed to learn. Oh, wait, he has...

Unlike most books out there that mainly talk about GUI programming, this book focuses on all those functions that your Computer Science instructor (who probably loves Java because they lack the capacity to learn anything about Win32 or MFC) never taught at your C++ courses, such as getting a directory listing, creating and installing your own services, killing processes, creating threads, and a really simplified but yet awesome lesson on network programming. All source code is simplified by using the simple <iostream> class and main(), so you can easily see what is going on, and keeping the entire source code down to less than a page.

In spite of being an older book, this material is easy to follow and still works.

No less than five stars can be given!

PS. On a serious note, this is a good book. In a concise and always-to-the-point manner it covers a multitude of frequently happening systems-programming scenarios (with lots of sample code). It's almost like an intelligently written reference combined with a readable programmer's guide. For an initial in-depth study Richter's books are better, but this one is good to scan through once and keep it within reach. You will use it all the time (I do, and I have all editions of it). Whenever you, sort of, know what you need but don't quite remember the exact how-tos, this book will give you a quick and exact answer.

Bottom line: unequivocally worth having.

PPS. I was motivated by Mr Rothwell's review to post this; his review, I think, is unfair: the problem he experienced is due to a manufacturing defect and has nothing to do with the book's value (btw, my copies, all editions, have all been printed OK, so it _is_ possible to get a well-made copy). Mr Rothwell should have simply returned his book to Amazon for exchange or refund instead of knocking down a book he, by his own admission, hasn't even read.

i have all my life,worked in the unix environment and but lately my work pushed me to get into the world of microsoft, one can expect my first reaction to this , but after reading this boook i have started to hate microsoft less. guys must read.

Please note this negative review is NOT about the contents and authors but ONLY the print quality of the book. The standard-priced copy I ordered and received from Amazon was the worst I have seen. I honestly don't know if it is Prentice Hall PTR decision to print books in such poor quality or I received a faked copy from Amazon.

The whole book is just like a photocopy from the original book. Some of the printed words are so faint that it is hard to read; on the first page of most chapters, the first letter in the opening sentence is half-missing in the print; the paper used was obvious of inferior quality. I would actually doubt it is an original real book. I have not read the book yet. This sounds like a good book but you need to be able to read it as well. Hope others will take note before ordering any book from Prentice Hall, from which I have many other books before and they are of good print quality.