Customer Reviews

Windows 98 Programming for Dummies

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Well yes, I mean exactly what I have written in title. Windows 98 programming is definitely not for dummies. You ought to know a good deal of C programming before you start programming for windows else you will find this, otherwise real-interesting, field a difficult one to an extent where you will feel more or less discouraged. So, if you think you are dummy don't buy this book. If you are determined to buy this book knowing that you are one of the dumb fellow then at least go through its page 1 and page 2. When I bought this book, I thought it's about windows programming using win 32 API (the original way of programming windows). Nevertheless, I felt very disappointed to see that it's all about MFC after chapter 4. In addition, there too, book lacks a lot. There are so many shortcuts (this is one of the major reasons "why not to buy?" for those DUMMIES out there). Chapter 1-4 are not bad but I think the work is more or less sum-up version of matching chapters written in Charles Petzold book. After these start MFC. I think even mastering visual C (a bad book near me) has more to say here then this book. Why I haven't given this book one start? Only because of it's price but I tell you it's not worth of even this price. So, stay out and clear. To add to the injury "part of 10" is worst among all I have seen so far in dummies' series. I was really missing our dear writer when I was reading page 295, which was telling me about "telephone help" and "divine intervention" in "Ten Help Resources" chapter. I am still thinking of giving it one star. Any way last no least this is the worst DUMMIES series book I have ever read. DON"T BUY. Instead go for Charles Petzold if you are interested in WIN32 or else buy teach your self visual C++ in 21 days if you want to dive in ocean of MFC.

this is not stephen r. davis's best work, it just skims over windows programming, if you have a copy of MSDN, good beacuse your gonna need it. it covers MFC but that part isn't very helpful. there is alot of very help full information in there (i can program in windows now).

BTW: the first example is missing a line wndClass.Size = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX); it won't compile without it.

I initially bought this book for a friend but then used a couple of times for reference when the person I leant it to asked questions... After a couple of times reading sections I quickly noticed a style in the author I had seen before. Not realizing it was an author I had read before and swore I never would buy a book from again I missed it... but here he is again parading through the book like he is some programming genius and you are some idiot who should not be learning to program in the first place. The book title fits the way he treats his reader... I found his technique to be even more insulting and arrogant.