Customer Reviews

Windows NT Win32 API SuperBible (Other Sams)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have the Visual Basic 5.0 guide to Win32 by Daniel Appleman (which is incredible) and I was looking for a book to use as a general reference to WIN32 API calls as opposed to for VB, so I bought this book, and I think it is excellent!

The first 3 chapters are: WINDOWS 95/NT programming, THE WIN32 API, and CREATING WINDOWS.

That is pretty much 3 books in one right there!

The chapters I think make this book so nice are the chapters on the Registry, File Decompression, Threads, Timers, System Information, a really good File IO chapter that discusses File locking, Creating Icons.

The book is also hardback which I was surprised to see since the price was the same as the other books that aren't.

I have some programming experience but I would consider myself intermediate and I think this book is perfect for me.

I don't understand what the few people who wrote mediocre reviews were expecting, I would think that anyone who bought this book would know C or C++ already, and come on, reading this book won't teach you C++, but it will teach you to use API calls in your programs.

I don't mean to sound so "gungho" about this book but I have over 30 books about programming and NT etc., but so far only 2 of them have actually been useful, this book and Daniel Appleman's book on VB and WIN32.

I hate spending so much money on books I will never open again, so when a good one comes along I have to tell people about it.

I originally bought this book (online mind you, having nothing but the title, page count and a few vauge reviews) with the intention of learning how to control windows with the SendMessage function, but was disappointed to find it full of mostly the drawing part of the WinAPI.

But after sitting on the shelf for a few months, it's come back to teach me soooo much about the Win32 platform and C++ programming for it. I went from being an amature console C programmer to a hot GUI, interactive and not to mention much more efficient (with tips on threading and spawning from the book) Windows coder. I'd pay for it thrice if I had to. If you're tired of VB for your apps, this is the transition point for you into V/C++ and/or ASM Win32 coding. This book is Win32.

Overall, this book provides the reader with a good reference to the basic Win32 API's, and I use it frequently in my work. The sample code is good overall, although I have found a few examples that are in error. The biggest disapointment, however, is that the book completely omits a reference section for the Windows messages -- something that was included in the old Windows 3.1 API Bible and should have been in this one as well.

I liked this book. I had checked it out from my college libary, but I like it so much I think I need to copy of my own.

I also was a little disappointed by the lack of section on messages, but Visual C++ 6.0 online help is an adaquite replacement.

I have just felt empowered since I got this book. I know how to do all of it myself without relying on MFC.

I've been using this reference for years. Though I am not a programmer, per se, I do need to know what goes on under the hood. This book has been my resource on a great many occasions.

In 30 chapters, author Simon covers the entire Win32 API with concise, reasonably comprehensive explanations of each function. Syntax for use is shown as well as flags, returns and other information necessary to understand the function. There are a lot of code examples, as well.

A very readable, very usable reference on the Win32 API.

Jerry

What else can be said about something that claims to be a superbible? It's name says it all: almost every API you could hope to want to see is in here, with hundreds of examples that are easily programmed by hand or cut-and-pasted with the source code on the CD. Basically you set up one program (given to you at the beginning of the book) and then all the examples follow programming a "case" statement for the TEST menu control that will execute. If you're looking for ODBC or DAO APIs, this book has none, nor any APIs that will help with Multimedia or Telephony. Even so, this is a fantastic reference to anyone still using APIs to do their programming (which, unlike MFC or COM or at least not until you have a lot of experience with it...and not using AppWizard, allows you to program exactly what you want, how you want it) this book will pay for itself the very first program you write using it. Highly recommended!

Yep. It's just the most complete api reference I've seen. Don't forget there are another two parts of this book, I instantly bought along with this one.

This book does have mistakes in some functions, but it is the most complete WIN32 ref I have seen. It is useful for the VB programmer, and for the VC++ programmer. I bought it right when it came out. I am buying another one because I gave my first one to a friend.

This book has lots of information about WIN32 but nothing about the controls.

This super-book is filled with useful code examples. Just one, DrawAnimatedRects function doc is incomplete, but here you find a working sample. All Win32 programmers should buy this book because documentation is excellent and examples clarify every dubts.