Customer Reviews

Windows via C/C++ (Pro - Developer)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been programming for over 10 years, but my Windows specific C++ programming is relatively weak due to inexperience with it. Note that if you are in the same boat, you will need additional resources (web based, help files, other books) on top of this book as this book assumes you are already proficient in creating Windows apps.
They make no attempt to tell you otherwise, it is an expert level book - but even if you already know C++ well, there is much Windows specific details that this assumes you know.

Great book and very useful, just not entry level, so know that going in.

I like 5th edition of this famous book. They returned I/O part that was not present in the 4th edition. The book has all updates for Windows Vista new API features. This book is worth reading even for advanced developers.

What I don't like about this book is its size: because of thick paper the book is huge and it is hard to carry it around. Unfortunately, all Microsoft Press books suffer from this.

Also the book is missing information about in what version of Windows different API first appeared. Now the book says most of the time that API is supported on Windows Vista. I would also like to see it directly in the book whether the function is supported in Windows CE.

I'm a beginner in Windows programming and I'm glad I've found this book. I like how it focuses on "whys" and the correct usage of the described system elements. The authors also give enough details about specific APIs so, if reading for an intro, it's possible to follow without having MSDN handy. The code samples are very helpful, especially the mini-applications. The book doesn't concentrate on diagnostics/debugging though, you'd need some other volume for that.

If you want to do any serious development in Window, this is the book to get. Once you read and understand the basic C++ books, and want to get beyond simple applications, you need this book. This is not a beginner text, but a grown-up book on what is happening inside windows and how to use it in your application. I found this book invaluable in building multithreading, port i/o, virtual array management in my application. The author really knows his stuff and presents it in a very readable fashion. The source code for the examples in this book are well-commented and I have found it easy to take code fragments from then to use in my applications.

This book is a keeper.

I will admit right away that I am probably not the target audience for this book, because I am not a professional Windows programmer. However, I am very interested in learning how Windows works, and Windows via C/C++, 5th Ed (WVCP5E) is one of the books that will help develop that expertise. Had I not also read Windows System Programming, 4th Ed (WSP4E) by Hart, I would have given WVCP5E 5 stars. Both are strong books, but WSP4E received 5 stars in a separate review. Still, I very strongly believe that WVCP5E by Richter and Nasarre is a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about Windows applications.

From the start readers should appreciate several aspects of WVCP5E. First, the book addresses 64 bit programming. This is a requirement for modern environments, so it was nice to see a book aimed at Windows Vista including 64 bit topics. Second, the authors repeatedly discuss various security aspects of Windows and programming. As a security professional, I found this to be very encouraging and enlightening. Third, the authors are very candid, which adds to their credibility. For example, in Ch 3 when discussing a process' kernel object handle table, they write "I will not get all the details completely correct" because the subject is undocumented! (Somehow I think they covered the topic correctly!)

I thought the presentation of the book contributed to the learning process. One example appears in Ch 9, where Figure 9-3 (Kernel Objects and Threat Synchronization) on p 276 uses a comparative approach to make the authors' point. The authors frequently supply historical context for Microsoft decisions, including commentary on Microsoft practices. I liked the comment on Alertable I/O on p 315, where they write the feature "is horrible and should be avoided."

I subtracted one star from the overall rating for a few reasons. First, WSP4E seems much more complete as far as the manner in which Hart presents material. WVCP5E doesn't have the exercises, summaries, and other structures that one finds in WSP4E. For example, on more than one occasion a chapter in WVCP5E simply ended with a code listing! Maybe that's sufficient for the pros, but I like a little more framework around the material. Second, I really like comparisons to Unix and Linux in WSP4E that just don't appear in WVCP5E. Having a Unix background, Hart's approach helped me understand certain topics better when Windows vs Unix discussions appeared.

In conclusion, I still strongly recommend reading WVCP5E. I think it's a must-read for Windows programmers and security pros trying to understand applications at a deeper level.

This book is great, it doesn't hold your hand. You have to dissect the authors' programs yourself to relate them to the conceptual material in the chapters. Like all good teachers, they only explain difficult or misleading areas of the examples in detail, providing conceptual but not step-by-step explainations of the more easily deciphered (or otherwise just review material related) points in the code.

Don't buy this book for more than a joy-read without buying Windows Vista 32-Bit or Windows 7, however, because most of the programs will not work. (I tried out the code from the website (NoCD library book :( ). A simple trip to MSDN to look up the function that fails to execute in over half the example programs confirms this fact.)

I also reccommend Programming Windows by Charles Petzold and Windows Internals by Mark Russinovich/David Solomon as parallel companions to this book (that means keep them next to you, ready to reference...also don't forget to load up MSDN on your notebook!).

This is a very very involved read, which I like. Like I said before, you can't just sit there and watch the text go by on this one, so get your brain working! I will be ordering my own copy as soon as I upgrade to Vista or 7.

Richter is _the_ expert in programming the Windows API. If you want to do that, then you must have this book. Besides content, it is well written and so forth.

This may not be for the complete beginner. Unfortunately, I don't know of any introductory texts on this subject. You kind of have to jump in.

You might find Microsoft Windows Internals (4th Edition): Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 or Windows® Internals: Including Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, Fifth Edition (PRO-Developer) of use in understanding some concepts. But beware! Those are highly technical.

I also recommend Windows System Programming (3rd Edition) (Addison-Wesley Microsoft Technology Series) in addition to Richter. This is a very well-written and masterful presentation of much of the same material, but in a different way. It is amazing how much Hart packs into such a small book.

One caveat about Windows Via C/C++ 5. Richter has to quite an extent lost interest in native C++ in favor of C#/.NET. Perhaps for this reason this book has a cobbled-together feel, like the old version verbatum (which is fine) with some new material roughly tacked on. (BTW, Richter's CLR via C#, Second Edition (Pro Developer) is essential for .NET developers.)

Still, 5 stars.

The Windows C++ API is a beast that many have struggled against. The authors have done a great job in covering the fundamentals.

This book is definitely for intermediate to advanced c++ developers and it makes no attempts to baby the reader with the basics. The authors do make sure to go step by step in some sections where necessary. The sections on dynamic link libraries and windows exception handling were especially helpful.

As you guessed by the title, this book covered exactly what I was looking for. C/C++ programmers who are dealing with Windows kernel objects, shared memory objects, events, semaphores, security and the like will appreciate this.

The book covered and clarified information that may/may-not be available on MSDN (I never saw it there while searching...), and did so with an overall approach that ties the topics together, shows how they are used, and generally is more understandable. I appreciated this book much more than jumping around through a bunch of disjointed MSDN pages trying to understand how these elements work. The book gives you deep understanding and more than a few tricks you can use in the debugger.

Beginning developers, or developers working on managed code prob. wouldn't have much use for this book. Consider this the nitty-gritty reference manual for how all of the low level stuff gets done.

I appreciate this book, it won't end up back at the used bookstore.

The information is outdated but the author gives good insight into the inner workings of MS Windows. The subject material is accurate and extensive.