MFC Internals: Inside the Microsoft(c) Foundation Class Architecture (Paperback)

by George Shepherd (Author), Scot Wingo (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This guide is for the professional programmer who needs to know what is happening at an internal level within the MFC class library. A real-world reference to MFC, MFC Internals reveals the code-level specifics of how the classes interact with the Windows operating system. Topics include data management and entry, ODBC and OLE interfaces, and more.

From the Back Cover
"This book is definitely not a rehash of existing documents. It is not a 'how-to' book--it is a 'how does it work' book." --Dean McCrory, MFC Development Lead Finally, a book on MFC that fills the gap between "Using the Wizards" Visual C++ books, product documentation and MFC source code. MFC Internals is a guide to what goes on inside the Microsoft Foundation Classes, giving you unique and in-depth information on undocumented MFC classes, utility functions and data members, useful coding techniques, and critical analysis of the way various MFC classes work and how they all fit together.

The first half of the book covers core Windows graphical user interface classses and their supporting classes; the second half covers subjects like OLE that are extensions to the basic Windows support. You'll become an expert at understanding MFC implementation details by:

• exploring under the hood of MFC's document/view architecture to learn about view synchronization, printing and even print preview

• diving deep into undocumented aspects of MFC serialization and undocumented classes like CPreview, CPreviewDC, CMirrorFile, CDockBar, etc.

• finally learning how MFC and OLE work together under the hood, and how OLE controls are implemented

• building the skills that help you investigate and understand MFC source code on your own

MFC Internals focuses on MFC 4.0 for Windows 95 and Windows NT. Most key "internal" concepts also apply to previous versions, but where they don't, the authors warn you with a version note. The book's disk contains example code and the MFC FAQ file, and be sure to check out Appendix A, a handy MFC source code field guide.

MFC Internals is an essential guide to tapping MFC's rich and robust application framework and applying advanced MFC knowledge in world-class Windows applications.

0201407213B04062001

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Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; Pap/Dis edition (May 26, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201407213
• ISBN-13: 978-0201407211
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #290,450 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book for seeing MFC under the hood, September 29, 1997

By	Bharat J. Karia (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a really cool book for programmers who have had some experience with MFC. The book gives a very thorough explanation of the class library architecture. It explains in depth what all the macros expand into and how everything works. Topics discussed in detail are : 1. Message mapping architecture. 2. Runtime Time Type Information. (How it is implemented in MFC) 3. Doc / View architecture. (This section alone is worth the price of the book. The printing and the print preview section really takes the price.) 4. Serialization. (Yes this book manages to explain how the whole thing works under the wraps.) 5. COM/OLE (This section not only shows how COM/OLE is implemented inside MFC, it makes for independent reading by itself for COM/OLE concepts.) The only shortcoming I have found is that the books does not touch any of the database classes or ODBC stuff. All in all a very good buy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The chapters about OLE/COM are excellent, December 20, 1999

By A Customer

I bought this book because an reviewer mentioned it has a nice coverage of COM/OLE. After reading these chapters (11 to 15), I think this book explained the topic extremely well. Only these chapters are worth the money many times. I has many books, such as Inside OLE, Inside COM, Inside DCOM, Professional MFC with VC5, essential COM, Programming Windows with MFC. But this book explained OLE in a better way. After I read this book, I can quickly understand related topics in other books.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book for Windows/MFC programming professionals, October 22, 2001

By	"andriusr" (Vilnius, Lithuania) - See all my reviews

Not suitable for MFC begginers, but very good and informative book for professionals. It is writen in very good manner - it is easy to read and understand even complex topics
MFC Internals are described in attractive way, so is not boring to read a book.
So, I like a way the books is writen and I like its content.