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長尾 高弘
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Charles Petzold
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Programming Windows®, Fifth Edition (Microsoft Programming Series) 5th Edition

by Charles Petzold (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 217 ratings

“Look it up in Petzold” remains the decisive last word in answering questions about Windows development. And in PROGRAMMING WINDOWS, FIFTH EDITION, the esteemed Windows Pioneer Award winner revises his classic text with authoritative coverage of the latest versions of the Windows operating system—once again drilling down to the essential API heart of Win32 programming. Topics include:

  • The basics—input, output, dialog boxes
  • An introduction to Unicode
  • Graphics—drawing, text and fonts, bitmaps and metafiles
  • The kernel and the printer
  • Sound and music
  • Dynamic-link libraries
  • Multitasking and multithreading
  • The Multiple-Document Interface
  • Programming for the Internet and intranets

Packed as always with definitive examples, this newest Petzold delivers the ultimate sourcebook and tutorial for Windows programmers at all levels working with Microsoft® Windows 95, Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows NT®. No aspiring or experienced developer can afford to be without it.

An electronic version of this book is available on the companion CD.

A Note Regarding the CD or DVD

The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to booktech@oreilly.com.

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  1. ISBN-10
    157231995X
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1572319950
  3. Edition
    5th
  4. Publisher
    Microsoft Press
  5. Publication date
    December 2, 1998
  6. Part of series
    Developer Reference
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    7.63 x 2.75 x 9.63 inches
  9. Print length
    1100 pages
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There is a newer edition of this item:

Programming Windows: Writing Windows 8 Apps With C# and XAML
Programming Windows: Writing Windows 8 Apps With C# and XAML
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles Petzold has been writing about programming for Windows-based operating systems for 24 years. A Microsoft MVP for Client Application Development and a Windows Pioneer Award winner, Petzold is author of the classic Programming Windows, currently in its fifth edition and one of the best-known programming books of all time; the widely acclaimed Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software; and more than a dozen other books.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Microsoft Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 2, 1998
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 5th
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 1100 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 157231995X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1572319950
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.63 x 2.75 x 9.63 inches
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Developer Reference
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 217 ratings

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  1. Charles Petzold

    Charles Petzold

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    Charles Petzold has been writing about Windows programming for 25 years. A Windows Pioneer Award winner, Petzold is author of the classic Programming Windows, the widely acclaimed Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software, Programming Windows Phone 7, and more than a dozen other books.

    See more on the author's page
  2. 長尾 高弘

    長尾 高弘

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
217 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book explains all the basics of Windows programming and serves as a great reference for programmers. Moreover, they consider it worth the price. However, the book's erasure quality receives mixed feedback.

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Knowledge levelValue for moneyErasure
25 customers mention "Knowledge level"25 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's comprehensive coverage of Windows programming basics and its value as a reference guide, with one customer noting its excellent example programs.

"...The concepts of brushes, pens and WM_PAINT message are easy to understand with his explanations...." Read more

"...Instead it provides a tutorial-style documentation for the monstrous win32 API at its most fundamental levels...." Read more

"...It has plenty of detail, yet never sacrifices conceptual understanding along the way...." Read more

"...foundations in a very crisp and clear manner while maintaining the reasoning behind the structure. Each step consitantly builds upon the former...." Read more

3 customers mention "Value for money"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book offers good value for money, with one mentioning it's available at half the price and another describing it as a priceless resource on Win32 API.

"It is a priceless book on Win32 API! It obviously lacks lots of new features appeared since the time of publishing (almost 20 years ago!);..." Read more

"I liked the fact I got it used at half the price of a new copy and it was in perfect condition...." Read more

"This is by far the best book on the windows API, even today is really worth it." Read more

7 customers mention "Erasure"4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the erasure aspect of the book, with one customer noting it looks like a new book while another points out that the content is pretty dated.

"...Add to that the fact that the book is a blast from the past and chock full of history, and it's really quite worthwhile to anyone who wants to learn..." Read more

"...That said, the content is pretty dated, and very few developers will ever code at this level...." Read more

"The book looks like a new book, indeed! I bought it for my son, and he likes it. When his classmates saw it, they all thought it was a great buy." Read more

"Old, but a lot of bang for the buck. Just what I was looking for!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • shakir
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best textbook on win32 api i have ever read.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book is truly very good. At first i thought, based on some reviews, that the author simply copied and pasted Microsoft documentation about win32 into the book. Not necessarily. I am 5 chapters into the book, and I can say that this book is a treasure for me. Of course this book assumes that you know how to program in C at an intermediate level at least. But the concept of Windows message system became crystal clear for me. I enjoyed reading this book very much. The concepts of brushes, pens and WM_PAINT message are easy to understand with his explanations. So dont hesitate , if you want to write your own GUI library, or program software using raw Win32 api, then this is the way to go. Knowing how to program in win32 will give you a very solid understanding of how Windows works under the hood. Plus there is no other textbook that is more thorough on this subject, then this book .

    ALso another importan aspect of the textbook, once you understand an author’s explanation, you will be able to understand Microsoft documentation on win32 functions.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • TonyS
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is what you are looking for.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2001
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This is an absolutely golden book. Don't be intimidated by the page count or the title - this book is actually a very easy to use ground up tutorial in Win32 programming. He starts out talking about the basics and then slowly moves into more advanced topics.
    As always it's important to know what a book is NOT. This book is not a tutorial for writing windows applications, nor does it discuss MFC or most of the common methods used today for rapidly producing computer programs. This is not REALLY a reference book on win32 either.
    Instead it provides a tutorial-style documentation for the monstrous win32 API at its most fundamental levels. This book sets the standard for all other code written for any modern version of windows. It addresses real world issues and real world solutions to those problems (such as the chapter dedicated to making unicode friendly programs), as well as some historical issues (the difference between wParam and lParam).
    No manual is without its flaws. This book is a bit too braod spectrum in the detail levels. There are places in the book where he will delve into details that you could care less about, and there are points that he will put in two or three sentences and assume you understand, although you may not.
    Despite this, this book is essential to everyone writing code for Microsoft Windows (ANY version). You needn't read it cover to cover, but readiny section I (about 1/3 of the book) is essential. My one wish is that this book came in three volumes, if you haul it between home and school/office it gets to be buronsome. That's about all I can really complain about with this book.
    27 people found this helpful
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  • Bill
    5.0 out of 5 stars A well-written introduction to the Windows API
    Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This book tries to give you a big-picture view of Windows programming. It has plenty of detail, yet never sacrifices conceptual understanding along the way.

    Each topic builds on the mental model established by previous topics. There are no major poorly-explained leaps that I've encountered.

    Plenty of historical context is given by the author, both for color and for understanding. Actually, the book itself can be considered a piece of historical context! (Yet, it's far from outdated -- the core mechanisms of how the Windows API works haven't changed much.)

    The writing style is neither too casual nor too formal. Reading this book is like listening to a likeable expert who does not condescend to you, yet who also does not try too hard to impress you with his knowledge.

    Add to that the fact that the book is a blast from the past and chock full of history, and it's really quite worthwhile to anyone who wants to learn Windows programming.

    10/10
    11 people found this helpful
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  • David Hunter
    4.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2002
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This book is definately one of a different crop.
    It is not so intermediate that the simple beginner would cower before it, yet it is not so basic that it should be a beginner's first read.
    This book essentially picks right up from a programmer who is comfortable with C (or C++, but the core is C based) and starts the process of introduction to the Win32 API. While gradual enough that those who prefer a slower pace can follow, it is quick enough to keep the attention of the more fluent programmers.
    The good sides are the fact this text introduces the foundations in a very crisp and clear manner while maintaining the reasoning behind the structure. Each step consitantly builds upon the former.
    The down side is the fact the latter half pushes more emphasis over the graphical side of the Win32 api, than it does the functionality of Win32.
    Another point that would be appreciated in a 6th edition would be some kind of chart or quick reference index.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Rod Doe
    5.0 out of 5 stars The good old days...
    Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2009
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This may sound a little over the top to some, but I get a real wind-in-my-hair feeling when I read this book. It reminds me of the good old days of Windows programming, when all you needed was a good idea, a text editor and a copy of Petzold. No Wizards, no code bloat, no multi-gigabyte IDE doing who knows what in the background. It was a time when a programmer (that's how people referred to developers back then) would put on headphones, crank up the Rush (the Canadian power trio, not the talk show windbag), and pound out C code. The applications we produced back then ran in a dew drop of memory. We knew the how to interpret the WPARAM and LPARAM for most of the Windows messages, because we had to write the window procedures and dialog procedures to handle them, and for those we didn't know, we read the header files (imagine that) to learn more. We knew our libraries. Our code was lint-clean, small, fast, and tight. Those were the days, and we were the modern-day warriors.

    This book will take you back to those days. It will show you what goes on down in the engine room of MFC. This knowledge is good to have. The code examples are in crystal-clear C. This can only make you a stronger programmer, er, I mean, developer.
    26 people found this helpful
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  • Kenneth Stover
    5.0 out of 5 stars Explains how Windows works!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    With program examples this book tells how Windows works to support building programs in the C language.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Miguel Angel Ortiz Cruz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Este libro no pasa de moda!!!
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 12, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Programación Win32 nativa solo para escritorio. Es lectura obligada para conseguir la excelencia. Recomendado!
    Report
  • Kenneth Johnsen
    5.0 out of 5 stars THE book about programming Windows.
    Reviewed in Germany on May 12, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Still relevant in 2023, and a very well written book.
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  • Julio Cesar Schincariol Filho
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best book about Windows Api
    Reviewed in Brazil on November 20, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Well,

    I'm new to c++, learned everything from 2 book for beginners and i want now to start with a more advanced way of programming.
    This book is very good, you will understand everything, really well write.

    Read this book with Msdn opened to learn even more.

    This book is not outdated, if you are like me that want to understand everything from the start about Windows api this the book that you want.

    A++++.
    Report
  • @Bookmonsterdragon
    5.0 out of 5 stars DEEP LEARNING , CYBER SECURITY , REVERSING , OPERATING SYSTEM , GUI C PROGRAMMING , KNOW THE UNKNOWN
    Reviewed in India on April 19, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This book is heavy to carry :) but please read it till the end of the book.
    This books helps a lot to students ,
    who
    1.Wants to learn GUI c programming (not that of borland graphics interface )
    2.Wants to go deep in reversing and malware analysis , cyber security to get deep in how the os is codded (not an alternative to morderoperating system andrew s tanebum ) but it is unique in coding fundamentals for windows and win32api .
    3. while reversing malwares many function you found in assembly code are related to win 32 this book helps you to understand it better however you can also use win32.hlp but this book helps a lot.
    4.Operating system (windows ) helps you to understands the basics .
    5. Hardware interaction with the os in deep (eg : keyboard , mouse, etc ).
    6. a lot of to get known the unknown.(each and every function in deep with respective all the parameter passed)
    7.this book is for those who want to step in cyber security ****(helps a lot )
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  • Francesco Lui
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ottima guida per la programmazione Win32
    Reviewed in Italy on January 13, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Questo è un libro assolutamente d'oro!! Credo sia uno dei migliori testi per quanto riguarda la guida alla programmazione di Windows utilizzando le Win32 API. Anche se il libro è scritto in inglese, il linguaggio utilizzato è semplice e vengono utilizzate le basi della programmazione in C. Quindi direi un libro alla portata di tutti.
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