Rating: 
Summary: Excellent but a Misleading Title
Review: Programming Microsoft Windows with C#: A Core Reference
As expected, book is an excellent work but title is misleading. I've read the entire book and this is what I found:
1. Excellent book for beginners to write Windows programming with simple Windows controls including brushes, pens, text and fonts, keyboard and mouse events, times, scroll bars, menus, dialog boxes, toolbars and status bars, tree view, list view and printing.
2. Book is well written in a tutorail way, easy to understand.3. Not much for an advanced developer. If you're looking for some advanced stuff, you may be disappointed. Overall a must have for .NET beginners and intermediate developers.
Rating: 
Summary: A must for the serious .NET Windows Forms programmer
Review: This is an excellent book. It's not a language tutorial nor a how-to cookbook on creating generic programs using the various wizards. This book is a clear and thorough guide to utilizing the object-oriented (finally!) features of the .Net Windows Forms library. Some of the writers of the negative reviews below seem to have been expecting something else. Mr. Petzold carries on his great tradition of illuminating the otherwise vast and murky landscape of programming Windows. This book will certainly be the reference of choice for anyone targetting this aspect of the .NET platform. His examples are short and to the point. Sure, you may not write a program that just draws lines, curves and splines, but when you need to utilize that portion of the library that he is discussing, you'll definately appreciate his brevity and sophistication in covering these topics. Of course, much of the material is also available in the Microsoft documentation. However, this documentation is usually terse and sometimes incomplete. Having someone with Mr. Petzold's experience and skill guiding you is far more pleasurable and educational. If you're familiar with his Programming Windows book, you'll know exactly what you're getting. If not, definately make the investment in this book. It will be a most valuable reference.
Rating: 
Summary: This May Not Be What You Are Looking For.
Review: As a professional programmer, this book was not what I was looking for. In reading the title, the absence of the word visual should have set off a light bulb. The author insists on doing everything manually, and does not tell the reader how to do things in the Visual Studio environment. In a professional environment where costs and deadlines are a major factor in development, there is no time for the gung-ho programming ideology of do it all your self. Also, the book spends allot of time on those basic low level programming topics that are not practical in a real business application development environment. Unless you are doing some really low level development, which requires you to draw your own graphics on the screen etc, many of the topics in this book are of little use. If you are doing such low level programming, which I don't believe C# is the ideal language for; you will need a more advanced and less advanced book to go along with this one. The book does not cover basic syntax in much depth. The book shows allot of code, but does not explain it from a beginner level in detail. However, the book is not a complete waste. It is awesome for introducing the rules and regulations of the C# language, the classes of the Windows Forms class library which replaces the MFC used in C++, and intermediate level basic code writing. Just don't buy the book thinking it is going to get you ready to dive into Visual C#; because it will not, and I don't believe the author intended it to. If you buy the book knowing what you're getting, you will be very happy. Don't let the inclusion of the word Windows in the title mislead you.
Rating:
Summary: Update of Standard "Programming Windows" Text
Review: This is an excellent book for learning to "Program Windows Using C#". Note the title, PROGRAMMING WINDOWS WITH C#. If you are looking to program web applications, XML or databases, or for a C# reference, don't even consider this book. If you want a comprehensive reference, consider O'Reilly's "C# In A Nutshell", it has everything. The author has written identical books for Programming Windows using originally C, then C++ (they were classics). This current version is merely an update to the earlier texts implementing MS's new Visual C#. While I do agree with other reviewers that the text is somewhat simplistic, that is what I expected, and don't feel misled from the title. Petzold's writing style is easy to understand, and follows methodically in describing the language features, class usage and applications to the .NET SYSTEM and FORMS NameSpaces and their usage. It does an excellent job at describing graphics GDI+ usage (find another current C# book that well documents the .MeasureText method or the lack of XOR drawing modes, I have found no others), images, form element, file handling, etc. I am about 2/3 of the way through (the reason for 4 stars), and am thoroughly satisfied with this work so far. Also, you can't beat the price, this one costs the same as Wrox, SAMS or Prentice-Hall books one fifth the size.
Rating:
Summary: Programming with Windows Forms
Review: If you carefully examine the list of "Topics Covered" given by Amazon, you will not be disappointed at how Petzold does it. No one covers what Petzold chooses to write about more thoroughly and clearly than Petzold. The book definitely assumes familiarity with a C-family language. What is absent is information that his previous "Programming Windows" books gave about the underlying Windows environment, and about interprocess communication. I suppose this is because you can simply link to other code without much work in the new framework. But he does not cover the structure of .NET; the word "Assembly" is not even in his reliable comprehensive index, nor is "Component" or "IComponent." Disposal of resources is only mentioned with regard to graphics objects. The book covers Windows Forms programming, very well, and that's all it is meant for. By all means get this book, but get other books for other purposes.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent if you want to write GUIs with C#
Review: While most C# books tend to focus on :
- basic C#
- XML
- ASP.NET
"Programming Windows with C# " simply teaches you all you should know about GUI programming with C#. It looks obvious, but try to find good references in this subject and you'd be disappointed.
Not most programmers can afford Visual Studio NET and also not all programmers want RAD tools. Actually what is great with C# is that it allows the programmer to do everything manually and avoid automatic code geration. While it could delay your work, it certainly make it clear. The Forms API for C# is considerably simpler compared to MFC or WIN32 API Programming. Java programmers like me will find it usefull because its similarities with the Swing API.
The author is an excellent technical writer and make everything easy to read. And like he said "I prefer to type the code by hand and then I will learn it".
If you aim to write Windows GUIs for C#, get this book. It is a complete reference in the subject. The author does not mention it, but there is an open source and free IDE for .NET development name Sharp Develop. I use it and so far I haven't gotten many troubles. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Very good as its predecessors
Review: I spent most of the time on Visual Basic but I consider this text the appropriate companion for Balena's book. This book explain wery well GDI+ and structure of windows forms and it is full of valuable information. It is true that all of this info are also contained in the MSDN collection but here all is well organized and written in a clear language. This book is not intended to learn C#, and maybe more appropriate title would be "Programming Windows with Windows.Forms". If you also know Visual Basic or the fundamental of OOP and want to begin to program .NET with C# this is the book for you. But if you lack good knowledge of OOP and want to learn C# language instead buy another book. Remember that in this book the syntax of C# is not covered in details.
Rating:
Summary: The Best .NET Programming Book
Review: Petzold does it again. This is the definitive .NET programming book. The next logical step from the "Programming Windows" book that has become required reading for windows programmers. This book is required reading for the .NET Programmer.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Typically, I find Microsoft Press books on programming to be very good. This book is very disappointing. It's like someone simply took an internal microsoft specification and reformated. The MSDN is a better reference, and is searchable. This is the only Microsoft Press book I've ever purchased where I'm sorry I spent the money.
Rating:
Summary: MCSD.NET,MCSE,MCDBA,MCSA and MCT
Review: If you want to learn the art of programming with Windows Forms get Erik Brown book on WF. About this book it's not bad but I like the way that Mr.Erik explain things also he answers readers questions online.
Michael Youssef
Microsoft.NET Architect/Trainer
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