Rating: 
Summary: Not as bad as others make it out to be.
Review: Maybe if people would bother to read a preface they would understand the layout of the book. Most of the "missing" material is in the back of the book in the "C++ Overview" section. You know...the last 600 PAGES!!! The blue ones. Yeah, those. Try reading through some of the material. Maybe get off your duff and install the CD that accompanies the book.I've been a programmer for a good long time now, and I've learned more languages from books than you can count on both hands. This book is EXCELLENT, and I highly recommend it for the beginner, and the advanced (visual or not) C++ programmer. As long as you read the ENTIRE FREAKIN' BOOK. Don't just use the lessons in the front and not refer to the refrence material and additional examples in the rear. The CD has all the code contained in the book. If there's a question about where to put code or a variable...take a look at the author's coding. Nine times out of ten it will solve any and all problems/questions you may have.
Rating: 
Summary: Could be a great book...the errors kill it
Review: Too bad it was not properly edited (by me). Get the Ivor Horton Beginning VC++ from Wrox Wrox books are carefully edited but not perfect
Rating:
Summary: If you got a little C++ under your belt this book rocks
Review: I love this book. Its one of the books i go back to again and again and test and check on ideas. It has enough to get you up and programming windows in no time. I have used the examples in simple programs to build complete apps. Just remmeber to experiment a little. You should use wizards to create the start of a program. The idea of the MSVC ide and why its so good is it safes you time with things you don't need to do, so you have more time on things that you have to do. MSVC is the best IDE i have used since old classic Turbo C++. This book doesn't really teach you C++ programming in the strict sense, it helps you get to upto speed in windows if you know some. Its pretty gentle in helping someone with only basic understanding of C++. Say a couple of hours of reading schuam outline series on C++ or Deitel. Don't forget to download the examples from the internet. The Timing and winsock are great. I like most of the sams books though. This is the book to get if you want to learn to program windows for the first time if you have Visual C++ 6.0. If you have .net studio maybe its better to get the .net title. The book doesn't cover version control which is part of source safe and Help contexts. But most books can't cover everything. The newer Windows apps generally use htmlhelp. But as you know businesses take years to upgrade to the latest version . I know of lots of commercial Buildings that use DOS programs to run there air conditioning/heating.
Rating: 
Summary: Probably not for beginners
Review: The author of this book assumes you have had some kind of Visual C++ experience. You know what happens when you assume!!! In the second day, the author wants you to create a class, but does not tell you how to do it. Maybe my book was missing these important instructions but I don't so. This book is filled with errors and assumptions. I got about 1/2 way through it and decided to use it as a paperweight. How can you learn any thing from a book when the author has made so many mistakes and assumptions? Your money is better spent elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a little less than useless
Review: This Book will teach you nothing about VC++. If you do read this book then you will have to get another one to be able to program windows, like "Programming Windows by Charles Petzold". The most you can get from this book is how to create diolog boxes, Not with programming , but by using the helpful utils that come with VC++. It explanes nothing and god forbid that you might have to code some of it by hand. If you have this book. Do what I did. Throw it away. It is a little too big for a paperweight. Unfortuntly, This title is just not as good as some of the others by sams. Also.... You get a tryal version of VC++ which displays the licence agreement pryor to the start of every program that you create. So you either have to buy the product to use it for real or Dload Borlands product for free, but then everything that you learn in this book will not work with the commandline compiler frm Borland.
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