Rating: 
Summary: Excellent step by step instructions
Review: The step by step instructions for creating projects was very good and save me alot of time. The parts on making and using ActiveX controls was very helpful and the explanation were easy to understand. Many times I try to use MSDN but sometimes it gets very complicated. This book helped very much with the careful instructions.
Rating:
Summary: All around good deal
Review: This book covers a lot of material on both API and MFC programming for Windows. I got it mostly for the Internet topics, since it seemed to have a pretty wide range of topics, including ISAPI extensions.The sample programs, an FTP program, an emailer, a link lister, and others, were all very neatly written, and the source code described them in good detail. The socket class described in the book as a replacement for the MFC classes, was an amazing piece of work, and discussed each function in a clear understandable manner. I got everything I wanted out of this section, without having to purchase multiple books. I'm glad to say that I now feel comfortable with several new technologies (to me), and have some excellent sample source code to help me understand it all. Increasing your knowledge in as many possible directions is important in this field, and this book helped me.
Rating:
Summary: All around good deal
Review: This book covers a lot of material on both API and MFC programming for Windows. I got it mostly for the Internet topics, since it seemed to have a pretty wide range of topics, including ISAPI extensions. The sample programs, an FTP program, an emailer, a link lister, and others, were all very neatly written, and the source code described them in good detail. The socket class described in the book as a replacement for the MFC classes, was an amazing piece of work, and discussed each function in a clear understandable manner. I got everything I wanted out of this section, without having to purchase multiple books. I'm glad to say that I now feel comfortable with several new technologies (to me), and have some excellent sample source code to help me understand it all. Increasing your knowledge in as many possible directions is important in this field, and this book helped me.
Rating:
Summary: The most practical book on Windows programming ever.
Review: You can't go on a holiday to Portugal armed with only a Portuguese dictionary and grammar book and hope to converse with the local people. You will be forever turning the page here and there to construct the sentence you want to say. What you need is a phrase book: a book containing common and useful phrases such ' Where is the nearest tourist office please?' or 'When is the next train to Lisbon?'. That's what this refreshingly straightforward and intelligently laid out book, written by Keogh&Giannini, is. It is a phrase book for Windows programmers. The most common scenarios are discussed, with full code given. You won't find obscure situations such as those found in Petzold's oversized Windows Programming book like how to draw an elliptic circle in a window! What you will find in this concise book is useful code such as creating an application where the main window is a dialog box used for data entry through edit boxes. (This very common and fundamental of situations is not addressed in Petzold's book). Each example is explained sufficiently enough for any programmer to build on or tailor to their needs. And the core explanations are embedded within the code so you won't have to laboriously cross reference with the main body of the text. How refreshingly intelligent is that?! Whats more, for those new to the Visual C++ environment, step by step instructions on how to use it to enter the code and build it are given in list form e.g. 1) Select File/New menu choice 2) select the Win32 Application project type, and so forth. Most Windows programming books often make the assumption that you know your way around the environment. And you will find each example written in both MFC and Windows API! Name me a book that has done that?! The problem with so many Windows programming books on the market including Charles Petzolds and Joseph Newcomers is that they are basically dictionaries, grammar references of the Windows language. They are inaccessible. If these books were to be useful to anyone it would only be to a seasoned Windows programmer who already has a feel for the language, but definitely not for a beginner. These books are not practically organized and don't fit the needs of today's developers. For example, discussions on essential topics such as dialog boxes are left until chapter 11 in Petzold's classic; in Keogh&Giannini's book, it is discussed in chapter 3. And Petzold's book misses a number important programming issues. These are not my own criticisms by the way. These criticisms are those of Dr Dobbs Journal, arguably the most technical journal in computing, certainly more so than those that Petzold decided to quote on the back cover. In Keogh&Giannini's book , there are bonus chapters on database programming (ODBC), internet programming, Windows CE and 2000 programming, threads, ActiveX controls and lots more. I am giving this book 5 stars because it is head and shoulders above the rest in terms of accessibility, completeness, conciseness, modern refreshing style, and its use of novel approaches to speed up learning for the impatient novice Windows programmer.
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