Programming Microsoft Windows with C Book

Aimed at aspiring C# programmers of all levels, legendary Windows expert Charles Petzold's Programming Windows in C# provides an extremely in-depth and intelligent tutorial to the APIs underpinning Microsoft's .NET Framework. For a generation of programmers Petzold's Programming Windows, The Definitive Guide to the Win32 API book provided a virtual bible of how to get started with Windows development. This massive, handsomely bound hardcover edition attempts the same breadth of coverage for Microsoft's new C# language and the new .NET. With several examples clearly inspired by the earlier C title, this book demonstrates the author's keen eye for showing off and explaining the capabilities of low-level APIs to good effect. The book first outlines basic "Hello World" examples for both a console and Windows Forms. Next, there's coverage of basic support classes (such as points and rectangles) before turning toward using these structures in extensive sections on graphics programming. Petzold's traditional strengths as a computer author are in ample evidence here, with many short examples presented that exercise the capabilities of the new .NET APIs. Veteran readers will recognise the basic shape of the early Win32 title in the organisation of this (completely rewritten) C# version in the flow of topics from graphics, keyboard, mouse and timers and the like. (One production note here is that the order of later chapters does jump around somewhat, circling back to graphics topics several times instead of presenting related APIs in order.) The sections on graphics transforms and how to manipulate images are worthy of note. There's excellent coverage of the possibilities of working with text and fonts output in. NET. Nifty working samples for several types of clocks and shape-drawing demos will let you explore graphical APIs in detail. Several chapters cover basic Windows forms, control programming with buttons, labels and edit controls, then splitters, ListView and TreeView controls. This volume closes out with references to files and streams, math and string APIs. For any developer who wants to create state-of-the-art, "traditional" client-side software, this book is sure be required reading for its in-depth look at graphics and other leading-edge .NET features. It proves once again that learning low-level APIs in detail is still a good way to learn Windows programming. --Richard DraganRead More