Windows 2000 Programming from the Ground Up Book

Here is a massive volume that documents Windows 2000, the new high end 32-bit operating system, in the most practical way for a programmer. Rather than discussing the structure and theory behind Windows 2000, it immediately gets down to the urgent task of communicating the system's effect on a program, and how a program can exploit it in order to get things done neatly and efficiently. The cover asserts that you will "open this book as a novice and finish it as a pro": a bold claim, but manifestly justifiable. The author has previously written a volume called MFC Programming from the Ground Up which can be seen as a companion to this volume. Where MFC Programming concentrates on using the MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes) C++ class library, this volume focuses on using the Windows 2000 API (Application Program Interface) directly. This has two chief advantages: it allows the programmer to become better acquainted with the spectrum of services available within the interface, and it is readily adaptable to use by other languages than C++. There are plenty of diagrams, and the material is excellently divided into a score of chapters, covering topics such as help, printers, registry and menus. The text and numerous examples are shaped around C++, and a knowledge of at least C is a prerequisite; but in most respects this book is kind and informative to the complete novice. Even though it is tutorial in its structure, the book will be a useful addition to any shelf of technical books on Windows, and will continue for some time to supply viable ideas and routines to be incorporated into Windows programs.--Wilf HeyRead More