ISBN:1572316950Amazon.com
The second edition of Jeff Prosise's Programming Windows with MFC is a great introduction to the programming language that will help you build client-side applications in MFC. Though it doesn't cover Internet development, this title provides a worthy tutorial on traditional MFC programming.
After some MFC basics, the book looks at Graphical Device Interface (GDI) graphics with a fine discussion of drawing and font handling. Following this, Prosise introduces the use of the MFC collection classes (an alternative to STL) and file I/O, as well as adding serialization support to custom classes.
He also dedicates a fair amount of text to basic Windows controls and dialog boxes. His tour of support for both the Single Document Interface (SDI) and Multiple Document Interface (MDI) application styles is just excellent. The built-in view classes in MFC and how to use them in a Windows Explorer-style sample program are covered. From there, it's on to other common GUI interface models such as toolbars, status bars, and the new Internet Explorer-style rebars. After a useful section on printing (including some valuable real-world tips for this tricky topic), the rich array of Windows common controls is discussed. As in the first edition, Prosise's introduction to MFC multithreading and synchronization objects (like mutexes) is a standout.
The last section of the book provides a comprehensive discussion of COM and ActiveX programming for the MFC developer. Although the Active Template Library (ATL) is omitted here, there are fine examples of building and using ActiveX controls, including the basics of OLE automation.
Newly revised with richer examples and the latest Windows functionality, the second edition of Programming Windows with MFC provides one of the best available tutorials for traditional MFC development. --Richard Dragan/p>
Reviews From AMAZON.COM
Truly beautiful work BUT........
no practical programs. Both "Windows programming" of my boss,Charles Petzold and the book taking draw, game programs to demonstrate.
Are there any books getting developers really inside industry projects using MFC or Windows API ??????
This question is my Christmas gift for Microsoft authors !!
who says it takes longer?
I managed to muddle my way through simple dialog-box based applications with hardly any documentation -- just advice from colleagues. When I got assigned to write a real live multi-threaded, multi-document app, I tried the books lying around the office which had helped me considerably with the simpler apps, but which left me much confused about things like device contexts. Why all of a sudden CClientDC instead of CPaintDC? And what is a DC anyway exactly? They say, "See, if you do this and this, then you can draw an ellipse that wiggles around." So I do that, and then try changing parameters, and am left only able to draw that ellipse. I can't make it purple.
I hate feeling like I don't really, REALLY know why I'm doing what I'm doing. And Prosise was an effective (and therefore quick) book which left me feeling like I knew. After about 2 days of reading and working with the examples, I felt I understood device contexts mapping modes, why I don't tell the Ellipse() routine what color ellipse I want. Prior to that, I'd spent 2 weeks with other books, not really getting it, not effectively able to modify the examples in the book.
Something about the way he organized it just got me to a point of clarity quicker, without nearly as much frustration. So don't let the 1300 pages throw you. It's not hard to read.