Windows API tutorial??

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Windows API tutorial??

 
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Jan 28th, 2007
Can someone please point me to a good windows api tutorial? The one that i found (http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/) is nice, but it doesn't explain thing nearly enough. It kinda just drops the stuff on the person trying to "learn" it. I was able to follow through the first three sections, and then i got lost.

Please. :-| I just feel SOOO lost right now... I just want to understand...
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Re: Windows API tutorial??

 
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Jan 28th, 2007
Marks, I know how you feel. I remember learning C and thinking that I knew it all. Then the Windows API programming approach comes along, and totally throws away the old procedural method with loops, callbacks, and the like. It's confusing, but eventually you get the hang of it.

The best thing I can recommend for you to do if you're truly serious is to buy yourself a good Windows programming book, and learn from that. Study the concepts, code until you've memorized the basic WinAPI code, and continue making test projects.

If you don't want to or can't buy a book, my suggestion is to keep googling until you find a tutorial at your level. One that happened to catch my eye is this one:
http://people.montana.com/~bowman/Software/winAPI.htm

Which *may* be at your level. One interesting thing it says here:
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Win API programming is not an entry level task. If you are not reasonable competent in C or C++, you really need to have a basic mastery of the language.
Since you're just learning C/C++, perhaps you should slow down a little bit. Don't try to speed up learning, because it just doesn't work. (Which is my argument against semester-based systems.) If you take the time, you will learn it.
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal."

All my posts may be freely redistributed under the terms of the MIT license.
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Re: Windows API tutorial??

 
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Jan 28th, 2007
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Originally Posted by Marks256 View Post
Can someone please point me to a good windows api tutorial?
When it comes to the windows API, a tutorial just doesn't cut it. You want a good thick book. The good news is that such a book exists.
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Originally Posted by Marks256 View Post
The one that i found (http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/) is nice, but it doesn't explain thing nearly enough. It kinda just drops the stuff on the person trying to "learn" it. I was able to follow through the first three sections, and then i got lost.
The first lesson when learning the windows API should be that you aren't supposed to understand everything. There are thousands of functions and types, and no single programmer is expected to know all of the details.

A basic windows program in C is about 80 lines, and nobody really cares what most of them mean because it's boilerplate that we just copy/paste and forget about. If you feel lost, you might be trying to understand unnecessary details. That could also be why the tutorial doesn't follow through on them.
It's hard to be humble when you're as gifted as I am at pretending to be an expert.
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Re: Windows API tutorial??

 
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Jan 28th, 2007
I really don't have a choice here... I know that learning the Windows API is a no-no when i infact don't even know C or C++ for that matter.


Holy !#$%^*&!!!!!!!! That book is expesive! $60 at barnes and noble!

I learn pretty good by example... Does anyone know of a good example site? I guess i should bite the bullet and buy a book, huh?

I have bought over $200 worth of books (not exagerating either...) in the past about programming languages, but i never used a single one of them. I dont like books...
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Re: Windows API tutorial??

 
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Jan 28th, 2007
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Originally Posted by Marks256 View Post
I really don't have a choice here... I know that learning the Windows API is a no-no when i infact don't even know C or C++ for that matter.
Why don't you have a choice? There are certain things that will be beyond your ability, which doesn't mean you can't achieve them, but to achieve them, you'll need lots of time.

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Holy !#$%^*&!!!!!!!! That book is expesive! $60 at barnes and noble!
That's nothing. You should see what some OpenGL books are...
"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal."

All my posts may be freely redistributed under the terms of the MIT license.
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Re: Windows API tutorial??

 
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Jan 28th, 2007
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Why don't you have a choice? There are certain things that will be beyond your ability, which doesn't mean you can't achieve them, but to achieve them, you'll need lots of time.
I need to learn windows programming before the end of the semester (i hope i can be done, or i am S.O.L.) I could stick with win32 council, but i think my biology teacher would panic if she couldn't figure out how to use it... :rolleyes:


Does anyone here own the book (Programming Windows by Charles Petzold fifth edition)? If so, can anyone give me some ideas of what they cover (at how much detail is given)? I am literally starting to panic...
Last edited by Marks256; Jan 28th, 2007 at 10:07 pm.
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Re: Windows API tutorial??

 
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Jan 28th, 2007
@ Marks256


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Does anyone here own the book (Programming Windows by Charles Petzold fifth edition)? If so, can anyone give me some ideas of what they cover (at how much detail is given)? I am literally starting to panic...
Check your mail box, I sent you some information about it.
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Re: Windows API tutorial??

 
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Jan 28th, 2007
Thanks for the link. I am not sure why you couldn't post it on the forum? Well, maybe someone else would have outbid me! I decided not to get the book, so i will post the link here just in case someone else wants it;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...1392&rd=1&rd=1


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Re: Windows API tutorial??

 
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Jan 12th, 2009
thanks for your decision marks!
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