A few years ago, Mr. Houjie, a famous technical writer in Taiwan, had written a book review article, called "MFC's four big kings." The meaning of the article is to say that in the vast book of MFC, just seriously study and learn from the four, you can "the five Yue returned to the mountain". Although Mr. Hou is an example of MFC, this truth is equally suitable for many specific technical fields other than MFC, which can't be said to be an interesting statistical phenomenon. Usually in a particular subdivided technical field, there will be 3-5 top-level works naturally, and they cooperate with each other to form a complete system. For learners, only need to seriously study these books, it is enough to join the room. I am willing to put this "four books and five phenomena." For the reader, if you can find the "Five Books and Five Cathors" in this field, it is the most economical choice in time or money. A few books, better than a few bundles, this experience must be everyone. To this end, "Programmer" magazine has opened up such a new book review column to help readers select "Four Books and Five Classics" in various technical fields. This issue begins with Win32 system programming.
The so-called Win32 development is on the C language level, using Win32 API to develop Windows applications or system programs. Although there are not many people who have developed applications directly using Win32 API, understand the design principle of Windows system programming, and still become the way to become a master of Windows development. The so-called Win32 is actually an API specification, and the UNIX system programming interface standard POSIX is the concept of the same nature. From the design, Win32 is absolutely not concise and elegant, so learning Win32 system programming is relatively difficult. Win32 comes from Win16, while Win16 was originally designed in the early 1980s. When designing Win16, Microsoft is still a small company, which should be limited. At the same time, the main goal of Win16 is that the GUI system above the DOS, the design of the GUI part is designed, and there are not many considerations in the system programming. When designing Win32, Microsoft's ability is enhanced. He has a heart to build Win32 into the first-stream operating system API specification, but has already on the Historical burden of Win16. Therefore, relatively speaking, Win32 is designed to catch up with POSIX so profile. Microsoft successfully entered the COM era and .NET era, every progress needs to continue to carry the previous historical burdens, making Microsoft's technical system more and more complicated. Microsoft's complexity is the biggest weakness in Microsoft and Java competition. For our programmers, no matter what you are learning and using the latest .NET technology, continue to stick to the COM development model, to overcome the complexity of Microsoft technology, must go back to Win32. Then those "Five Books" in the Win32 are those? Let's come:
Charles Petzold, "
Windows programming (5th edition) (on, book) "Peking University Press
This is the well-known Win32 API programming classic, also known as "Petzold Book", and people who learn Win32 API programming are almost all from this book. The advantage of this book is that the details of the ink are very detailed, and it is very detailed. At the same time, although this book is not small, there is not much tolerance, basically put the focus on the GUI programming and regular programming tasks, so you can speak a lot of problems very thorough. I usually read this book for the first time, I will feel that the author's text has some Luo Wei. However, in the future, it will find that these at the time, the discussion of Luo Wei is worth a valuable information on the actual work. This is the so-called Petzold style, you can do both TUTORAL, but also Reference. A few years ago, the People's Posts and Telecommunications Publishing House published a Charles Calvert's ""
21 days of learning WINDOWS 95 programming (on, book) ", the position of the book is similar to" Petzold Book ", and it is also very good, and the contents of control programming even exceed" Petzold Book ". Unfortunately, this book is completely covered by the "Petzold Book". Not only did not have a resemble in the country, but the original publisher also completely disappeared the idea of "Petzold Book" confrontation.
Now I still use Win32 API to directly develop Gui people, I am afraid it is less, so this book is not as good as the year. More fair, PetZold Book now is now the introduction of Win32. It is difficult to lift into the room without its baptism.
2. Jeffrey Richter, "
Windows Core Programming "Fourth Edition Machinery Industry Press
The first three editions of this book are called Advanced Windows, the fourth edition is renamed Programming Applications for Microsoft Windows. The author also specifically tells the reasons for the rename in the foreword. But in my opinion, this book is called Advanced Windows more appropriate. Because this book is equally Win32 API, almost no repetition is not repeated with Petzold Book. The primary content is completely slightly not mentioned. The GUI section is also over, the book is programmed with the system, let's talk about Win32 core objects, from the process to thread, from the hook to SEH, can be said to be Don't avoid difficult dangers, to meet the most complex and most subtle details, while equipped with a lot of carefully prepared examples, the code quality is very high. Therefore, this book has become the Bible of Win32 system programming from the date of advent, and the Jeff Richter has also become absolute authority in Win32 programming. Want to learn Win32 core programming, not reading this book is unimaginable. Unfortunately, the Chinese version of this book is not worthy of the high level of the original book, it can be said that it is a big mistake, a lot of bad. If there is a reader to study this book carefully, you can find the photocopy of the Beijing University Press.
This book is a representative of Richter, which has also laid the status of Richter's top technical writers. I really like to read Richter's book, because his text is written to a profession, never pretend to be mentally wisdom, and there is quite considerable thin, very good, very compliant with my habits and appetite. So I usually have Richter's book in a certain field, I will not go to someone else's book.
For some readers, Marshall Brain's Win32: System Service 3 / E (Chinese Name "in-depth learning: Win32 System Service Development and Example", Electronic Industry Press "Win32 System Programming 2," Series) and Johnson Hart / e (Chinese Name "Win32 System Programming - WINDOWS 2000 Application Development Guide (Second Edition)", China Electric Press) is a good choice. The discussion of two books is not as deep as RICHTER, but exquisite examples, explaining just right. Brain's book covers a wide range, examples are very inspired, while HART's book is best for friends from UNIX to Win32. I found that I like to like Richter when I was idle, but when I need a quick learning solution in practice, Brain and HART books were more helpful to me. So although these two books are not like Richter, it is also very practical.
This book of Petzold Book and Richter makes a co-championship. Generally, Win32 learners are intensive and basic to master the main ideas and techniques of these two books, they can be called experts in Win32 system. If the weakness of these two books, there are mainly two aspects. One is the two books, and the development of WIN9X is a basic starting point, so there is insufficient introduction to the new features of the Win2000 platform. Especially for the development of high-performance software for Windows 2000 server, it is basically not involved, and many Win32 unique mechanisms are not covered. Therefore, if you want to go upstairs in Win32, another book of Jeffrey Richter can be considered.
3. Jeffrey Richter, Programming Server-Side Application for Microsoft Windows (Copying Edition) Peking University Press
Do you know I / O COMPLETITON Port? Know how to play the power of the machine in the multi-CPU server? Know how to use Windows Logging Service? Know how to use WMI development server program? Even if you are a Win32 development expert, it may also be difficult for the above questions. As the development of general applications gradually transfer to Java, .NET or at least Delphi's RAD platform, Win32 can fully play the last corner of the power, probably the server high performance program is designed. And if you want to build a tree in this field, Jeffrey Richter's book is not read. This book is almost a book in this field, and the strength of Jeffrey Richter guarantees the level of this book to a considerable height. Read this book gives people a shocking pleasure, you will sigh, Jeffrey Richter can achieve such depth for the understanding of the Windows system!
This book follows the Petzold book mentioned above.
Windows Core Programming "Almost zero overlap, the content involved is advanced technology, especially the new technologies developed from Windows 2000. Combined with the first two, form a complete chain from the foundation to an expert. In today's industry, developers who use pure Win32 development procedures are still useful, and there are many people in the top of the pyramid. If PetZold Book is in today's main significance in education, "
The main significance of Windows Core Programming is to deepen your understanding of the system, then the knowledge in this book is a guy who is eating. Therefore, this book is a rare classic for programmers who have become masters and those who have become a master.
