C# - Is there a Petzold for .NET/WinForms/C# world?

Author

Is there a Petzold for .NET/WinForms/C# world?

Dave G

2005-10-17, 6:59 pm

I am returning to Windows programming after a 5 year hiatus. I was used
to the bad ol' WindowProc with all the select:case statements.

If you guys haven't noticed yet, let me break it for you, The world of
Windows Programming is a bit changed. :)

My question is, Is there a "Petzold" for this World of WinForms and
..NET which will take me from huh to ah-hah. Of course there are quite a
few books out there, but I am wondering if some of you could please
share your thoughts.

Thx.

Ken Wilson

2005-10-18, 3:58 am

On 17 Oct 2005 14:05:59 -0700, "Dave G" <davegraham_1998@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>I am returning to Windows programming after a 5 year hiatus. I was used
>to the bad ol' WindowProc with all the select:case statements.
>
>If you guys haven't noticed yet, let me break it for you, The world of
>Windows Programming is a bit changed. :)
>
>My question is, Is there a "Petzold" for this World of WinForms and
>.NET which will take me from huh to ah-hah. Of course there are quite a
>few books out there, but I am wondering if some of you could please
>share your thoughts.
>
>Thx.

That could very much depend on which language you want to approach it
from, which is also governed by the best tool for the job maxim,
though not nearly as much so under .NET at it was in the old world.

I have always had a fondness for the Wrox Press family of books. I
would suggest checking them out at a book store. I don't know if
there's a generic .NET book though. You will probably find them as
C++ .NET, Visual Basic .NET, etc. I am currently using the Wrox
'Professional C#, 3e' and find it very helpful but it does require at
least a reasonable foundation in OOP.

As for languages, if you can afford the hit, the full Visual Studio,
IMHO, the better investment. Besides covering all bases language wise
it also give you the opportunity to run code C++ in managed or native.
I find some old habits die hard and there is also some MFC code out
there that still needs maintenance so the extra flexibility comes in
handy.

Ken Wilson
S

ing viable employment in Victoria, BC

Mabden

2005-10-18, 7:57 am

"Ken Wilson" <kwilson.dev@NOshaw.SPAMca> wrote in message
news:0dq8l110pkdp3631egrcf6rpbp27uisfqq@
4ax.com...
> On 17 Oct 2005 14:05:59 -0700, "Dave G" <davegraham_1998@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
used[color=darkred]
of[color=darkred]
a[color=darkred]
>
> That could very much depend on which language you want to approach it
> from, which is also governed by the best tool for the job maxim,
> though not nearly as much so under .NET at it was in the old world.
>
> I have always had a fondness for the Wrox Press family of books. I
> would suggest checking them out at a book store. I don't know if
> there's a generic .NET book though. You will probably find them as
> C++ .NET, Visual Basic .NET, etc. I am currently using the Wrox
> 'Professional C#, 3e' and find it very helpful but it does require at
> least a reasonable foundation in OOP.
>
> As for languages, if you can afford the hit, the full Visual Studio,
> IMHO, the better investment. Besides covering all bases language wise
> it also give you the opportunity to run code C++ in managed or native.
> I find some old habits die hard and there is also some MFC code out
> there that still needs maintenance so the extra flexibility comes in
> handy.

I have, in front of me, 4 books on .NET. I started with "Programming
ASP.NET" by O'Reilly (Stingray on the cover) which has code in VB.NET
and C# side by side, but as a C programmer from the "long ago time" I
found I was only looking at the C# code. But the book is great for
someone moving from ASP (VB) code to C#. Then I found other O'Reilly
books like, "Programming C#" (the African crowned crane, of course) and
I got about 1/2 way through before I found, "ta dah! dah dah dah dum dah
da!" "Programming Microsoft Windows with C#" by Da Man (aka Charles
Petzold).

Reading through it reminds me of the first Petzold Windows book! I love
his style. He writes to professional programmers. There is no
hand-holding like the Wrox books (I have the C# Programmer's Reference
by Wrox, for those counting - I've never opened it), where they show
some code then walk you through every line, even simple assignments or
whatever. It's more like reading the K&R - you can go back and study the
code and pick up hints of style, and subtlety after 10 years of
programming C. Petzold tells you the "Why" of what he is doing in code.
He is the master.

--
Mabden

Dave G

2005-10-18, 7:00 pm

I just checked "Programming Microsoft Windows with C#" came out in
2001, do you think it is going to be relevant today? I wonder if it is
a bit dated? what do you think of Petzold's book about WinForms?

Mabden

2005-10-21, 7:56 am

"Dave G" <davegraham_1998@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1129647390.844213.175880@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> I just checked "Programming Microsoft Windows with C#" came out in
> 2001, do you think it is going to be relevant today? I wonder if it is
> a bit dated? what do you think of Petzold's book about WinForms?

Mine is date 2002, but is a second printing. But remember that Petzold
was writing about Windows before anyone ever saw a copy. He is in on the
creation of the software, not an "after-market" writer. He is the Gold
Standard. If you are familiar with C, the K&R book is still very
actively discussed in comp.lang.c and it was (my copy) printed in 1988.
The classics don't become dated, because they write the core truths.

I have not read any books about Windows Forms.

--
Mabden

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