Rating: 
Summary: Good all around Book
Review: I read this book after reading "Teach yourself... in 21 days" and others from which I learned nothing. I had taken a couple of Pascal classes in college so I wasn't new to programming but I was new to the OOP paradigm. The biggest obstacle to learning C++ to me was 1) the syntax, 2) variable pointers and referencing and 3) the aforementioned OOP paradigm. As previously mentioned the first half of Hortons book is all about C++. I found it very useful in addressing all three of my problem areas in understanding C++. The second half is of course dedicated to MFC programming. MFC programming is not trivial. I have reread the chapters several times and after two months of digestion I feel like I have a good understanding of the basics. It is a very complex topic and I believe Horton addresses the subject well; if others have found difficulty in his writing I would suggest it is due to a lack of internal fortitude on that readers part rather than any diffencies in Hortons ability. However, it is a beginning book and I have many questions and a hunger for more detail than Horton supplies; how could this be other than his goal? So the best praise I can give is an eager willingness to buy other works by Ivor Horton that address my needs
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read, very smooth and accurate easy to follow
Review: This has been the best C++ book I have ever read. Not only does the author provide comprehensive coverage of Visual C++, he also gives an A-1 intro to the language itself. I am not a beginner at C++, but I am new to MS VC++, however, the explanation of the basic C++ language given in the first several chapters filled in nicely the gaps in my knowledge. I highly recommend this book without hesitation. If you want a quick grasp on a powerful language you need this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great C++, poor MFC
Review: When I picked up Mr. Horton's book on C++, I dove in with ease. Using a complementary mixture of explanation and example helped me tremendously. With little difficulty, I was able to learn the raw C++ language. But something happened. When I got to the second half of the book (applying MFC to my newfound C++), I hit a wall. Ivor dives right into a paint program example that occupies most of the MFC section. I have read books that gave a lot of explanation, but not enough examples, which make them harder to follow. But this was the first book I have ever read that used too much example with not enough explanation. I learned how to build Ivor's paint program, but I didn't learn about MFC. When I finished the book, I looked at my computer, ready to make some programs, and realized I don't know how to write any!! I know C++, and I know MFC to the extent of this paint program, but what if I wanted to make a program the scrambled a CString object. I didn't even know how to do that!! My point is... if you are looking to learn raw C++ in the Visual C++ environment, this book is wonderful. But if you are looking to write actual Windows applications, you will become very frustrated very fast. But then again, if you want to make your own paint program, BUY THIS BOOK!
Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful Book
Review: This book explains things very well. I would strongly recommend it to a person who wishes to learn C++.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've read in a very long time
Review: Many high-level language programmers (Visual Basic, Delphi) are hesitant to approach Windows programming with C++. The topic seems unapproachable because of the learning curve involved.The reality is, this stuff is very complex; however, in the hands of a good author or teacher the subject can be broken down into consumable portions and taught to even the most novice developer. I've tried three other books on this subject...none of them come close to this text! In fact, this book not only flows well, it almost acts as three books in one, first coving C++ (in depth, all though Win32 console based applications), then it approaches user interface using the MFC, next database development using ODBC, and lastly it devotes a chapter to ATL/COM development (which is far better written than the entire Beginning ATL COM 3.0 book by Wrox). If you want to learn Visual C++, youc can do it! Start with this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book for very patient beginners
Review: I have bought and read numerous C++ books, and this one is definetly one of the best ones out there. It really does start from scratch, building all the way up from "Hello, World" to some pretty advanced topics, such as MFC and ATL. However, it does take things slowly, so you might consider getting a supplemental book, such as Deitel & Deitel's "C++ How to Program." Often times I found myself being so bored, that I has to read that lesson over and over again. So any other textbook-like book will help to get thru things faster and more efficently. Ivan Horton is a great teacher, and why then learn from anyone else?
Rating:
Summary: Easy professional programming
Review: I tried to learn C++ many times, but because the books I used were very complicated I stoped. THIS BOOK is a real C++ book. Every beginner who want to learn fast and easily, this book is the best one. Don't search further. Start with this one. It's very easy to understant, very "very good" written. You will understand every single statement. It explains the basic steps to write C++ Windows applications. It starts with "a very good" review of C programming, even though the classic I/O part isn't explained. Chapters are well organized, with solutions for every exercice. Well done Ivor!
Rating: 
Summary: Clarification.....
Review: Overall this is a good book. I think it is well written, I didn't find any huge errors, thus, this one is good. BUT, I would NOT recommend this book. First of all, it does NOT cover all of C++ as some of the reviewers below have stated. It doesn't even come close. Nowhere in this book will you find anything about C++ Stream Input/Output, C++ File handling, and there is very little of the Standard Template Library. Second of all, this is FAR FROM being a complete overview of the MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes). Collectively, MFC is about 100 classes and with a rough guestimate on my part this book covers about 30-40 of the classes and does so in very little detail. Nowhere in this book will you find anything about the MFC's support of Threads (CWinThread) or Sockets (CSocket) or File handling (CFile), just to name a few. Moreover, don't be fooled by the book's claim that you get into database programming because what you build is for the lack of a better word, pathetic. It doesn't even remotely mirror what you will develop at work; it's way too simplistic. In addition, it doesn't cover ADO, which is the database class Microsoft is really pushing right now, so it isn't up to date. Now to get to my point, don't buy this book, save your money! You see, this book doesn't spend enough time covering C++ and so you are going to have to purchase a more thorough C++ book. Second of all, you are going to have to purchase a new book to learn the MFC because this one doesn't even break the surface. In other words, by the time you get through with this book you'll know enough to be able to say 'yea I have an understanding of C++ and MFC, but not enough to create any applications that would even remotely mirror development at the office'. Instead, just a few months down the road, you will find yourself consulting regularly with the other C++ and MFC books you had to buy to cover C++ and MFC in greater depth. All the while, 'Beginning C++ 6' will be sitting on your shelf gathering dust. So in other words, why buy this book to learn C++ and MFC when you are going to have to buy two other books that are also capable of teaching you C++ and MFC, and doing so in much greater detail. Just go ahead and get the other two books upfront and save yourself the cost of this one. I recommend 'Core C++' and 'Mfc Programming from the Ground Up'. With these two books you'll learn both C++ and MFC in the depth necessary to boast that you are capable of programming in Visual C++. Good Luck on your endeavors!
Rating:
Summary: Brevity doesn't mar this spectacular text
Review: This text of nearly 1,200 pages attempts to do it all: take a neophyte with little or no knowledge of programming and 1) teach C++ programming - not just a quick once over, but the whole darned language, right from soup to nuts; and 2)teach Microsoft Windows programming in C++, including full coverage of Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) and ActiveX controls; and 3)oh yeah, just as a side note, also teach the use of the Visual C++ integrated development environment! This is just not possible to do in 'merely' 1200 pages; 3,000 might be more appropriate, and 4,000 would certainly not be wasted. So it's not surprising that there's a slight sense of brevity in some of the topics covered. What is truly amazing is just how well Horton manages to pull this off. A combination of skilled writing, careful editing and towering educational skill has resulted in what must truly rate as THE single best text out there on Visual C++ programming. No other book even comes close; no other book is even in the same ball park. This book sets a new standard of excellence that, sadly, most authors will never achieve. The book starts with a quick 1 chapter 'once over' of the Microsoft Visual C++ Integrated Development Environment (IDE), explaining how to start a simple DOS window application and pointing out various useful features of the editor. At the end of this chapter you won't be an expert in the IDE, but you will be able to get a project created, a file started and start entering code. From here to about the half way point Horton does a masterful job of teaching the practical basics of programming in C++. He not only teaches the language, syntax, and idiosyncrasies; he also teaches basic programming concepts, covering such topics as decision structures, loops, strings, sorting... basically everything you'd expect to learn in a full college 'programming fundamentals' course. From the mid way point on through to the end of the book, Horton concentrates on teaching the practical aspects of programming in the Windows environment using Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC). He pulls this off just as well as the first half of the text; although occasionally theory is a little bit terse or 'skimpy', the practical usage of MFC is well presented and thoroughly discussed. Really, the only way to improve this text would be to double or triple it in size, and really let Mr. Horton take off. I considered - briefly - reducing my ranking of this book to 4 stars, simply because it attempts to do so much. But I just couldn't do it; this book is just too good, it achieves so much, it is so clearly written. It's an absolute masterpiece! To give this book less than 5 stars would be somewhat analogous to dismissing the Mona Lisa, simply because it was mounted in a rather indifferent frame. For readers with absolutely no knowledge of computers at all, who don't know the difference between a bit and a byte and couldn't define either one, I might recommend Mr. Horton's "Beginning C++: The Complete Language". This text is approximately 950 pages of what amounts to DOS - style programming in C++. Because of the concentration on just C++ programming - there's no mention of windows in this text - there's much more room to delve into theory as well as practise. Mr. Horton puts the space to good use, with the result that every concept is extremely clear, and nothing is left unsaid. I own both texts, and have found it very helpful to be able to cross reference between the two. While the C++ DOS programming covers much the same ground in both texts, it is covered somewhat differently; and this can help to clarify concepts that might have remained muddled otherwise. If you have even the most basic grounding in programming, the Visual C++ text is probably all you need. With a concentration on practicality, this text starts with first concepts and gives you everything you need to start writing complex, windows based programs in C++ using Visual C++ from Microsoft. If you're only planning on buying one text... this is it. If you want the BEST text... this is it. And if you don't RUN to the nearest bookstore and see what I (and others) are talking about, you're short changing yourself severely. Because this book can do a lot more then take up space on your bookshelf. This book can actually teach you C++. You can actually learn to write complex Windows based programs - even obtain employment as a competent C++ programmer - with nothing more then Visual C++, and this book. Hear that soft tapping sound? That's opportunity, knocking. And if you give it a chance, this book can change your life. Charles Worton, MCP, MCP+I, MCSE, A+
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: This book is excellent. It takes a potentially complicated and confusing topic and makes it as simple as humanly possible. However, the real value of this book is that you walk away with a complete understanding of Visual C++ and the C++ language. This cannot be done without a large time commitment and this book demands just that. You will not get a complete understanding of the subject unless you are willing to put in the time and effort. If you are, then this book is unquestionably well worth every dime you pay and more. The book will take you from wherever you are in the programming world to wherever you want to be in V. C++. Obviously, the less experience you have, the more time you are going to have to put in in the beginning. If you already know much of what's going on, then you can skim past those parts and get to what you do want to know. It covers everything from the bare basics of programming style and the language to the complex ideas of active x controls. In a word, this book is excellent. Just remember, as with any 1200 page technical book, you are going to have to invest time, you are going to have to do the excersises, and you are going to have to want to learn the material thoroughly, but you will walk a way with what you want to know and the ability to do what you want to do.
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