Rating: 
Summary: A very good book for programmers learning C++
Review: If you read the remaining reviews of this book, you will probably be surprised and confused by the extreme opinions expressed. To help you decide whether this book is worth your time and money, I offer these observations:C++ is a very complex programming language written BY advanced programmers FOR advanced programmers. NO AUTHOR CAN MAKE C++ PROGRAMMING EASY. However, it is my opinion that Mr. Horton does an excellent job presenting a well-rounded overview of Visual C++ programming in this book. Be warned. This book is NOT for you if: -You have never programmed before -You have written a few Visual Basic programs that have a couple dozen lines of code in them -You expect this book to tell you everything that there is to know about Visual C++, MFC, ATL, Windows, COM, DLLs, memory management, enterprise development, etc., etc. (No single book can do all these things.) However, this book may be a good choice for you if: -You have written some fairly advanced programs in languages like Visual Basic, and love the challenge of programming -You have the patience to read a 1200 page book slowly and carefully, and are willing to write sample programs to reinforce your learning -You need a systematic, thoughtful overview of Visual C++ so you can start down the very long path to proficiency I use this book when teaching my college-level C++ programming classes, and my students do struggle. But they struggle with the complexities of C++ and MFC, not with the book. I find no fault in the book itself. Please try to distinguish those reviewers who criticize the language from those who criticize the book. I hope you find my comments useful.
Rating:
Summary: Save your hard earned money!
Review: be smart and buy a VC++ book that is for beginners. i bought this book, read a few chapters and took it back. beginner's book my a..
Rating:
Summary: This book is the best i have ever read
Review: Upon reading this book, i was at first confused, so i went and got another book and relized that Ivor Horton has the best methods to teaching programming, i quickly went back to this book and learned more vc++ then anyother book has taught me, you gotta buy this book if you are confused on ANYTHING!
Rating: 
Summary: New MFC classes are not even mentioned
Review: For a C++ programmer, who is new to Visual C++ 6, but not to C++, this book is quite useless. The new MFC classes, such as CMonthCalCtrl or CDateTimePicker, are not even mentioned in the book, so don't look for them. The dialog chapter (Chapter 17) seems to be recycled from previous versions of the book, with new screen shots inserted instead of the old ones, but the rest just covering basics that any C++ programmer doesn't need to be taught. I think a much better book is SAMS Teach Yourself Visual C++6 in 21 days. At least it has all classes and members functions indexed.
Rating:
Summary: Good teacher for all levels of programmers
Review: It started out kind of slow from a somewhat experienced programmer's perspective, but not knowing anything about Visual C++ beforehand, this book really got me off the ground. If you're expecting to learn everything you can about MFC, then you'll need another book. This one is great for getting started with Visual C++ and even getting the basics for making Windows Apps.
Rating: 
Summary: if you are absolutely new to programming, then get this book
Review: I am a computer science student deciding to teach my self the language befor I take the class. As the books claims, beginning C++. And it serves its purpose well as a beginning tool to learning C++. However, after spending time reading this book, you will end up with a superficial understanding of the language. As such, your depth with reference to C++ will be lacking. You will have gained an understanding of the C++ syntax but not neccesarily the language and its concepts. For more rewarding and challenging books, I first suggest Dr. stroustrup 'The C++ programming language' and as a compliment 'C++ how to program' by the deitels. Warning! You will be challenged.
Rating:
Summary: Very similar to Beginning Visual C++ 5 from same author.
Review: Good book, very comprehensive skill being covered. But very repetitive from previous book Beginning Visual C++ 5. Need clarification from chapter 14 about the use of pointers in windows programming. Here are some clarification as I extracted from the coding. Beginning Visual C++ 6 Ivor Horton Chapter 14 Skills: 1. Object calling another object's function through a pointer. (Ex. pDoc->GetElement( ), m_pTempElement->Draw( ) function.) 2. Object can create another object based on a conditional ID_"event" nested inside the conditional move function. (Ex. switch(pDoc->GetElement( )) {...} 3. Get a pointer to a currently present object and use it to call the object's function. (Ex. CSketcherDoc* pDoc = GetDocument( ) // a function inherited from CView class.) 4. How one object can communicate or pass object or variable to another via a pointer. (Ex. m_pTempElement = CreateElement( ) // a function inside the CSketcherView object.) Page 569 In CsketcherView Object Call OnMouseMove( ) funtion { //Created m_pTempElement pointer to be pointed to selected CElement subclass object base on option selected from CSketcherDoc object's menu ID_event. CreateElement( ) is a function inside CsketcherView objectt hat return a new CElement sublcass pointer and create a new CElement sublcass object based on subclass in the class CElement being selected from CSketcherDoc event passed. { m_pTempElement = CreateElement( ); //This executes. Call CreateElement ( ) function in //CsketcherView object/class. m_pTempElement->Draw(&aDC); } } CElement* CsketcherView::CreateElement( ) { CSketcherDoc* pDoc = GetDocument(); // make call to GetDocument() Function which //return pointer pointing to the current CSketcherDoc //object. This executes. A function inherited from CView //class. switch(pDoc->GetElementType( )) // Then, CSketcherDoc object's GetElementType() //function executes through the pDoc pointer. { case LINE: { //content of LINE block goes here. ;} //The rest of the conditional code here execute based on the return value from GetElementType( ) //function ;} In CSketcherDoc object, the GetElementType( ) funtion executes. Class Csketcher: public Cdocument { ... // some content in page 572. // Operations WORD GetElementType( ) //Then the GetElementType( ) Function executes, { return m_Element; } // thus return the value of m_Element being selected on the //menu bar. Now get back to the CSketcherView object. The CreateElement( ) function receive the value inside the switch( ) function CElement* CsketcherView::CreateElement( ) { CSketcherDoc* pDoc = Getdocument(); // make call to GetDocument() Function which return //pointer pointing to the current CSketcherDoc object. switch(pDoc->GetElementType( )) // The switch ( ) function then executes based on return //from CSketcherDoc object's GetElementType( ) function //from the pDoc pointer. Now executes... { //The rest of the conditional code here execute based on the return value from GetElementType( ) //function case LINE: //***This case executes if returned m_Element is LINE. { return new CLine (m_FirstPoint, m_SecondPoint, pDoc->GetElementColor( )); // This executes. The code returns and creates a new CLine object. To be //passed back to the to CSketcherView object's OnMouseMove( ) function //based on the ID_mouse_move event. } case OTHERS: {... ;} ;} Now, return to the CSketcherView object. Execute the OnMouseMove( ) function. CsketcherView::OnMouseMove( ) //Just received the newly created CLine object { Created m_pTempElement pointer to be pointed to object CElement selected from CSketcherDoc object, CreateElement( ) is a function inside CsketcherView. CreateElement( ) is a function to return a pointer and create a new object based on subclass in the class CElement being selected from CSketcherDoc event passed. { codes before... m_pTempElement = CreateElement( ); //This has executed. CreateElement ( ) function //created the Cline object based on the new CLine object //pointer returned. m_pTempElement->Draw(&aDC); //Now call the new CLine object's Draw( ) function. delete m_pTempElement; //Delete the used CLine object through the CLine object pointer. m_pTempElement = 0; //Reset the pointer to address 0. } }
Rating:
Summary: The Example in Using MFC for Window is too complicate
Review: Up to chapter 12 is very good for beginners( As book title says). But when MFC is introduced with one big example which spans over five chapters, I am already confused with its complexity. It would be better if short many examples were used to build a window with MFC. After all, book's title is "Beginning...", which sounds to me "Beginners...", but the chapter 13 thru 18( very important part of C++) weren't for beginners at all eventhough the author did very good detailed writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Beginners Book
Review: If you are looking to learn how to use Visual C++, this is the book. Horton does an excellent job coverring the language, being easy to understand and thorough. If you have experience in any other high-level language, such as Visual Basic, Delphi/Pascal, etc., you should have no trouble with this book. My only complaint would be that the MFC section isn't the greatest, however if you don't want to learn MFC, there is Beginning C++.
Rating: 
Summary: Caution Beginners!!
Review: This book is DEFINTELY not for beginners, well, those new to C++ should just borrow this book from a friend and read the first 12 chapters. It is not worth buying and carrying from the book store to your table, it's freaking heavy anyway. Looks like Ivor had a "Memory leak" when he started to write chapter 13 and beyond. I was so disappointed after having spent time on the first 12 chapters only to throw the book away.
| 
