Programming Windows with C# (Core Reference)

Amazon.com
Aimed at aspiring C# programmers of all levels, legendary Windows expert Charles Petzold's Programming Windows with C# provides an extremely in-depth and intelligent tutorial to the APIs underpinning Microsoft's .NET Framework.

For a generation of programmers, Petzold's Programming Windows: The Definitive Guide to the Win32 API provided a virtual bible on how to get started with Windows development. This massive, handsomely bound hardcover edition attempts the same breadth of coverage for Microsoft's new C# language and the new .NET. With several examples clearly inspired by the earlier C title, this book demonstrates the author's keen eye for showing off and explaining the capabilities of low-level APIs to good effect.

The book first outlines basic "Hello World" examples for both a console and Windows Forms. Next, there's coverage of basic support classes (like points and rectangles) before turning toward using these structures in extensive sections on graphics programming. Petzold's traditional strengths as a computer author are in ample evidence here, with many short examples that exercise the capabilities of the new .NET APIs.

Veteran readers will recognize the basic shape of the early Win32 title in the organization of this (completely rewritten) C# version in the flow of topics from graphics, keyboard, mouse and timers, and the like. (One production note here is that the order of later chapters does jump around somewhat, circling back to graphics topics several times instead of presenting related APIs in order.)

The sections on graphics transforms and how to manipulate images are worthy of note. There's excellent coverage of the possibilities of working with text and fonts output in .NET. Nifty working samples for several types of clocks and shape-drawing demos will let you explore graphical APIs in detail.

Several chapters cover basic Windows Forms control programming with buttons, labels, and edit controls and then splitters, ListView, and TreeView controls. This volume closes out with references to files and streams, and math and string APIs. For any developer who wants to create state-of-the-art, "traditional" client-side software, this book is sure to be required reading for its in-depth look at graphics and other leading-edge .NET features. It proves once again that learning low-level APIs in detail is still a good way to learn Windows programming. --Richard Dragan

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
C# and .NET were made for each other. So, it seems, were Windows and Charles Petzold. Petzold's Programming Windows, first published in 1988 and now in its fifth edition, has been the most authoritative guide to Windows development for one generation of programmers after another. Now, it's joined by a new classic: his new Programming Microsoft Windows with C#.

Web apps get the hype nowadays; Petzold focuses elsewhere: on the powerful .NET Windows Forms tools that enable state-of-the-art Windows development. Whether you're building traditional standalone "client" apps or front-ends for distributed systems, he guides you through the "Windows" side of .NET with unprecedented depth and insight.

This isn't "Harry Potter" coding: No wizards allowed. Petzold doesn't even use the Windows Forms Designer: It can take you only so far, he says, and if you don't understand how to manually code your controls, you'll be up a creek without a paddle. Prepare to get your hands dirty.

Petzold begins with the basics of Windows Forms, the essential data types required to program graphical applications, and the basics of text output. Then, he moves on to the two large collections of .NET framework classes -- user and graphics -- that encompass the "visual" aspects of Windows development. While these can be traced all the way back to Windows 1.0, they've been refined again -- and, of course, C# and .NET change how you get at them.

On the "graphics" side of the house, the book's systematic coverage includes lines, curves, fills, pages, transforms, text, fonts, images, bitmaps, B￯﾿ﾽzier curves, paths, regions, clipping, brushes, pens, fonts, printing, and vector graphic metafiles. On the UI side, he starts with mouse and keyboard programming (showing how to provide the oft-neglected keyboard equivalents, and raising a few thorny issues that seem to require recourse to the old Win32 API). Next, he covers all the GUI elements of a modern Windows application: buttons, labels, scrolling, dialog boxes, edit, list, and spin boxes, toolbars, status bars, tree views, list views, clipboards, and more.

One more note: Whether you're writing Windows or web apps, you'll often find yourself dealing with file I/O, floating-point mathematics, and string manipulation. Each are significantly changed in the C#/.NET environment. Failing to find reliable guides to them, Petzold has written his own and included them as appendices.

As Windows programming continues to evolve, one thing fortunately remains constant: Charles Petzold's still there to explain it to us -- brilliantly. (Bill Camarda)

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer with nearly 20 years' experience in helping technology companies deploy and market advanced software, computing, and networking products and services. He served for nearly ten years as vice president of a New Jersey–based marketing company, where he supervised a wide range of graphics and web design projects. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Get the expert guidance you need to take full advantage of Microsoft .NET with Windows Forms.

"Look it up in Petzold" remains the last word on Windows development. In this .NET-ready Windows programming guide, the best-selling author shows you how to get the most out of Windows Forms￯﾿ﾽthe next-generation Windows programming class library. You'll discover how to use C# to create dynamic user interfaces and graphical outputs for Windows applications. With dozens of examples of client applications to illustrate common techniques and plenty of no-nonsense advice on best programming practices, you'll be C# sharp in no time.

Topics covered in this guide include: A tour of C# Windows Forms Essential structures An exercise in text output Lines, curves, and area fills Tapping into the keyboard Pages and transforms Taming the mouse Text and fonts The timer and time Images and bitmaps Buttons, labels, and scrolls B￯﾿ﾽziers and other splines Menus Paths, regions, and clipping Dialog boxes Brushes and pens Edit, list, and spin controls Font fun Toolbars and status bars Printing Tree view and List view Metafiles Clip, drag, and drop Included on CD-ROM: Sample source code for all the examples presented in the book

SYNOPSIS