Win32 API Programming with Visual Basic

By Steven Roman

The Win32 API, or Application Programming Interface, is of immense use in extending the power of Visual Basic. The Win32 API is the collection of functions and subroutines that provides programmatic access to the features of the operating system. It allows Visual Basic programmers far greater access to the inner workings of the Windows operating system without having to suffer through the steep learning curve associated with Visual C++ style Windows programming. The book is designed for users with an intermediate-level (or higher) knowledge of Visual Basic version 4 or later and a desire to stretch VB into the realm of Windows system programming. Users do not need any background in Visual C++, nor do they need any previous experience programming the Win32 API. This book teaches users how to do relatively simple tasks, such as adding tab stops to a list box and gathering system information (i.e., which version of Windows is running on a system and the number of buttons on the user's mouse). It also teaches users about several advanced programming techniques such as synchronizing two VB applications so they can work in cooperation with each other and how to extract data from controls that belong to another application. Win32 API Programming with Visual Basic also spends a good deal of time describing the basic operations of the Windows NT and Windows 95/98 operating systems. Microsoft's documentation seldom takes into account what the reader knows or does not know. Hence, a solid grounding in the basics of the Windows operating systems will help VB programmers to better understand Microsoft's documentation. This book helps VB programmers eliminate the trial and error process that is usually associated with calling the Win32 API from Visual Basic and does so in a practical, straightforward fashion that is the hallmark of author Steve Roman's style.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1565926315
• ISBN13: 9781565926318
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 534 Pages
• Weight: 1.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Great book for starters

This book in no way is a reference book or a how-to book. This book is designed for people who don't have previous knowledge about windows architecture and windows API.I find this book as a fantastic tool since it gives me initiative and direction to understand the overall picture. I can use the knowledge that I gained in this book and know what I can do with win32 API. I also purchased the dan appleman's book for win32 api...

Meticulous survey of ALL Intricacies of WIN32 for VB

This is a very hard book (for VB programmer with no C experience) BY NECESSITY. Normally, you would like the programming book to have some explanation and plenty of code examples. In the case of Win32 APIfor VB programmer, once you get all the intricacies, you just need to find the API function from API viewer applet that comes with Visual Studio. Why is the book hard by necessity?C and VB have enough differences (e.g...

Packed with useful information

This is an excellent book to learn about Windows from a developer's perspective. It has the most lucid explanations I've read on the Windows operating system, covering topics such as processes, threads, synchronization, memory architecture, Windows messages, DLL injection and device contexts. There is a whole chapter dedicated to strings where the author cleary explains ALL types of strings used in Windows (there are very...

EXCELLENT VB INFO

EXCELLENT COVERAGE OF THE WAY VB WORKS WITH REGARD TO THE WIN32 API

Great API book that explains details in interesting manner

This is a great VB API book. I think it ranks up there with Appleman's books. But this book is different. It is actually fun to read and yet at the same time it covers the important detail. Somehow it makes the details easy to read and fun.This book does a GREAT job of going behind the scenes in the Windows operating system. There's lots of good information about how Windows manages things and then how to work around...