Amazon.co.uk Review
If you want to do serious Windows programming, you'll eventually need to work directly with the Windows applications programming interface (API), but that need not mean resorting to C or C++ to write your code; vast portions of the Win32 API are accessible to Visual Basic applications. In this 1,500-plus page tome, Appleman walks through the basic concepts of the Win32 API in terms that a VB programmer will understand--and offers extensive advice on translating the C-oriented documentation of the Win32 API so you can keep up with its constant evolution. He follows with a categorised function reference with ample explanatory text and numerous code samples to illustrate real-world applications of the API. Bottom line: If you need to extend VB beyond its core functionality, this is a book you'll want within arm's reach at all times.

Synopsis
Beginning Windows programmers who are programming in Visual Basic should find this book useful. It is intended to be a definitive reference for Visual Basic Programmers using the Win32 API's.

3 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   Actually Useful - something of a first, 7 Jan 1999 By A Customer This book shares an attribute with a very few and select group computer books. It is Actually Useful. Unlikely I know - but there it is. It would not have been able to complete my last project (converting Postcript to TIFF (via the Ghostscript DLL's) and delivering the results using FTP) without it.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   This book demistifies the API for high level programmers, 13 Nov 1998 By A Customer Appleman's book has become the defacto reference for VB/VBA programmers when calling the API. If, like me, you are a VB programmer who is not too concerned with the "inside-workings" of the API, then this book allows you to find the right call and get it working quickly  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   Great reference, if you like reading the dictionary., 1 May 1998 By A Customer I rate a book primarily on the index, and this reference has the mother of them all. But, it doesn't point you to specific pages that show an EXAMPLE, only the page that has the DESCRIPTION. So you may know that you need to use SetWindowPos, and you know what it does, but you need the example, the index is useless for that. I didn't count, but it seems that there are only examples in the book for about 75% of the API calls. I realize that is a significant amount, but what about the other 25%? If you need an example, you need an example, and a self-proclaimed "Programmer's Guide to the Win32 API" shouldn't have gaping holes. I have the book, but it's sitting in a corner with "Teach Yourself Database Programming with VB5 In 21 Days". I prefer to talk to people on newsgroups or IRC to get samples of API calls. At least that way I can question what's going on and get interactive help, and I know it's going to be relevant.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 3 customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

• Computers & Internet > Databases > Database Design & Theory
• Computers & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools
• Computers & Internet > Programming > Microsoft Windows > Win32 API