Amazon.co.uk Review
For those with a yen to take Visual Basic beyond the creation of on-screen forms, controls and dialogue boxes it's necessary to tackle the API head-on. The Windows API (Application Programming Interface) provides a variety of methods to gain access to the inner workings of the operating system, cutting out the electronic "middlemen" often invisibly employed by languages like Visual Basic to help software execute properly on the host machine.
For such a complex subject author Jason Bock has adopted a very relaxed style of writing, designed to entertain and inform as he explains the core concepts behind the API rather than plunging into thousands of pages of exacting detail on every switch of every call. Tying code samples in with real-world situations helps the reader to rationalise what's going on without getting tied up in knots over vague and unhelpful abstract examples. Bock's running theme, which involves the creation of a custom encryption routine, pulls all of the strands of this interesting topic together into a rather pleasant bundle.
The possibilities for failure in a book designed to introduce the Windows API could have been huge. The examples could have been unhelpful and the overall tone could have been cold. Happily it's none of these things. For VB programmers looking to stretch their legs and challenge the operating system to do something more than usual this is an invaluable guide.
Synopsis
Win32 API calls from Visual Basic 6 - allowing the VB programmer to access the powerful repertoire of API calls available when programming in Windows. Visual Basic does an excellent job of letting developers build sophisticated Windows applications in a relatively short amount of time. This allows one to quickly build prototypes for end-users to evaluate and test, which can accelerate the development cycle. However, this ease of use does have its disadvantages. By shielding the programmer from the low-level Win32 calls, he or she may not be able to optimize certain functions or perform some tasks that the users have requested. Unless a programmer has started his or her career developing Windows applications in a lower level language like C or Pascal, they may be unfamiliar with the API calls that can be made to the OS. This can lead to frustration or confusion in using an API procedure that may behave unexpectedly. This book addresses the newcomer to VB who is just starting to learn how to code within the environment, and give them clear explanations to the Win32 calls within a project application. The text is aimed at Visual Basic programmers who have some experience with programming, and who want to exploit the resources of the Windows environment. Since the primary focus of the book is on the Win32 API, the reader should be able to use either VB4 32-bit or VB6, except for the sections on callbacks. Also, the calls will be limited to 32 bit calls - no 16 bit calls are addressed. The author handles any knowledge of building components to encapsulate API functionality - it will not be a requirement of the reader to understand COM at any level
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