what after win32 api? and general programming advice!

what after win32 api? and general programming advice!

• Will Riley

  oh , thats a LOT~
  
  but u said :
  The .NET Framework v2.0 contains 8,056 types of which:
  5,390 are classes.
  504 are delegates.
  1,212 are enumerations.
  681 are interfaces.
  268 are structures.
  The .NET Framework v2.0 contains 112,212 members of which:
  7,460 are constructors.
  3,264 are events.
  15,184 are fields.
  66,802 are methods.
  19,502 are properties.
  
  
  hehe.. yea vb is good , i mean the BASIC syntax is pretty easy comapred to say the C syntax.About QBasic .. i started that when i was 11! we started qbasic at school .. but no one acutally understood it .. students used to fail most of the time.But helll i used to rock!!
  
  
  Anyway.... right now i still have to do that booking application(that'll be my last VB program).Also i'm doing Charles Petzolds : windows prorgamming .But what do i do after i finish win32 API. I have a few programs in mind (for VC) , i'm also gonna try and port some of my VB programs into VC. But then i do have to go further .Win32 API seems cumbersome to me.I mean that endless switch case for the mesages!! i heard MFC s supposed to get that off! .So first on my list is VC.(anyone know any good book for MFC)
  
  As for VB.NET and C# . i seem to dislike the BASIC syntax somehome.but then ppl say i have a VB6 background so i should go for VB.NET but then i also did learnt java!! yes ... i did!! at school! (and topped ) so that would help me do C# right And about other technologies , i did make a app. once with an interface designed completely in flash.. and then had the backend in VB.So things like using activeX , or dlls were pretty easy in VB6 , so is it like that in C# . In VC its almost impossible to do something like that!!(according to me) but i'll learn!!
  
  Finally , about server technology .. i tried doing ASP(vbscript) then PHP , but i did'nt end up learning much! So what server tech. would be useful with the NET framework.Is ASP.NET written in the BASIC syntax and wats the difference bet ween that and apsx!(or is it the same)
  
  
  
  
  

• ahmedilyas

  If you dislike the BASIC syntax and are more comfortable with C/C++/Java then C# all the way. Avoid Win32 where you can for GUI, it is GUI that has driven MS to create .NET (Console apps are pretty simple in all languages).

  Here's the skivy on .NET. For the most part .NET is a language agnostic platform accessible by several languages which comply with a standard of interoperability. That is to say that pretty much nothing is "written in the BASIC syntax" or C# or J#, though the online samples may often be written in one or the other.

  ASP.NET can be written easily in Basic or C#. J# is a very neglected Java interop language with limited abilities. It can often consume framework types but not define them, probably because those things don't exist in Java. But if you still want to play with the Win32 Api you can access it from .NET using platform invoke or if you want to be really fancy about it, through C++/CLI.

  In all honesty the Java experience and the VB experience will help you in .NET in general, but the generic C-style syntax will get you through the basics of C# more so that knowing Java. The C# language (and Basic for that matter) is rather simple to learn. It's the underlying platform that will take the most out of you and that's gonna be a leap in either language.

  ActiveX/COM Interop is supported in .NET in either language. ASPX is the extention of ASP.NET files, but if you're lazy like I am sometimes you'll call ASP.NET aspx because the letter x is cool.

  
  
  

• mesh2005

  Oh, as to how long it'll take. that all depends on you. I started programming at about 14 in QuickBasic. I moved to VB4 after maybe a year, was there for several more. Been in VB.NET for 2+ years now (I'm 22). It took me maybe 3 months to get the fever, 6 months to feel at home. I was certified in a year and I got my MCTS last month and every day is still a learning experience.

  The framework is huge. Using reflection to tally the parts that are accessible (Public, Protected) and not marked Obsoleted, not counting inherited members, in 2.0 I got:

  The .NET Framework v2.0 contains 8,056 types of which:
  5,390 are classes.
  504 are delegates.
  1,212 are enumerations.
  681 are interfaces.
  268 are structures.
  The .NET Framework v2.0 contains 112,212 members of which:
  7,460 are constructors.
  3,264 are events.
  15,184 are fields.
  66,802 are methods.
  19,502 are properties.

  Not to mention the Compact Framework's special libraries and considerations and then learning not just how to use the framework but to use it WELL (in terms of speed and memory and all that other software wisdom of design and practice). Add on the peripheral technologies: WMI, MSMQ, RegEx, XML, XSLT, SQL, the Win32 API, .NET 3.0 (formerly WinFX) upcoming. If you do ASP.NET work then XHTML, JavaScript, CSS, XSL. If you do networking you might have some TCP/IP, HTTP considerations. Managed DirectX and XNA (C++/CLI if you learn it). CIL and ASM when you learn them, profiling, nUnit testing, etc, etc...

  Considering that and that some of those methods are overloads I'd say it'll be a while before you know it all, haha, but a journey of a thousand classes begins with a single field...

  
  
  

• martona

  hehe, those are losts of questions :)

  U din't mention vb.net or c#.net ... in case u know one of these languages i would say, use them for your booking program ...

  I also started programming when i was 16 (VB4) After VB6 i started learning VB.NET, later C#.net (allmost the same, only different syntax) and C++

  I must say, i NEVER use C++ for application with GUI (just learned c++ for my game engine project) If u need lots of forms and stuff in your application ure application will be finished much faster when using .NET applications, only disadvantage on .NET applications is that clients need the .NET framework ... most pc's should have this allready now

  So for your booking application i would advice using vb.net or c#.net (maybe c++.net)

  For jobs i'm not so sure UK would be the right choise ... I also learned programming as a hobby ... i allready worked in belgium, netherlands and uk .... none of these countries are easy to get a job even when u got a degree ... at this moment there are to much people who are programming for the number of jobs available.

  So my advice is: don't move to a country cause u think u can get a job there easy ... nowaday there are enough sites offering jobs all over the world. So first find a job trough these sites, then move to the country where your job is located. This way u are sure of an incomme when u move to the country.

  
  

• Rups11

  Just so the guys back home in the VB Dev center don't revoke my membership, I forgot to mention: Definately go with VB 2005 (and nothing less, Generics ROCK). It is the most awesomenest language ever and is WAAAAAY better than C#. VB RULES!
  
  

• Vladimir Sapronov

  Yes, Windows 98 supports .NET Framework (all versions). Windows 95 does not.
  

• rpreston

  Win32 will be important until ever aspect of it is Managed (good luck on that one). But it's still important to learn managed code to use more productive and safer tools when available. And managed languages still have their P/Invoke and interop with Mixed C++ assemblies.

  That said. VB.NET or C# is fine but pick ONE to start with and stick with it until you are very comfortable with the framework, type system, CLR, IL, etc. Once you appreciate the underlying platform picking up the syntax of the other (or even C++/CLI) will be laughably easy (especially with your background).

  You might want to take a few weeks to play around in both of them. Write the same application (I recommend your favorite board game - like Chess) in both of them to get a feel for it. Then pick one and floor it. If your more confortable in VB6 than in C then VB.NET might work for you, but C# is definately less irritating than any other language in its whole family.

  
  
  

• ~rabin

  To NIGTHMARE_TB:   hey, thanx so much for the advice.Oh i guessed it would be like that in other countirres but i really need to leave india .. so i'll try what u said!Yea i'm gonna start VB.NET soon or do u think i should go for C# .Also  I did'nt think it was so common for ppl at 15-16 to start programming!or is it or maybe its just like that in my country!
  
  To : TED : oh i did'nt know that.. yea i had to download the whole PSDK for VCE 2005.yea i think i'll try to get a higher version.
  
  a few more questions .. does win 98 or 95 support the .NET framwwork! most computers in india have old computers with equally old software!
  
  also how long do u think it would take to move to from vb6 to VB.NET.I have OReilly.Visual.Basic.2005.in.a.Nutshell.3rd.Edition.
  
  thanks!!!
  
  Gideon
  
  
  
  
  

• Xadja

  I would say Win32 API is still very important and will continue to be important for many years to come.

  Visual C++ Express Edition is not the best tool to do Win32 programming. If you can afford it, try to get Standard Edition or higher. What you get that is missing in Express Edition is:

  - Platform SDK built-in (can download this for Express separately)

  - MFC/ATL libraries - will make Win32 and COM programming much easier

  - A Win32 Resource Editor. It's important to be able to edit resources (dialogs, bitmaps, icons, menus, etc) graphically and Express simply does not include this tool.

  
  

• xRuntime

  I suggest you install dev-cpp (search for it on www.msn.com for its website).  Then go to [menu]Tools->Check for updates/packages.  Then download API's like SDL or Allegro.  Check mark and update the ones you are interested in trying out.

  [Menu]File->New Project will give you a template of the package downloaded, and in the directory dev-cpp is installed will have subfolders that contains the help files.  Examples are in the example folder here too.

  Then msn search the API's you liked from dev-cpp.  Once found, read instructions on how to download them and install them for Microsoft Visual C++.

  Myself:  I started programming when I was 13 or so in qbasic, and graduated to C++ when I was 15 (though using Win31 and old Win API).  When I got 95 (98 had just came out), Visual Basic all the way... 

  if databases are what you are interested in, I prefer Visual Basic .NET over all others. 

  Games and speed are still C/C++ domain.  Pick up a good book or tutorial on Data Structures if your interested in this type of stuff. 

  I've read Sam's Visual C++ 6 Unleashed at my library, and it had an excellent coverage of Microsoft's MFC (Which is what the entire book was).  I'm sure they have an updated version for Visual C++ 2005. 

  wtl API also might help, as it is kind of a "Mimic" API of the MFC which has less overhead, but works better when you need speed over power.

  
  

• tapir

  Hie , sorry i took so long... i'm busy making that booking application =) .. anyway . i got Sam's teach yourself visual C++ .NET 2005. Its wonderfull..!! i havn;t started the book yet .. just went through it quick... also i have'nt got time to get dev.cpp yet.. but i will try it. Thanks so much u guys.. i really appreciate the help and advice!
  
  (last question , i promise!) how did you'll get certified TamusJRoyce , you said graduated to C++ when I was 15" .. it there some way to get certified online for anything. in india here .. courses cost just too much and they dont have a TEST .. they ONLY have 2 - 4 month courses and they test u in the end  , so u pay for the whole thing!
  
  Thx again! =)
  
  
  
• what after win32 api? and general programming advice!