Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition Programming for the Absolute Beginner (For the Absolute Beginner)

Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition Programming for the Absolute Beginner focuses on teaching first time programmers how to program using Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition as a foundation language. Written for the entry-level user, the book assumes no prior programming or scripting experience. Whether you are a new or experienced C++ developer, this book delivers the tools and libraries you need to write a variety of programs. Written in a straight-forward style, using a games-based approach that makes learning beginning-level programming fun and easy, Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition Programming for the Absolute Beginner is the perfect introductory programming book.

User review
Stay away there are much better books
I debated whether or not to give this book one or two stars. I guess I'm just a nice guy.

This book is full of errors and has examples that are way too long to prove their point. It spends most of it's time demonstrating slick little features of VC++ 2005 express and not enough time teaching basics of programming. It's the type of book that DeVry or the University of Phoenix would pick for one of their classes to con you into thinking you're learning programming. I've gone to both, I know what I'm talking about.

Also, vc++ 2005 express has a few bugs and lousy debugging. I could go into more detail about what's wrong with the book but the editors at Course should've done their job and I'm not going to do it for them.

Even the quote from a reviewer for the Dr. Dobb's Journal on the front cover is deceptive. It praises the book series and not the book itself. That should've been a red flag for me but I wasn't paying attention.

This book is a waist of time.

User review
Dont even think about it
Iam going to refrain from using certain words but this is the worse book i have every read. This is not for beginners. Doesn't really explain anything clearly. It just tells you to input the code and some of it doesn't even work. get another book

User review
C++ Express is a good introduction to windows development.
I am a Visual Basic novice programmer that wanted to learn how to do the same task in Visual C++. This book provides a good introduction. It does not cover some of the topics that are needed to have a solid understanding of the features of the Visual development enviroment such as connecting to databases, deploying your finished appliction, or using multi interface forms. Nevertheless, I recommend it for someone that wants to get a quick grasp of how to use the Visual develoment features. The book does not teach hard core C++. If you want to learn how to build windows applications this book is what you want.

I must warn everyone that the error list (Errata sheet) that is needed for this book is very long. I am amazed that the publisher allowed this book to be released with the amount of errors in this book. I spent a considerable amount of time correcting errors. I even had to correct the code in one of the programs for the book that I downloaded from the publisher's web site! One error is so extensive that I could not simply write the corrections in the book. I had to print it out and leave the page in the book. The amount of errors was a big disappointment.

I read in the other reviews about the amount of errors in this book. However, I could not find any other books on the express edition of Visual C++; so, I ordered this one.

User review
Good book for begginers !!!!
I would recommend the book for begginners and people interested to learn from zero how to program in Visual C++. It should be the first programming language book to someone starting to study Visaul C++

User review
What a mess!
This is the worst computer book I have bought in some time. It's biggest problem is typos and errors. There are several pages of errata on the web site and I've found another several pages as I have worked through the example programs in the book. The book also has examples that are way too long to make the point that needs to be made to learn what is featured in a given chapter. The book is also very disorganized. The authors continually refer to information that they are going to explain in future chapters but they never really do. The book also really doesn't explain a lot of what is going on. The book is very basic but someone without programming experience is not going to have their questions answered. I would strongly recommend people try another book.