This book is sure to reveal new information to those with Windows programming experience--most of which has to do with the new tools available to Windows programmers. The authors explain COM and Active Template Library (ATL). In learning about those things, you absorb information about ActiveX technologies, database programming, and Microsoft's Internet facilities. Additionally, this guide is still the best around for those who want to put well-behaved windows on the screen, fill them with controls, and have them perform useful functions. Illumination of the Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) has traditionally been this book's strong point, and the coverage of MFC 6 in this edition upholds the tradition.

Throughout, illustrative code translates well to real-world projects (particularly since it all appears on a companion CD-ROM). Each example tackles a particular task, such as how to use a persistent frame window class or how to refer to the contents of Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs). --David Wall