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Extending MFC Applications with the .NET Framework Review by T. Marshall
The best source for working VC++ programmers
I make a living writing C++ code. Like many other MFC developers, I have been reluctant to move into the .NET world. This book is the bridge I needed to make the change.
Most programming books are written by writers who live in some strange world where applications only contain code already well documented on MSDN. Tom Archer is one of those rare writers who actually knows what he is talking about and covers the code we need in the real world.
Aside from the obvious examples and topics in this book, I also got a lot from the little extras included by the author. This book is full of little time saving things I did not expect to find. One example is the Visual Studio App Wizard on the CD. This tool makes it very simple to start an MFC application with all the support you need for .NET already built in. That's a real-world savings for any professional programmer working in MFC & .NET.
Best Features
Step-by-step instructions for creating the example programs. These make great references when you have to write something similar.
Well thought-out examples. Close enough to real-world work to be helpful but small enough to be understandable.
Extras! The CD contains several tools including a cool custom App Wizard to create a .NET friendly MFC application.
Excellent coverage on XML and database operations. These are two important topics for a professional developer. This book doesn't include the typical (useless) school samples.
The chapter on regular expressions is great!
Could be Better
The index could be twice as large and still be too small.
Chapter 11 - Managing Your Managed Objects is not written in the same clear style as the rest of the book. Despite its name, this chapter is mostly about .NET collections. It reads more like MSDN documentation than Archer's usual writing.
Overall, this book is a clear winner for anyone who works in MFC and wants to use the .NET classes. It's a little pricey, but it will easily save you more than the cost in research time.