Programming Windows

About the book

Programming Windows is Charles Petzold's instructional guide to building applications for Microsoft Windows using the platform's native programming interfaces. Its subject is the practical craft of writing Windows programs: how an application registers with the system, creates windows, processes messages, and handles input and drawing.

Petzold wrote for programmers who needed to understand the platform at the level of its APIs rather than through a framework that hides them. The book's reputation rests on patient explanation and worked code examples, with attention to the message-driven model that distinguishes Windows programming from simpler console work. Readers encounter the mechanics of window procedures, device contexts, and the event loop as concrete pieces of a running program.

The book is also a historical document. Its editions track a period when Windows programming meant C and the Win32 or earlier APIs, before managed frameworks and cross-platform toolkits became common. That makes it useful both as instruction and as a record of how desktop software was built.

How to read it

Approach the book as a working manual. Type out or compile the examples rather than reading them passively; the explanations make most sense when matched to code that runs. Pay attention to the message-handling model early, because later material builds on it.

The prose is clear and unhurried, but the volume is long and the API surface is large. Expect to move slowly through the early chapters and to consult reference material alongside the text. Readers who already know C will have an easier time; those who do not should address that first.

Who it suits

This book suits programmers who want to understand how Windows applications work beneath the abstractions of modern frameworks, and who value direct contact with the platform's APIs. It also serves readers interested in the history of desktop software and in how technical writing explains a complex system. Beginners willing to work through code examples will find the early chapters accessible, provided they have some grounding in C.

Reading considerations

The platform has moved far beyond the APIs described here, so treat the material as a foundation and a historical account rather than a guide to current Windows development. Editions differ substantially in coverage, so check which version you have and which Windows releases it addresses before relying on specific details.