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From: hadgraft@civeng.monash.edu.au (Roger Hadgraft)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Considering using Windows
Message-ID: <10813@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au>
Date: 14 Nov 89 10:35:45 GMT
References: <3288@hydra.gatech.EDU> <246400034@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Sender: cie590l@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (Hadgraft)
Organization: Civil Engineering, Monash University, Australia
Lines: 32

In article <246400034@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>, mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>>  2) Is writing for Windows/286 quite different from Windows/386 or is
>>     it just a matter of recompiling for a different target environment?
>
>   Once again, from all the docs I have access to (SDK, Petzold), there is
>   no difference whether you are programming for windows/386 or 286, as far
>   as a typical *windows* program goes - they both offer non-premptive
>   multitasking and full memory managment (of sorts, still limited to 640K)
>   Your program for windows/286 should run as is on win/386.

It was my understanding that Win386 uses preemptive multi-tasking. It will
timeslice between applications while Win286 will not.

>
>>  3) What's the learning curve for Windows software development for
>>     someone who knows MS C and Assembler well?
>
>   Learning curve is very high if you include time it takes to earn the money
>   to start learning! ( ~ $500 for the SDK, ~$120 for a secondary monitor and
>   mono card for debugging). But, kidding aside, I myself picked it up this
>   summer and didn't find it too difficult. However, Petzold's book,
>   Programming Windows, is a must, I think. While the SDK docs are fairly good,
>   it would be hard to find a place to *start* using the SDK.

I found the easiest way to get started was to start with one of the many sample
programs and modify it to include one or more additional functions. This way you
can learn a bit and hopefully finish up with some useful utility at the end.
--
Roger Hadgraft                  |  hadgraft@civeng.monash.edu.au
Lecturer in Civil Engineering   |  phone:  +61 3 565 4983
Monash University               |  fax:    +61 3 565 3409
Clayton, Vic. 3168. Australia.  |