Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • World
  • Users
  • Groups
Skins
  • Light
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Code Project
  1. Home
  2. The Lounge
  3. Is MSDN the best doc. ever ?

Is MSDN the best doc. ever ?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Lounge
oraclecomjsonquestiondiscussion
32 Posts 13 Posters 0 Views 1 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • M Michael P Butler

    Why doesn't the company you work for invest more in development tools? It's been a long time since I've come across a company in the UK who didn't have an up-to-date MSDN subscription. It became one of my standard interview questions, Do you use MSDN. If they don't, I'd probably turn the job down unless they were interested in getting it. If I were you I'd go and demand a bigger monitor and an MSDN subscription right now. :-D Michael :-)

    K Offline
    K Offline
    Kannan Kalyanaraman
    wrote on last edited by
    #17

    I live/Work in India and my comp. has a universal msdn subscription but even otherwise for companies paying subscription everyyear is still a costly affair. But a medium size company can afford it considering all the ms goodies that come along with the subscription. Cheers Kannan

    M N 2 Replies Last reply
    0
    • K Kannan Kalyanaraman

      I live/Work in India and my comp. has a universal msdn subscription but even otherwise for companies paying subscription everyyear is still a costly affair. But a medium size company can afford it considering all the ms goodies that come along with the subscription. Cheers Kannan

      M Offline
      M Offline
      Michael P Butler
      wrote on last edited by
      #18

      I can't imagine developing without it. I don't see how any company that develops for the Windows platform can do with out it. To me, it is one of the first things that a development team should have. In fact, it was the first purchase I made when I set-up my own company. I could barely afford it but knew that it was an essential purchase. I just made sure that I didn't pay myself a full wage that first month. Michael :-)

      N 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • C CodeGuy

        MSDN is super for examples, but I think the Java documentation is slightly better for documenting classes and methods. The Java docs are terrible for examples though, which is really what you end up needing most of the time. I think what MSDN excels at is task-oriented documentation, like "How to change the color of a static control" and things like that. Re Stroustrup: For anything coherent about STL, I sure don't recommend Stroustrup. Josuittis is much better. I also noticed a lot of people recommending Austern, although I don't like his book as much. I'm not down on Stroustrup at all; it's just that I like people to get a good view of STL, and that means steering them toward good resources. CodeGuy The WTL newsgroup: over 1100 members! Be a part of it. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wtl

        M Offline
        M Offline
        Michael P Butler
        wrote on last edited by
        #19

        The one thing I used to get annoyed at was the large number of examples that were for VB only. It seems to have got better for providing good examples in both VB and C++ for the newer technologies. Of course, in a couple of years all the examples will be for C# :-D Michael :-)

        J 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • M Michael P Butler

          The one thing I used to get annoyed at was the large number of examples that were for VB only. It seems to have got better for providing good examples in both VB and C++ for the newer technologies. Of course, in a couple of years all the examples will be for C# :-D Michael :-)

          J Offline
          J Offline
          jkgh
          wrote on last edited by
          #20

          Converting from VB to C is fairly easy, but the other way round isn't always so. So I don't mind much. Initially all .Net examples were in C# on MSDN and now almost every example given is in Visual Fred (http://www.mvps.org/vb/index2.html?rants/vfred.htm).

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • N Nish Nishant

            Yeah it would. Multiply each US dollar with 47 to get the cost in Indian Rupees and then try and map that with this fact - Indian software engineers earn between 8,000 - 15,000 Indian rupees per month Nish Sonork ID 100.9786 voidmain www.busterboy.org If you don't find me on CP, I'll be at Bob's HungOut

            J Offline
            J Offline
            jkgh
            wrote on last edited by
            #21

            .. but a single library subscription $200 can be used by your whole company I think. I can't remember if you are allowed to install it at home.

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • D Daniel Turini

              IMHO, yes! When I document the API functions of my software Crivo I always deliberately copy MSDN style, because I think it rocks! But what do you think ? It's common people saying 'MS does not documment well their API functions', 'The examples are idiot!', 'It' very hard to use', 'The GetWadaWadaName() function documentation sucks'. Why they say this ? Only to attack MS monopoly or because they really don't like MSDN style ? If they don't like it, what do they like ? Ok, maybe I'm not that experienced with other platforms. I never saw a better documentation than MSDN in my whole life. My experience with Sun, Oracle, IBM and Sybase docs are a nightmare! Can someone point me a software documentation better than MSDN ? Of course, don't want you to point me to a 3 page doc about a 5 funcion-point software. Crivo Automated Credit Assessment

              N Offline
              N Offline
              Nemanja Trifunovic
              wrote on last edited by
              #22

              MSDN is great, but Borland C++ 3.1 had the best docs I've ever seen. Every single function had a nice example of use. I vote pro drink :beer:

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • N Nish Nishant

                Yeah it would. Multiply each US dollar with 47 to get the cost in Indian Rupees and then try and map that with this fact - Indian software engineers earn between 8,000 - 15,000 Indian rupees per month Nish Sonork ID 100.9786 voidmain www.busterboy.org If you don't find me on CP, I'll be at Bob's HungOut

                R Offline
                R Offline
                rcVu
                wrote on last edited by
                #23

                If your company pays for one licence of the msdn lybrary they can install it on anyone on your company without paying extra for it. They changed the licenge agrement to this a while ago. Rodrigo.

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • M Michael P Butler

                  Why doesn't the company you work for invest more in development tools? It's been a long time since I've come across a company in the UK who didn't have an up-to-date MSDN subscription. It became one of my standard interview questions, Do you use MSDN. If they don't, I'd probably turn the job down unless they were interested in getting it. If I were you I'd go and demand a bigger monitor and an MSDN subscription right now. :-D Michael :-)

                  N Offline
                  N Offline
                  Nish Nishant
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #24

                  If I were anywhere else but India I'd do that Michael. But not in India. Nish Sonork ID 100.9786 voidmain www.busterboy.org If you don't find me on CP, I'll be at Bob's HungOut

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • K Kannan Kalyanaraman

                    I live/Work in India and my comp. has a universal msdn subscription but even otherwise for companies paying subscription everyyear is still a costly affair. But a medium size company can afford it considering all the ms goodies that come along with the subscription. Cheers Kannan

                    N Offline
                    N Offline
                    Nish Nishant
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #25

                    You sure are lucky Kannan. But then my compoany is a small one, very small one. And the win32 team is just 4 people [me doing vc++, my colleague doing VB/ASP and two others under generic training] everyone else does java and perl and php on Linux. so you can figure out why I wont get msdn in the next 100 years Nish Sonork ID 100.9786 voidmain www.busterboy.org If you don't find me on CP, I'll be at Bob's HungOut

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • D Daniel Turini

                      IMHO, yes! When I document the API functions of my software Crivo I always deliberately copy MSDN style, because I think it rocks! But what do you think ? It's common people saying 'MS does not documment well their API functions', 'The examples are idiot!', 'It' very hard to use', 'The GetWadaWadaName() function documentation sucks'. Why they say this ? Only to attack MS monopoly or because they really don't like MSDN style ? If they don't like it, what do they like ? Ok, maybe I'm not that experienced with other platforms. I never saw a better documentation than MSDN in my whole life. My experience with Sun, Oracle, IBM and Sybase docs are a nightmare! Can someone point me a software documentation better than MSDN ? Of course, don't want you to point me to a 3 page doc about a 5 funcion-point software. Crivo Automated Credit Assessment

                      W Offline
                      W Offline
                      Wes Jones
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #26

                      I just have to say that I found the Sybase docs to be very good, especially their html help file(s). But that's for ASA 6 & 7. Don't know about their other docs. MSDN is great, but sometimes you don't find what your looking for where you expect to find it. like that's never gonna happen. C++: Only friends can see your private parts.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • M Michael P Butler

                        I can't imagine developing without it. I don't see how any company that develops for the Windows platform can do with out it. To me, it is one of the first things that a development team should have. In fact, it was the first purchase I made when I set-up my own company. I could barely afford it but knew that it was an essential purchase. I just made sure that I didn't pay myself a full wage that first month. Michael :-)

                        N Offline
                        N Offline
                        Nish Nishant
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #27

                        Michael :-) why dont you setup a branch in Trivandrum and make me the Vice President of all your Indian activities ;-) Nish p.s. you could also buy me an msdn subcri and a 19" LCD Sonork ID 100.9786 voidmain www.busterboy.org If you don't find me on CP, I'll be at Bob's HungOut

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • J jkgh

                          Mine says: Moron(s), see Bibliography pp 682. But perhaps I have an earlier edition.

                          C Offline
                          C Offline
                          Christian Graus
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #28

                          Mine says moron 713, 717. Both references to management hiring people for peanuts as I recall ( I forget what I was looking up when I spotted this). Christian I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001

                          Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOz

                          I live in Bob's HungOut now

                          J 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • C CodeGuy

                            MSDN is super for examples, but I think the Java documentation is slightly better for documenting classes and methods. The Java docs are terrible for examples though, which is really what you end up needing most of the time. I think what MSDN excels at is task-oriented documentation, like "How to change the color of a static control" and things like that. Re Stroustrup: For anything coherent about STL, I sure don't recommend Stroustrup. Josuittis is much better. I also noticed a lot of people recommending Austern, although I don't like his book as much. I'm not down on Stroustrup at all; it's just that I like people to get a good view of STL, and that means steering them toward good resources. CodeGuy The WTL newsgroup: over 1100 members! Be a part of it. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wtl

                            C Offline
                            C Offline
                            Christian Graus
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #29

                            CodeGuy wrote: I'm not down on Stroustrup at all; it's just that I like people to get a good view of STL, and that means steering them toward good resources. I agree totally - Stroustrup does provide an overview, but I recommend the Addison Wesley books for *learning* STL. Sorry if I was not clear. Christian I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001

                            Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOz

                            I live in Bob's HungOut now

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • C Christian Graus

                              Mine says moron 713, 717. Both references to management hiring people for peanuts as I recall ( I forget what I was looking up when I spotted this). Christian I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001

                              Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOz

                              I live in Bob's HungOut now

                              J Offline
                              J Offline
                              jkgh
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #30

                              Me: "ooo oooo oooo" {monkey-type noises}

                              C 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • J jkgh

                                Me: "ooo oooo oooo" {monkey-type noises}

                                C Offline
                                C Offline
                                Christian Graus
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #31

                                You might want to read the quote first :-) Stroustrup essentially ( and this is from memory ) says that hiring people for peanuts means you end up surrounded by idiots. Christian I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001

                                Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOz

                                I live in Bob's HungOut now

                                J 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • C Christian Graus

                                  You might want to read the quote first :-) Stroustrup essentially ( and this is from memory ) says that hiring people for peanuts means you end up surrounded by idiots. Christian I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001

                                  Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOz

                                  I live in Bob's HungOut now

                                  J Offline
                                  J Offline
                                  jkgh
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #32

                                  "If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" is a proverb as old as the hills. Y'man's just toned it down a little.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  Reply
                                  • Reply as topic
                                  Log in to reply
                                  • Oldest to Newest
                                  • Newest to Oldest
                                  • Most Votes


                                  • Login

                                  • Don't have an account? Register

                                  • Login or register to search.
                                  • First post
                                    Last post
                                  0
                                  • Categories
                                  • Recent
                                  • Tags
                                  • Popular
                                  • World
                                  • Users
                                  • Groups