Q150655: Mastering Visual C++ 4: Contents of README.WRI
Article: Q150655
Product(s): Microsoft Mastering Series
Version(s): 1.0,1.0a
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbmm
Last Modified: 22-OCT-1999
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The information in this article applies to:
- MSPRESS Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ ISBN 1-55615-914-5, versions 1.0, 1.0a
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SUMMARY
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The following article contains a copy of the complete text of the README file
that ships with Mastering Visual C++.
MORE INFORMATION
================
Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4: README File
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Welcome to Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4. This file contains
additional information about Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 not
included in online Help.
Multimedia technology, with its array of new hardware and software
combinations, can present a variety of potential performance and
configuration problems. This README file contains important and helpful
information on the following topics:
Section Description
1 Send Us Your Feedback
2 Problems During Setup
3 Removing Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4
4 Potential Problems Running this Title
5 Labs and Sample Applications
6 Performance Issues
7 Hardware Problems
8 Printing Problems
9 Generic Multimedia Information
To read this file on-screen, use the PAGE DOWN and PAGE UP keys. You can
also print the file by choosing the Print command from the File menu in
virtually any Windows-based word processing program.
1. Send Us Your Feedback
We welcome your feedback. Let us know how Mastering Microsoft Visual C++
4 has helped you gain expertise in creating solutions with Visual C++ 4.
You can reach us via any of the following:
Internet: devtrain@microsoft.com
Mail: Mastering Series Products
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
Fax: (425) 936-7329
Attn: Mastering Microsoft Visual C++
Please note that we receive a number of suggestions and comments
regarding Microsoft products and are unable to respond directly to each
one. However, be assured that your recommendations, ideas, and remarks
are recorded and will help shape future versions of our Mastering Series
products.
2. Problems During Setup
The Setup program's default settings will load the Mastering Microsoft
Visual C++ 4 title to your C: drive. You can assign application files to
a different drive; however, Setup will copy as much as 8.5 MB of system
files to your WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory.
Setup will not complete properly if you remove the Mastering Microsoft
Visual C++ 4 CD-ROM during Setup, or attempt to start the application
before Setup is complete.
Because Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 installs system files that may
be shared with other applications, you must shut down other
applications, including Microsoft Office, before running Setup. If you
have closed all other open applications and you encounter problems
during Setup, make sure your system meets the minimum requirements
necessary to install Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4.
System Requirements
Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 will run on the following minimal
system; however, performance will improve with more RAM or a faster CD-
ROM drive.
<B7> Personal computer with a 486DX or higher processor, running Windows
95 or Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51 or later
<B7> 8 MB of memory (16 MB or more recommended)
<B7> 10 MB of available hard-disk space (40 MB to work with lab files on
your hard drive)
<B7> MPC2-compatible CD-ROM drive
<B7> Super VGA or higher-resolution video adapter capable of displaying
256 colors or greater
<B7> Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
<B7> MPC2-compatible audio board for audio and video instruction
<B7> Microsoft Visual C++, version 4.0 or later is required to work the
lab exercises
3. Removing Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4
To remove Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 from your computer, run Setup
again and choose the Remove All option. (This removes only files
specific to Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4. Shared files installed in
the Windows System directory, such as DLLs and OCXs, are not removed.)
If using Windows 95, you can also uninstall Mastering Microsoft Visual
C++ 4 by choosing the Add/Remove Programs application in the Control
Panel. You may also need to do the following:
<B7> Delete the Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 icon. If you are running
Microsoft Windows NT and moved the icon to a different program group
since installing the application, Setup will not be able to detect the
new location of the icon and cannot delete it. After running Setup (with
Remove All selected), go to Program Manager and delete the icon(s).
If you are running Windows 95 and have created any shortcuts, you will
need to manually delete them to completely remove references to the
title.
<B7> Delete the MVC directory. The MVC directory (or the directory you
specified as the destination directory during Setup) will not be
removed. If this directory is not being used for other files, you can
delete it by going to File Manager or Explorer, selecting the directory,
and then pressing DELETE.
4. Potential Problems Running this Title
This section describes problems you may experience when running
Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4.
<B7> Content: Some of the articles located in the product's Library are
based on pre-released versions of Visual C++ 4. There may be
discrepancies between information referenced in these sources and in the
released version of Visual C++ 4. Library articles included in this
title are not edited by the Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 team. You
may encounter documentation errors, references to page numbers or files,
and formatting problems. Addresses, phone numbers, and other contact
information appearing in this title may have changed since the time of
publication. Finally, some of the topic titles in the application will
be cut off when running Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 in lower
display resolutions.
<B7> Graphics: This title is designed to run on machines capable of
displaying 256 colors or more. Though the title does run on systems
displaying 16 colors, there is a noticeable drop in image quality. Some
large graphics may display out of the window when running the title at
640 x 480 resolution. It is recommended that you run this application in
800 x 600 mode or greater. The graphic viewer in this application allows
you to toggle graphics between large and small views. By clicking on the
viewer, you can change the size of the graphic. The viewer will remain
the size that you last viewed a graphic. If an image appears distorted
or compressed, click in the graphic viewer to make sure you are viewing
the entire image. Note that some small graphics do not change size.
<B7> Navigation and Topic areas: If using keyboard keys to navigate
through the Table of Contents or the Topic area, you may need to
manually change the focus of the application, depending on the content
you want to affect. You can change the focus by clicking on the area you
want to navigate. On some systems, the vertical scroll bar may change
size when scrolling through topics and labs, or navigating through the
Table of Contents.
<B7> Palette Flash: Palette flashes can occur when switching between
Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 and other running applications.
<B7> Printing: The media represented by icons in the text area (graphics,
sample code, tips, and answers) will not print when printing the current
screen. To print this information, choose Print when the media is
displayed in the active window. If you experience problems printing over
a network, consult your network administrator to make sure your printer
settings are correct. Solutions for common printing problems are
described in Section 9 of this README file, "Printing Problems." If you
choose to print the Glossary, the entire Glossary will be printed.
<B7> Text: Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 uses your system settings to
display some foreground and background colors. You may want to choose a
compatible display combination (such as the Windows Standard color
scheme) for best visual results. When displaying glossary popups within
the text, the application will sometimes lose focus. To remedy this,
click in the Topic area; focus will return to the application.
<B7> Video: .AVI files will only run if you've installed the Multimedia
options (when setting up Windows 95) or Microsoft Video for Windows
(installed on your system when running Windows NT). Setup will look for
multimedia options on your system and notify you if they are not
installed. If this is the case, you will need to install the appropriate
options. Even with appropriate hardware, you may experience long wait
times while video files are being loaded, and you may encounter errors
in audio/video synchronization during playback.
<B7> Library: Some of the articles in the Library reference sample
applications and sample code. These applications and code samples are
not in the Mastering Visual C++ title. These can be found in the January
1996 edition of the Microsoft Developers Network (MSDN).
<B7> Windows NT version 3.51: The following Labs will not run in this
version of Windows NT: Chapter 7, Lab 4 - Customizing File Open; and
Chapter 11, Lab 1, Exercise 3 - Building a Test Case Harness. Only
Windows 95 permits the modification of common dialogs using the
techniques explained in these labs. The ALT+TAB key combination will not
restore Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 when minimized; use the mouse
to restore the application to a visible state.
<B7> Chapter 12 Labs: Chapter 12 labs focus on accessing and modifying
database information and, thus, assume that those databases are read-
write enabled. While located on the CD, the database is read-only.
Therefore, in order to run the executable solutions to Chapter 12 labs,
you must copy the .EXE files and the DB to your hard disk. This is most
easily accomplished by pressing the download icon in the Objectives
topic for each lab.
<B7> Stay On Top Mode: Stay On Top mode provides a great way to look at
Lab information or view content while working in another application
(such as Visual C++). However, the following problem occurs when using
Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 in Stay On Top mode: Glossary Popups,
ToolTips for the ToolBar, and the Print dialog box all appear behind the
application.
5 Labs and Sample Applications
Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 provides numerous Lab exercises that
illustrate programming concepts and techniques. These Labs are listed at
the end of each Chapter in the Table of Contents, as well as in the
Library under Labs.
Labs
Most chapters have an associated lab. The instructions to complete the
lab assignment are found at the end of each chapter.
Lab files are stored in compressed files on the CD. Lab code can be
extracted to your disk drive by using one of the following methods:
<B7> Select the download icon in the Objective topic of the associated lab
exercise.
<B7> Choose Run from the Start menu, and enter a command using the
following syntax:
Cxxyy -d path
xx is the lab number (03 - 15)
yy is the exercise number
path is the lab directory under which your labs will be copied
(You can also enter this command from an MS-DOS prompt. In Windows NT,
issue the command by choosing Run from the Program Manager File menu,
and then entering the command specified above.)
If you install all of the Lab files, approximately 20 MB of files will
be copied to the set of directories that you specify.
Once you have downloaded the lab files, the solution to each lab
exercise is included in the appropriate subdirectory for the lab. Note
that some lab exercises produce no executable code. For example,
Exercise 2 of Lab 3 in Chapter 3 deals with adding controls to a dialog
box template. For these exercises, no solution code is provided for the
individual exercise; the exercise steps are incorporated into the
exercise that generates an executable file.
The lab instructions for each lab exercise will state if you should
create your own project and associated startup files, or use a set of
startup files provided for that exercise.
Sample Applications
There are numerous sample applications that illustrate the concepts and
techniques taught in the demos in the title. When working through the
chapter, some of the online demonstrations refer to these sample
applications. You can open the applications in the DEMOCODE directory on
the CD and review the code yourself.
If you choose Complete Setup, the chapter demo applications are
installed in the DEMOCODE subdirectory of the main application directory
that you specified on your hard disk. If you did not install them during
setup, you can run Setup again to do so.
You can find additional example applications for selected chapters under
the SAMPLES directory on the CD.
6 Performance Issues
There are several ways to make Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 run
faster. Many of the methods described below are general tips that will
improve the performance of any application under Windows. Consult your
Windows manual for more details.
Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 uses your computer's random access
memory (RAM) to display pictures and play video and audio. If Mastering
Microsoft Visual C++ 4 runs slowly or if you get error messages saying
you are out of memory, you may not have enough RAM available. Here are
some tips to make the best use of your available memory:
<B7> Close all applications that you are not using.
<B7> Add more RAM (memory) to your computer. You can determine how much
memory is available by starting MS-DOS, typing mem and pressing
ENTER. This starts a program that will tell you how much memory you
have. You need at least 8 MB of RAM, and 16 MB is recommended.
<B7> If you are using more than 256 colors in your video display, you may
want to lower your video colors to 256. For instructions on how to
change your Windows display, consult your Windows documentation.
For more details on improving performance, consult your Windows and CD-
ROM manuals.
7 Hardware Problems
In rare situations, Mastering Microsoft Visual C++ 4 may encounter
display problems when using accelerated video drivers, video drivers
with more than 256 colors, or high-resolution video drivers. One example
of these problems is a video display with garbled images. Another is a
crash occurring when trying to play a video. There are several things
you can do if you encounter such problems:
1. Most problems can be fixed by obtaining new drivers from your video
card manufacturer. Contact the manufacturer of your video card to
determine if newer versions are available. The manufacturer's phone
number should be in the manuals that came with your video card or
personal computer. Another option for obtaining updated drivers is the
Microsoft Download service (MSDL), an electronic bulletin board that can
be accessed by modem at (425) 936-MSDL (425-936-6735).
Drivers provided on MSDL are compressed with the PKWare utilities and
are in the form of executable files (.EXE extension). It is best to
download the file or files you need into an empty directory on your hard
disk or a blank formatted floppy. To decompress these drivers after
downloading them, either:
a) From Windows NT File Manager or Windows 95 Explorer, double-click on
the filename that you downloaded.
-or-
b) From the DOS prompt, change to the directory containing the
downloaded file, type the filename, and then press ENTER.
2. An alternative to obtaining a new or updated display driver is to
change your video mode to a standard video mode, such as 640 x 480
resolution with 256 colors.
To find out what video driver you are using, open Display from Control
Panel. In Windows 95, click on the Settings tab. Then click the Change
Display Type button. Your display type will be listed there. For
instructions on how to install or change drivers, click the Help button.
8 Printing Problems
Screen resolution and printer resolution are often not the same, so the
resulting printout may not match the quality you see on the screen.
If you encounter a general protection fault when you print a topic,
check your printer driver. Switch to a more current version of the
driver, if one is available. Additionally, ensure that the printer is
online and that you can print to it from another application. If the
problem persists, one of the following procedures may solve the problem:
In Windows NT:
<B7> In the Control Panel, double-click the Fonts icon. Click the TrueType
button in the Fonts dialog box, and turn off the Enable TrueType
Fonts option.
<B7> In the Control Panel, choose Setup and Options for your printer. Turn
off the Color option, and restart Windows.
In Windows 95:
<B7> Click on the Property page for the Printer you are using. Choose the
Fonts tab and click on the method of downloading TrueType fonts that
works best with your system.
If you are using an HP LaserJet printer, make sure that you have the
most current printer driver, or try setting the printer resolution to
300 dpi (graphics may not print properly at 600 dpi).
You should be able to print grayscale images from Mastering Microsoft
Visual C++ 4. If you have a black and white laser printer, you may need
to upgrade your printer driver. Call the dealer from whom you bought the
printer or call the printer manufacturer.
9 Generic Multimedia Information
For more information regarding Multimedia PCs (MPCs), MPC titles, and
other general multimedia topics of interest, please contact the MPC
Marketing Council:
Multimedia PC Marketing Council, Inc.
1703 M Street, Suite 700
Washington DC 20036
(202) 452-1600
For information regarding a specific MPC product, contact the
manufacturer of that product.
Additional query words: multi media multimedia multi-media mmtitles
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Keywords : kbmm
Technology : kbMSPressSearch kbZNotKeyword2
Version : :1.0,1.0a
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