Welcome to the world of Win32 assembly language programming, Win95 style.
This site is for assembly language programmers who want to create "true" Windows programs.
As an ASM programmer, you will be working mostly with the basic API (application programming interface). The API is sometimes known as the SDK interface because the files, tools, and documents for using it have been a part of Microsoft's Windows SDK (Software Development Kit) since the earliest days of Windows.
Example code has been tested with TASM 4.0 and the linker and libraries
from VC++ 4.0.
[See potential differences with MASM.]
Petzold, Programming Windows, Fifth Edition
Yet another edition. It should be called "Programming
Win32" because the first three editions were for Win16 (the fourth edition
specifically mentioned Win95). The most often recommended author of Windows
GUI programming using the API. Example programs in C. About 1400 pages.
Well worth the money.
Rector & Newcomer, Win32 Programming
Another extensive look at the Windows API in C.
Richter, Advanced Windows, 3rd Edition
Once you've read Petzold, you need one of Richter's
Win32 books to cover other API topics.
Kauler, Windows Assembly Language and Systems Programming, 2nd
ed.
One of the rare books that covers Windows programming
for ASM programmers.
Cooper, About Face: The Essentials of User Interface Design
A thought provoking book on user interface design.
Pietrek, Windows Internals
See what Win32 had to emulate. This book gives you
insight into the workings of message passing, window management, and the
GDI.
Pietrek, Windows 95 System Programming Secrets
Builds on the previous book. Covers some changes
to internal data structures. And new topics such as threading,16/32-bit
thunking, and the PE/COFF file format. Comes with utilities that give you
a lot of detail about the windows, processes, and threads in your running
Win95 system.
Davis & Wallace, Windows Undocumented File Formats
All those new file types in Win95! See what the
authors have uncovered.
WALK32 v1.00
An unconventional MASM 6.xx-based linker system
for creating Win32 EXE's and DLL's. Includes a more extensive include file
for Win32 ASM programmers.
comp.lang.asm.x86 -- moderated
A mix of 80x86 topics which include DOS, Windows, OS/2,
and Linux programming.
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32
For discussion of Win32 (SDK) API programming. Originally
for NT, but also relevant for Win95 and Win98 programmers. Most posters
are programming in C. As a result, it may be hard to get answers if questions
are phrased in ASM. Please post only API questions.
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.vxd
VxDs were used earlier by Win3.1. Among the standard
services that VxDs provide to Win95 are memory management, thread management,
and a quasi-DOS interface. Can be used to build drivers and other low-level
services.
Cannot be used by NT versions before NT 5.0--oops,
it's now NT 2000. (Is it still unavailable in NT?)
Comments and criticisms can be sent to Henry
Takeuchi, htak@eskimo.com.