The key to accessing the power of every operating system is its application programming interface (API). Visual Basic can access only part of the Windows API without special help. To write the most powerful possible programs, VB programmers need to work with all of the API. The big problem for VB programmers in trying to do so is that all of the available documentation on the Windows API is written for C++ programmers. In other words, the directions for using the API is written in a language that VB programmers don't understand.

Dan Appleman's Win32 API Puzzle Book and Tutorials for Visual BasicProgrammers shows VB programmers how to turbocharge Visual Basic by teaching them how to understand Microsoft's documentation to control the entire Windows API. Appleman's unique puzzle format includes 32 sample programs that almost&emdash;but don't quite&emdash;work. Each puzzle has a solution with an in-depth explanation of the problem, why it occurs, and why the solution works. By avoiding the usual dry ''lecture'' style so common in technical books, this guide will keep you awake&emdash;in fact, some of the puzzles may keep you awake nights searching for a solution. And when you've finished, you'll have an understanding of the technology that will qualify you as a true API guru.

With a writing style that combines technical competence, humor, and a bit of ''attitude,'' Appleman proves once again in this long-awaited complement to his previous bestseller, Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Win32 API , that learning advanced technology can (and should) be fun.