How do I get the tools ?

[Mike Houghton]

According to MS I have to pay £2000 a year to MSDN to get WinAPI tools that I need. Is this the only legal way ? Can't I just buy some product that will give me those API hook etc ( like I did for VB) ?

[mwilliamson]

You could move to the netherlands ;) What tools are you looking for exactly?

[KingTermite]

What tools? API is built into windows. If you don't have MSDN (some version is on the CD with Visual Studio) then you can buy the Iesminger books to get the "full" MSDN (at the time of printing of the book) or you can just use MSDN from their website.

[JamesSchumacher]

but as far as MS goes - you'll have to pay for the tools.

You can find tools cheaper than that if you look around, as currently right now MS Visual Studio.NET Pro Edition is being sold at my local CompUSA for ~$500.

I'm using the old free Borland compiler right now until I find a reason to shed out $500 for bloated tools (the entire set :rolleyes: ) when I only want/need the C++ compiler (and no need for .NET :rolleyes: What a waste of time and effort.)

[Mike Houghton]

Thanks for all the replies guys (and I like holland very much by the way). It seems I already have all the tools! Doh. I have Borland 5 Pro and I have the Windows DDK which I am told has the APIs within, so today is the day I start to use it and MSDN can go.....

[KingTermite]

Yep! Glad you got it sorted out now. I thought you probably misunderstood and already had the tools you really needed.