Kenny Kerr
Kenny Kerr
Direct 2D has taken a major step forward, and is now supported on Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Phone 8 and, now, Windows 7. Kenny Kerr explains how D2D 1.1 works and how to get started using it.
May
2013
Kenny Kerr
Kenny Kerr looks at the unique relationship between Direct2D and the desktop application window.
March
2013
Kenny Kerr
Our resident C++ expert gets a lot of questions about the language and its relevance to developing desktop apps for Windows in these changing times. He answers those questions here.
February
2013
Kenny Kerr
Explore the evolution of threading in Windows and C++ to understand the threading capabilities in your programs and work with concurrency building blocks.
January
2013
Kenny Kerr
Some excellent synchronization primitives in Windows and the state-of-the-art C++ compiler make a compelling toolkit for producing lightweight and scalable concurrency-safe programs, says Kenny Kerr, who explains that there’s still work to be done to improve concurrency in the Standard C++ Library.
November
2012
Kenny Kerr
Kenny Kerr concludes his three-part series on concurrency in C++, and explores an even more fluid approach to writing efficient and composable asynchronous systems.
October
2012
Kenny Kerr
Kenny Kerr follows up his column on lightweight cooperative multi-tasking by exploring how C++ might directly support asynchronous programming in a more natural and composable way.
September
2012
Kenny Kerr
Kenny Kerr describes a technique—ideal for very lightweight concurrency—to write asynchronous code in C or C++ without the use of a runtime (such as those provided by Visual C++ and Windows).
August
2012
Kenny Kerr
Kenny Kerr finishes his series on the Windows 7 thread pool by delving into the two remaining callback-generating objects provided by the API—timer objects and I/O completion objects.
December
2011
Kenny Kerr
Blocking operations are bad news for concurrency. You need a way for the thread pool to wait on your behalf without affecting its concurrency limits. It can then queue a callback once the resource is available or the time has elapsed. Along with work objects, the thread pool API provides a number of other callback-generating objects. Here, Kenny Kerr shows how to use wait objects.
November
2011
Kenny Kerr
Cancellation and cleanup are notoriously difficult problems to solve when it comes to multi-threaded applications. However, the thread pool environment enables cleanup groups, which make the thread pool’s objects and callbacks more manageable, as Kenny Kerr details.
October
2011
Kenny Kerr
Our resident C++ guru continues his exploration of the thread pool, this month examining objects that control the environment in which callbacks execute.
September
2011
Kenny Kerr
Concurrency means a lot of different things to different people, but at the heart of any contemporary approach is some kind of a thread pool. Here, Kenny Kerr explains how to best use the Windows thread pool API.
August
2011
Kenny Kerr
Kenny resumes his monthly column with MSDN Magazine with a fresh new approach to Windows programming with C++. In this first installment you will learn how to manage Windows API resources in a way that is natural for the contemporary C++ developer. This is a critical first step in becoming a productive Windows developer.
July
2011
Kenny Kerr
Layered windows provide the unique ability to compose a window on the desktop using per-pixel alpha blending. We take a look at how you can implement this drawing technique in Direct2D.
December
2009
Kenny Kerr
With the introduction of the Windows Web Services (WWS) API, C++ developers no longer have to think of themselves as second-class citizens in the world of Web Services. In this article, the author explores the features and benefits that the WWS API has to offer.
November
2009
Kenny Kerr
In this article, the author shows you how to draw with Direct2D by introducing Direct2D’s color structure and its various types of brushes.
September
2009
Kenny Kerr
If you want to develop high-performance and high-quality commercial applications, you’ll still look to C++ and native code. Direct2D will help you deliver the graphics power you need.
June
2009
Kenny Kerr
This month we look inside the Windows 7 beta to examine the Virtual Disk API and the Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) format.
April
2009
Kenny Kerr
The Parallel Patterns Library allows you to more easily take advantage of parallelism. See what this and other Visual C++ 2010 features are in store.
February
2009
Kenny Kerr
This month we explain how pseudo variables and format specifiers provide a wealth of information for use in debugging.
December
2008
Kenny Kerr
See how you can gain efficiency in surprising ways by looking closely at your algorithms, the data they operate on, and the hardware you’re designing for.
October
2008
Kenny Kerr
This month's column explains how to use Windows HTTP Services, or WinHTTP, the new, powerful API for implementing HTTP clients.
August
2008
Kenny Kerr
In this month's installment, Kenny Kerr sings the praises of the new Visual C++ 2008 Feature Pack, which brings modern conveniences to Visual C++.
June
2008
Kenny Kerr
Kenny Kerr sings the praises of the new Visual C++ 2008 Feature Pack, which brings modern conveniences to Visual C++.
May
2008
Kenny Kerr
Windows Imaging Component (WIC) is an extensible framework for encoding, decoding, and manipulating images. See how to use WIC to encode and decode different image formats.
April
2008
Kenny Kerr
Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 bring some significant changes that make it simpler to produce services that are more secure and responsive.
Launch
2008
Kenny Kerr
Kenny Kerr takes a look at Windows Template Library (WTL) support for new Windows Vista control enhancements, including task dialogs, Aero wizards, and open file dialogs.
December
2007
Kenny Kerr
The new Task Scheduler in Windows Vista can do so much more than previous versions. We introduce some basic concepts and building blocks you can put to use in your own scheduled task projects.
October
2007
Kenny Kerr
With the release of Windows Vista, C++ developers will be happy to know there's plenty of magic left to perform. This new column will provide the necessary insight.
August
2007
Kenny Kerr
Cryptography Next Generation (CNG) is meant to be a long-term replacement for the CryptoAPI, providing replacements for all of the cryptographic primitives it offered.
July
2007
Kenny Kerr
XmlLite provides a high-performance, low-overhead XML reader and writer geared for applications written in native C++. Learn more here.
April
2007
Kenny Kerr
Whether you're storing database connection strings, user credentials, or logon info, you'll need to practice good defensive programming techniques to avoid those surprise situations in which your data is exposed. In this article, author Kenny Kerry shows you how.
November
2004