I'm currently working with C++ MFC applications in Visual Studio 2008.  I have spent most of my time up to this point working with Java Swing development which seems to be not quite as involved as win32 or MFC are.  I've noticed that there seems to be a lot of little parameters and specifications that go into creating even a simple element like a status bar or menu bar.  I've spent a bit of time working through the MSDN library on the matter but it doesn't seem to explain why many of these parameters and such are needed to set up these elements.  I always find that I'm able to wrap my head around things and remember them if I understand why I'm doing it. If you program using MFC (or a similar framework) what did you find helpful in the learning process? Do you recommend any website, books, or other references?  Any and all advice is appreciated!
If you use MFC how did find it best to learn the concepts?
visual studio;visual c++;mfc
I'm no MFC expert but have used it off and on over the last several years. It doesn't always follow a standard convention and is based a lot on the underlying Win-32 API. If your stint is short lived, you might want to look at Programming Windows with MFC (the link is for you read reviews, I'm not advocating the retailer)If you are going to be using MFC for a while, learning the Win-32 API might not be a bad idea. Programming Windows is good. I read it long ago in the 16-bit days.Using the MSDN can be confusing, but the MFC Class Hierarchy might be a good jump off point. When searching, I will preface any searches w/ MSDN and MFC then what you want.This isn't exhaustive, but I hope it helps you to find some bearings.To answer the unasked question: yes, working w/ MFC is 2-4 times slower than using Java, C# or similar.