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Any good, free guides on Windows GUI programming in C++? (MFC Library)

slugg

slugg

Diamond Member
I just need to learn some basics in order to satisfy my needs for a class I'm taking right now. Our textbook doesn't talk about GUI programming at all. I've never done any GUI programming - ever.

We're using Visual Studio 6 in our class. Yeah, I know it's old as dirt. Not my choice. In the event that I can argue my way into using Visual Studio 2005, how much easier will the development be?

Oh and if I find a guide that has enough information in it so I can make a simple little calculator program, like a clone of the standard Windows calculator app, then that's really all I need. Aside from that, it'd also be nice to learn how to draw lines and/or boxes on the application window.

edit: I found this and it's at least a start. It teaches "Hello World" in high detail, lol. It looks like I need to learn the MFC library?
 
For Win32 without MFC:
Petzold, Programming Windows -- any Windows developer should own a copy of this as a reference

For MFC, use the AppWizard in Visual Studio to create a new MFC Dialog-based app, buttons are drag and drop and button messages are easy to hook up with ClassWizard.

File > New, MFC AppWizard, (radio) Dialog Based

For drawing lines you'll need to learn to use the GDI, Petzold covers that.
 
I dislike MFC A LOT. I actually prefer windows sdk to mfc. I think its important to learn sdk before mfc so you get the idea of the callback function and the windows messages and stuff. This way you can get the fundamentals of Windows GUI programming before venturing into MFC.

An okay MFC resource is http://www.functionx.com/visualc/index.htm other than the msdn, its probably the best one I've found online.

*disclaimer: i have only done windows GUI programming with VS 2005 so I have no idea how it makes it easier than with VC++ 6.0

 
I get paid to like MFC, but after a decade Stockholm Syndrome has made it my best friend.

With a dialog-based MFC app there is one main form initially that works a lot like Visual Basic and Windows Forms: drag and drop user interface elements, click on them to hook them up to functions with Classwizard.

If you just need controls instead of a raw window and GDI drawing it's simple.
 
If you just need controls instead of a raw window and GDI drawing it's simple.
Click to expand...

I agree with that. It can be as easy as just handling events and changing properties. For a simple form you can probably learn to do that in a few days. Pay no attention to the innards, and ignore the Wall of Macros in certain files.
 
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