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Ok, where would I start doing Win32 App Development

M

MGMorden

Diamond Member
I'm a CS student and while I've done a LOT of commandline/textmode programs (even written a commandline image manipulator 🙂), I've barely done any gui stuff (I've done a little stuff with the V toolkit under C++ and I've done some Visual Basic but that's not how the rest of the stuff works). Anyways, I really would like to start playing around with some Win32 GUI stuff, preferably for free (though Visual C++ is in my University labs if need be. I hate going over there to "play" though). Can the free Borland C++ compiler do GUI stuff?

PS If possible I'd like to avoid gcc and the Unix-type toolkits. I know they're cross platform but I'm really hopping to use this as a step towards eventually going into game development (where they mostly want VC++, and virtually never want gcc experience).
 
Borland C++ Builder isn't free just yet, there's going to be a free release soon (just like Kylix (i.e. Delphi) but that doesn't help you now.

If you really want you could use the free compiler and write all the win32 code by hand to draw the windows =) But if you really want to do game development you won't need much Win32 interface programming since little/no parts of the game will be Windowed, learn OpenGL (it's crossplatform you know =)) or DirectX.

Couldn't you get a copy of either Borland or MS' compilers at an edu discount?
 
Microsoft Visual C++ Standard Edition is available at a superb educational price and includes tonnes of information, documentation and example code to get you started. Honestly, it's the best IDE I've ever used.
 
Make sure you wait for VC++ .NET edition, which is now released. VC++ 6.0 is about 3 years old now. Not that the newer edition is necessarily better, but from what I've read on most counts this one is better, and should be available at approximately the same price (with academic discount) as before.

I suppose I would recommend the Standard Edition first, just because it usually (at least 6.0) includes some extra material for those just getting started. It's geared towards those who don't even know C++ well yet, but they don't expect you to know win32 calls or MFC either. My University Computer Store has it for $59. Compared to what compilers USED to cost (before Philippe Kahn's Borland changed everything with Turbo Pascal 1.0), this is a steal.
 
... tonnes of information, documentation and example code to get you started.

Doesn't msdn.microsoft.com have the same information?

Honestly, it's the best IDE I've ever used.

Too bad it's standards compliance isn't on the same level.
 
And there's the obligatory put-down of VC++ by Nothinman. I bet the "non standards" compliant part of it really gets in the way of development
rolleye.gif
 

And there's the obligatory put-down of VC++ by Nothinman. I bet the "non standards" compliant part of it really gets in the way of development
rolleye.gif



Well now it's expected, wouldn't want to disappoint =)

And if you remember the thread about VC rounding down when the standard says to round up, I would say that would cause some unexpected results. Also VC has some scoping issues with for loops (if a var is defined in the start of the loop i.e. for (int var = 0, blah) it's still in scope outside of the loop, which won't bite most people but if you reuse variable names (like say foo or bar) it could really confuse you.

What is the point of standards if noone is going to follow them?
 
MFC and Borland provide shortcuts for Windows development that hide the internal Win32 programming API.

Any Win32 compliant compiler will allow you to build Windows style programs.

When you start using the wizards and compiler dependent classes, you start making things easier on your development, however, you then give up flexiblity with your development environment with respect to your source code.

Borland uses their special classes to develop their Windows interactions and code structuring.

In otherwords, if you developed a project under Borland, you are most likely stuck with using Borland forever on that project.
MS is just as bad.

These are the two big boys in the market.
A few years ago, Watcom and another company (started with S) had compilers on the market for programmers.
I prefered Watcom back in the 90s - tighter code and I felt more flexible in terms of user configuration.
 
In otherwords, if you developed a project under Borland, you are most likely stuck with using Borland forever on that project.
MS is just as bad.


In either case if you abstract the core code from the GUI you should be able to take those functions with you no matter which compiler you use.
 


<< I think you should give VC++.NET's GUI+ a try =) >>



Is the .NET interface significantly different from 6.0? I've been playing around w/ VC++ 6.0 in the labs (actually, that's where I am now) and it's not exactly simple to jump into. Granted I haven't read a book or anything on it, just been fumbling around, but I can't get schnit to going in 6.0.
 
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