Hi there,

I have been trying to create programs using the windows.h lib. There
are few books on the topic and I havn't seen many that show any kind of
technique for win programming. One of the books I most like is leaning
windows programming in 24 hours. I find it intersting because it give
suggestions for putting windows programning into some object form. I
realize that windows has zillions of features like anything I would bet
that there are parts of the libraries that are used more than others.
I bet it depends on what you want to do.

I am a big fan of Acclerated C++ because they show the most useful ways
to create programs in C++. It is too bad that there isn't a simmiliar
book for Win32. It is much more satifying to get a program to run then
worry about reading through a bunch of stuff that your not likely to
use but is good to know. That is a fustration I have in the massive
programming win32 book, it is dificult to find what specific I am
looking for an what is more importand than what.

I have created a little dungeon maze game in win32 and it was a real
learning experience for both win32 and C++. I use the Dev C++ free
compiler so I miss out on much of the drag and drop of VC++. Still I
do this for fun so I don't mind writing out some scripts.

Mainly what I am trying to say is that I program C++ and writing in
win32 presents unique challenges. There is no simple cin>> and cout<<.
Simple things are realy challenging like creating a dialog box that
will read the name of my character and then print that out with the
character's stats. For now I am pretty stumpted. I know that is a
complex proscess and involves many features but just trying to figure
out where to begin it tough.

As you have noticed, nothing like a simple introduction to Win 32
programming exists. Unless you use a language (perhaps VB) or
framework (perhaps MFC) that hides enough details to simplify the
first few steps. If you are going to use straight Win32, then I think
you have to deal with a rather large first step. Petzold is clearly
the most often recommended book for starters. I prefer Rector and
Newcomer. Neither is anywhere close to perfect. Either is way better
than nothing. Yes, reading such thick books just to get started is
discouraging. But I think you will have an easier time if you stop
fighting to find a _simple_ introduction.


On 31 May 2006 21:30:45 -0700, "JoeC" <enki034@yahoo.com> wrote:

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Robert E. Zaret, eMVP
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r_z_aret@pen_fact.com wrote:
tutorials. Some I like more than others. It is true there is no
simple start to Win32. REaly what I am more intersted in how to
approach programming under that model. It is still a challenge to look
up how to do what ever I am trying to do.

JoeC wrote:
Win32 != simple. End of story.

You want something that is not win32, so pick a gui framework that is
not win32 and get on with it (gtk, etc).

Even many experts don't normally program to the win32 level. I don't,
and I constructed the toolkit we use.

Here's a small list of them:
- Pointers, Buffers
- Function pointers, Callbacks
- The GetMessage loop, secondary message loops
- Resources
- Window procedures, DefWindowProc
- Painting, GDI Objects
- Events

Understanding is important. I've done a lot of .NET and MFC work
without knowing what happens behind the scenes. But that wont work in
Win32.

scott moore wrote:
I see your point. I know win32 is tough. I can do somethings with
Win32. I have resources that have shown me how to get somthings done.
I was just wondering if there was somthing out there with the same
method as acclerated C++. I have a good tutorial that I found that
teaches a few aspects of programming. I have been able to get some of
the programs to work. I want to do some simple things like hello what
is your name hello your name.

scott moore wrote:
I see your point. I know win32 is tough. I can do somethings with
Win32. I have resources that have shown me how to get somthings done.
I was just wondering if there was somthing out there with the same
method as acclerated C++. I have a good tutorial that I found that
teaches a few aspects of programming. I have been able to get some of
the programs to work. I want to do some simple things like hello what
is your name hello your name. I know that stuff is simple in any
language but very complex in win32 programming.