Programming Forums > Application Development > Other Programming Languages

mackenga · Apr 28th, 2005, 6:22 AM

Considering the way I rant about Windows at any available opportunity, this will be a bit of a weird question, but how can I get started writing Windows applications?

I'm a Unix man with experience of Tcl/Tk, C, C++, Java, Perl, and a few other (less helpful, probably) languages. I've done socket programming in all of the above, CGI programming in many of the above, used curses and programming for X Window. I can chuck together useful little GUI apps using Tcl/Tk easily, but of course these are a little limited by the performance of code written in an extremely high level interpreted language.

Don't get me wrong; I love Unix, and if I could stay here forever writing software for my own use and to give away for free, I would, but I have some ideas for small saleable programs which would be best on Windows - but I don't know how to write a GUI app for Windows in a compiled language.

Any tips would be very much appreciated.

Infinite Recursion · Apr 28th, 2005, 8:02 AM

You could use the WinAPI, MFC, OpenGL or DirectX... I think www.functionx.com was fairly useful when I started out.

Ooble · Apr 28th, 2005, 12:37 PM

The tutorial at http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/ isn't bad either (though it's more of a reference). Charles Petzold's Programming Windows is great, but it's also quite expensive.

Infinite Recursion · Apr 28th, 2005, 12:51 PM

yeah.. definitely a reference, its kinda hard to follow if it was a tutorial.

mackenga · Apr 30th, 2005, 4:15 PM

Thanks for the help, guys. I've been looking at wxWidgets, too; it's a cross-platform application framework, which appeals since I might be able to use the skills I pick up learning it on what I'd call 'real' systems (like MacOS and Unix) too.

Any of you know anything about wxWidgets? I know it was previously known as wxWindows. I've downloading MinGW Developer Studio, including wxWidgets (under its old name, so it must be a bit of an early version) but I'm having some trouble finding a good tutorial.

bl00dninja · Apr 30th, 2005, 6:29 PM

there's been four or five posts just like this in past few days. one of the threads had a really good link

http://www.winprog.org/

Ooble · May 1st, 2005, 4:46 AM

I did post that in this very thread, you know... :p

mackenga · May 1st, 2005, 5:04 PM

I've been reading frantically ever since I asked my question in here. Thanks for all the help; it's much appreciated. I think I'll consider this one 'solved' now and edit the title.

--

Speaking of which, how /do/ I edit the title to add (solved) to it?! Now I really feel like a dunce.

hemanth.balaji · May 18th, 2005, 7:50 AM

I have created a win32 Application using Visual c++. Does anyone know how to execute a command line program from within a windows program. I have a DICOM Image file and I want to convert it to a bmp file by running a command line option provided by InfraView, by the click of the mouse button. How do i run a command like "i_view32.exe c:\test.bmp /convert=c:\test.jpg" ...

Ooble · May 18th, 2005, 5:03 PM

I suggest creating your own thread next time, as this is a totally unrelated problem. Anyway, you can use the system() function in stdlib.h:

(Toggle Plain Text)

#include <stdlib.h>

WinMain ...
{
    ...
    system("i_view32.exe c:\test.bmp /convert=c:\test.jpg");
    ...
}

Apr 28th, 2005, 6:22 AM	#1
mackenga Professional Programmer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 317 Rep Power: 4	Windows Programming Considering the way I rant about Windows at any available opportunity, this will be a bit of a weird question, but how can I get started writing Windows applications? I'm a Unix man with experience of Tcl/Tk, C, C++, Java, Perl, and a few other (less helpful, probably) languages. I've done socket programming in all of the above, CGI programming in many of the above, used curses and programming for X Window. I can chuck together useful little GUI apps using Tcl/Tk easily, but of course these are a little limited by the performance of code written in an extremely high level interpreted language. Don't get me wrong; I love Unix, and if I could stay here forever writing software for my own use and to give away for free, I would, but I have some ideas for small saleable programs which would be best on Windows - but I don't know how to write a GUI app for Windows in a compiled language. Any tips would be very much appreciated.

Apr 28th, 2005, 8:02 AM	#2
Infinite Recursion Programming Guru Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: United States Posts: 3,467 Rep Power: 8	You could use the WinAPI, MFC, OpenGL or DirectX... I think www.functionx.com was fairly useful when I started out. __________________ http://jasonpowers.net "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."

Apr 28th, 2005, 12:37 PM	#3
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 9	The tutorial at http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/ isn't bad either (though it's more of a reference). Charles Petzold's Programming Windows is great, but it's also quite expensive. __________________ Me :: You :: Them

Apr 28th, 2005, 12:51 PM	#4
Infinite Recursion Programming Guru Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: United States Posts: 3,467 Rep Power: 8	yeah.. definitely a reference, its kinda hard to follow if it was a tutorial. __________________ http://jasonpowers.net "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."

Apr 30th, 2005, 6:29 PM	#6
bl00dninja Programming Guru Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: namespace std Posts: 1,246 Rep Power: 5	there's been four or five posts just like this in past few days. one of the threads had a really good link http://www.winprog.org/ __________________ i put on my robe and wizard hat... Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?...Morons.

Apr 30th, 2005, 4:15 PM	#5
mackenga Professional Programmer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 317 Rep Power: 4	Thanks for the help, guys. I've been looking at wxWidgets, too; it's a cross-platform application framework, which appeals since I might be able to use the skills I pick up learning it on what I'd call 'real' systems (like MacOS and Unix) too. Any of you know anything about wxWidgets? I know it was previously known as wxWindows. I've downloading MinGW Developer Studio, including wxWidgets (under its old name, so it must be a bit of an early version) but I'm having some trouble finding a good tutorial.

May 1st, 2005, 4:46 AM	#7
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 9	I did post that in this very thread, you know... :p __________________ Me :: You :: Them

May 1st, 2005, 5:04 PM	#8
mackenga Professional Programmer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 317 Rep Power: 4	I've been reading frantically ever since I asked my question in here. Thanks for all the help; it's much appreciated. I think I'll consider this one 'solved' now and edit the title. -- Speaking of which, how /do/ I edit the title to add (solved) to it?! Now I really feel like a dunce.

May 18th, 2005, 7:50 AM	#9
hemanth.balaji Programmer Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 54 Rep Power: 0	I have created a win32 Application using Visual c++. Does anyone know how to execute a command line program from within a windows program. I have a DICOM Image file and I want to convert it to a bmp file by running a command line option provided by InfraView, by the click of the mouse button. How do i run a command like "i_view32.exe c:\test.bmp /convert=c:\test.jpg" ...

May 18th, 2005, 5:03 PM	#10
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 9	I suggest creating your own thread next time, as this is a totally unrelated problem. Anyway, you can use the system() function in stdlib.h: (Toggle Plain Text) #include <stdlib.h> WinMain ... { ... system("i_view32.exe c:\test.bmp /convert=c:\test.jpg"); ... } #include <stdlib.h> WinMain ... { ... system("i_view32.exe c:\test.bmp /convert=c:\test.jpg"); ... } __________________ Me :: You :: Them

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