Visual Programming

[fatboyjim]

I am currently learning C++ from the Sams Learn C++ in 21 days book. Whilst the book is very good, and visual studio is also excellent for pointing out mistakes which are readable by myself, there is nothing graphical in the book (nothing which pops up a message box or anything)

Is this in VISUAL C++?? Or can I do things graphically in C++?

Thanks,

Jim

PS. How far do i need to have got in my C++ book to progress to Visual C++?

[Paul Victorey]

Well, very few C++ books, unless you get a book for GUI programming, will cover it.

You have 2 options, to do windows programs (which I assume is what you want):

1) Program in WinAPI (not recommended)
2) Get either Visual C++ or Borland C++. (recommended)

VC++ and BC++ provide wrapper classes for windows and window controls. VC++ uses MFC, which people either love or hate. As BC++ can be purchased for less than $30, and VC++ is hundreds, I got Borland C++ 5.02, and I use its own wrapper classes, OWL.

These libraries give you the capability of creating objects instead of managing window pointers, so it's a good way to do things. Do note that sometimes these wrapper classes don't provide full functionality. One note is that the text control wrapper classes in OWL are ASCII strings only, so people who need 2-byte (unicode) character sets can't use OWL.

I can't help you if you use MFC (Visual C++) but in Borland C++, I can create a simple window by doing the following:

1) Derive a new class from class TApp. My derived class, which I always call DApp, has only one overloaded function, which sets up the main window.

2) OwlMain() -- which is called by WinMain, as OWL provides its own WinMain which handles some basic initialization stuff -- has only one line: Dapp.Run();

3) In my main window class (which I usually derive from TDialog as it's very simple to visually create dialogs), I create all other windows, and process messages, as needed.