Calculation program

[prog_tom]

How long would a Win32 calculation program take? I mean, with no modification on the GUI other than the normal window style and a few textboxes and drop down menus for which you could choose the conversion.

And a few menus...

I was wondering why is it sooo hard and frustrating to create a working app in C++ than in VB..

[Jop]

Originally posted by prog_tom

I was wondering why is it sooo hard and frustrating to create a working app in C++ than in VB..

That's not true... at first it seems a lot harder to create an app, but once you got a hang of it, it will become a second nature For people like parksie/CornedBee etc. it's as easy to create an app in C++ as it is for you in VB.

[Technocrat]

The reason why it takes so long is due to the fact that VB was made to do quick windows based applications where as C/C++ was not.

For me it would take an hour or two to do a program like that. But I would be kind of cheating in a way and I would recomend it to you an others.

I have 6 files that I have that are like a template for me. One is a main.cpp and a main.h which contain all of headers, defines, etc. and a basic window program already in them so I can just drop them into a project and be up an running in a few seconds. Then I have two other files that have some custom functions that I wrote that I use a lot, like logging, tracing, writing to an edit box, error messages, string functions, etc. Another file I have has examples of functions that are not too common but are handy to have around, like how to loop through a vector or list, how to change the text of a static, how to do a mutex, etc. The final file has examples of all of my VAR and Function naming, function notes, comments, etc so I can keep consistent on each program.

I keep this files in a safe place and keep track of all the changes I make to them. The files are very handy to have around because it keeps you from having to reinvent the wheel everytime you go to do something.

[prog_tom]

what is the best way to create such programs?

[SteveCRM]

what do you mean

[parksie]

Originally posted by Jop
That's not true... at first it seems a lot harder to create an app, but once you got a hang of it, it will become a second nature For people like parksie/CornedBee etc. it's as easy to create an app in C++ as it is for you in VB.

Well, it's been a while, since most of my stuff has been done with a proprietary closed-source graphics library at my old company (I still have a copy, but haven't looked at it for months). And now I'm not on Windows..... *shrug* Need to learn GTK 2 I think

[CornedBee]

If I am to pop out a very quick app I usually use MFC.
Needed a windows-based app to test my templated matrix code, so I created an MFC dialog app, was done in ~40 minutes.

[prog_tom]

OMG, so how did you guys start? And how long did it take you guys before approaching win32? and when you approach win32, which one did you learn first, winapi or mfc?

[nabeels786]

its not that hard.
the hardest part for me is positioning

so i cheat

go into VB, arrange your form the way you want it, then save it. open the form in notepad, you'll have all of the coordinates, widths etc that you need for all of the controls

[prog_tom]

Originally posted by nabeels786
go into VB, arrange your form the way you want it, then save it. open the form in notepad, you'll have all of the coordinates, widths etc that you need for all of the controls [/B]

I don't get it...

[nabeels786]

go into VB, and arrange your form like you want...llike text boxes, frames, buttons etc.
when you open the form in notepad (like form1.frm)

you'll get'

Begin VB.Form Form1 
   Caption         =   "Form1"
   ClientHeight    =   3195
   ClientLeft      =   60
   ClientTop       =   345
   ClientWidth     =   4680
   LinkTopic       =   "Form1"
   ScaleHeight     =   3195
   ScaleWidth      =   4680
   StartUpPosition =   3  'Windows Default
   Begin VB.CommandButton Command1 
      Caption         =   "Button!"
      Height          =   855
      Left            =   360
      TabIndex        =   1
      Top             =   720
      Width           =   1575
   End
   Begin VB.TextBox Text1 
      Height          =   285
      Left            =   240
      TabIndex        =   0
      Text            =   "This is a textbox"
      Top             =   240
      Width           =   3975
   End
End

then you just plug the coord in when you create your controls

like to create the above textbox

hEdit = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE, "EDIT", "Text1", 
            WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_HSCROLL | ES_MULTILINE | ES_AUTOVSCROLL | ES_AUTOHSCROLL, 
            240, 240, 3975, 285, hwnd, (HMENU)IDC_MAIN_EDIT, GetModuleHandle(NULL), NULL);

[prog_tom]

how is that cheating?

[prog_tom]

i see now, you get all those layouts done in VB and sorta import it into C++ code, clever

[nabeels786]

Originally posted by prog_tom
i see now, you get all those layouts done in VB and sorta import it into C++ code, clever

yup saves alot of time

[prog_tom]

but why would you bother doing that? since you could use the resource editor in VC++ to layout the dialogs.

[nabeels786]

Originally posted by prog_tom
but why would you bother doing that? since you could use the resource editor in VC++ to layout the dialogs.

lol, how? i dont know how to use it, thats the prob

[prog_tom]

just #include "resource.h"

[nabeels786]

that helps, lol.
i mean with making the forms, wndproc etc. i dont have the time now to learn it so i just use my method

[transcendental]

Tom: Maybe you want to look at the sample provided in the MSDN documentation, just type MFCCALC in the index box and there you go!

[CornedBee]

I have to admit that I started right away into MFC. That's the reason why I'm so fierce in encouraging people to learn the language and the API first.
When I started C++ I did so with "Visual C++ 6 Step by Step". There you write a few console apps to demonstrate the basic C++ concepts, from if over loops and pointers to classes. Sad enough that the more advanced of those didn't work.
Then it briefly covers the API (VERY briefly) and then you start with MFC, writing a single app throughout the book.
It's not a good way to start programming...

After that I bought a really good book which sadly is only available in German.

When I was through that (and it took me a while) I bought The Petzold. With this I had a firm grip on the API.

My collection is rounded off by an advanced API programming book by Jeffrey Richter and The Prosise (the MFC equivalent to The Petzold).

[nabeels786]

i started with MFC too, i like api more though for some reason..