Newbie questions

[Arc]

I am a big time newb at C++. Just taking my first class in it. So far we have covered the basics of DOS style apps. So far we've made a couple simple apps like a program that draws an empty box out of asterics and finding the greatest common divisor of 2 numbers, etc..

I am wanting to push ahead and learn a bit about amking a basic windows app. Something very simple with a form and a button and a text box and a listbox where I can just add items to a list box, or something along those lines.

Firstly, I know there is a dialog box thing in VS C++ that allows you to make a simple window, but I have no clue how to use it.

Secondly are there ocx or controls that can be added to a form that have built in events, such as onclick etc...?

Basically, I just want to get a taste of making a windows app isntead of these lame DOS style apps. Any good tutes out there on the net?

[ice_531]

If your going to want to make Windows Apps with C++ , RUN away now. You should stay with console apps for awhile to learn the syntax and basics of the language.


MFC windows apps under the vc++ IDE is crap. It is far different from VB. you have to add a form as a resource if you plan on making one. Then you will draw on your controls just as with VB and other languages. The difference is when your wanting to write code for the button events and so on. You can't just double click the button and put in your Messagebox.show("hello world")

gotta set properties and everything , and setup an OnClick method.

i'd suggest www.programmingtutorials.com C++ section has some good documentation aswell as WROX tutorial on c++. It is very nice.

hope my words of nonsense was some help.

[ice_531]

Also just to add some more of my opinion into this thread

I was taking a CS course in C++ at the beginning of this year, BUT i had my course schedule changed to switch into the information systems course which touches base on vb, c++ , and java so i wouldn't be stuck making console apps to solve math problems all semester. If you want to learn the "C" style of programming and syntax but want the gui design / IDE of VB then go with C# .NET

[Arc]

Well the "C" style of programming isn't object oriented, so C#.net is nothing like C, but I think I get what you mean. However, I am not interested in learning C# at the moment. I want to get the C++ thing down. I am no stranger to API or OOP with classes etc.. so I think I can handle doing a windows app in C++, I just need something to point me in the right direction.

I will check out the tutorials you suggested, thanks

[dis1411]

actually in MFC you can just add a button, double click it and put MessageBox("Hello World");

a good thing with using c++ is the built in api and some other things

but there are definitely things that are easily done in vb that get.... messy.... in c++

[wey97]

A very good and straightforward source for Windows tutorials is www.winprog.org

http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/

[ice_531]

Originally posted by dis1411
actually in MFC you can just add a button, double click it and put MessageBox("Hello World");

a good thing with using c++ is the built in api and some other things

but there are definitely things that are easily done in vb that get.... messy.... in c++

ok, went and tried BUT things are still done MUCH easier in VB. sure when you get into more advanced things and are efficient in c++ it would pay off to use it instead, but your not gonna get to that point in a few months like you could with VB.

I don't mean to say anything negative about c++ , more so to Vc++. I do still use C++ to create any console apps that i need. math stuff and so forth.


I'd recommend getting SAMS Visual C++ 6 book because it is all about developing WIN Apps instead of console apps. So it jumps right into that development aspect.

[KodeShark]

http://www.functionx.com/cpp/index.htm

[azteched]

Originally posted by ice_531
I'd recommend getting SAMS Visual C++ 6 book because it is all about developing WIN Apps instead of console apps. So it jumps right into that development aspect.

You'll probably miss out on a lot of important language features if you're worrying about gui programming - it's understanding the language that's important, knowing a specific API is easy after that.