win32apitutorial - technicalcontents

Win32 API Tutorial

This tutorial is intended to present to you the basics (and common extras) of writing programs using the Win32 API. The language used is C, most C++ compilers will compile it as well. As a matter of fact, most of the information is applicable to any language that can access the API, inlcuding Java, Assembly and Visual Basic. I will not however present any code relating to these languages and you're on your own in that regard, but several people have previously used this document in said languages with quite a bit of success.

This tutorial will not teach you the C language, nor will it tell you how to run your particular compiler (Borland C++, Visual C++, LCC-Win32, etc...) I will however take a few moments in the appendix to provide some notes on using the compilers I have knowledge of.

If you don't know what a macro or a typedef are, or how a switch() statement works, then turn back now and read a good book or tutorial on the C language first.

The simplest Win32 program Simple Window Handling Messages Understanding the Message Loop Text And Fonts Using Resources Dialog GUI Coders Best Friend Standard Controls Button Edit List Box Dialog FAQs Creating controls at runtime Using files and the common dialogs ToolBar And Status Bar Multiple Document Interface Bitmaps Device Contexts and BitBlt Transparent Bitmaps

The simplest Win32 program

Simple Window

Handling Messages

Understanding the Message Loop

Text And Fonts

Using Resources

Dialog GUI Coders Best Friend

Standard Controls Button Edit List Box

Dialog FAQs

Creating controls at runtime

Using files and the common dialogs

ToolBar And Status Bar

Multiple Document Interface

Bitmaps Device Contexts and BitBlt