Thread: Windows Programming

  1. #1
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    Windows Programming

    Hi all

    I have just graduated from universtiy with my electronic engineering degree, and i would like to specialise in a windows programming language. At this point i cannot decide which one to practice in -c# , java, c++ etc? Please could somebody offer me some advice at which is the best enginnering language after C for engineering desktop programming.


    Look forward to your advice.

    Tuurb046

  2. #2
    * Death to Visual Basic * Devil Panther's Avatar
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    I suggest you start with Win32API, move to MFC... And then continue from there.
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  3. #3
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    Learn C++. It is quite easy to learn when you know C and you should feel comfortable with it.

    Then learn Win32 API and there you go - you've started with Windows programming.
    MFC may look tempting but it isn't so "easy and productive" as it seems.
    "The Internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it." - John Gilmore

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    Cheers for your reply guys.

    After learning the Win32 API, can i go onto c++ .net, or would you say stick with the MFC (i dont really understand the difference).

    lastly i have copies of Visual Studio version 6 and version 7. Some people say verseion 6 is better that 7. Do you agree? Which do you recommend?

    Cheers

    Tuurb046

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    It depends.

    First off... you shouldn't have too much trouble with any of those 3 languages if you allready know C. It's a matter of what you want to do.

    First off, you should realise that creating basic GUIs is very difficult.

    C# has the easiest, problem free, programming interface for making a windowed app (Windows.Forms). Unfortunately, the Windows.Forms interface is windows specific, and patents surrounding C# are doing a lot to keep GPL compilers away from C# (Mono is the GPL C# compiler, btw).

    C++ is okay enough. wxWidgets is the simplest interface for throwing together a GUI. Easy to use, but tricky to learn. I know this is what I would do.

    Java... I guess it's a blend. The windowed programming interface (Swing) is not so rough to learn, but good Java programming will take years to learn.
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    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    can i go onto c++ .net, or would you say stick with the MFC (i dont really understand the difference).
    Why'd you want to do that? Stick with Win32 API.
    "The Internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it." - John Gilmore

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    Ere um

    I have never heard of win32 API (sorry). I understood windows (95, 98, xp etc) are programed in MFC. I therefore thought to write comprehensive engineering programs i would have to create programs in c++/ MFC.

    Am i correct in saying win32 API is only used on windows platforms?

    Cheers

    tuurb046

  8. #8
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    I understood windows (95, 98, xp etc) are programed in MFC.
    You understood wrong. They are all Win32 API. Actually MFC is just a wrapper and actually uses Win32 API calls, because Win32 API calls are the ONLY way programs can communicate with Windows.
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  9. #9
    MFC killed my cat! manutd's Avatar
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    I hate MFC. It's syntax is ugly. I use wxWidgets for its ease-of-use and wide range of options. Also, wxWidgets can be used with almost any compiler, whereas MFC is proprietary and can only be used with Visual C++. That's just my opinion, however. You might love MFC.
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  10. #10
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    I hate MFC. It's syntax is ugly.
    I agree. MFC is evil, it killed manutd's cat. But I use Win32 API for everything.
    "The Internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it." - John Gilmore

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    What is wxWidgets?

  12. #12
    * Death to Visual Basic * Devil Panther's Avatar
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    People don't confuse the poor guy.
    Dude, if you don't know C++, learn it.

    Learn Win32API, without this you will never understand windows programming.
    Then MFC could be nice it makes life a little easier, and it's basicly nothing more than just C++ classes that contain Win32API, but they do short things.
    Then You can move to C# and so on.

    maxorator, I don't think it's a wise advice to give, "stick to Win32API".
    It's long, messy, and the development takes just way too much time.
    At one point or another you need to more on.
    "I don't suffer from insanity but enjoy every minute of it" - Edgar Allen Poe

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  13. #13
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    Then You can move to C# and so on.
    You think C# is more advanced than C++? Then start messing with VB, if you think so.
    Or after learning C++, you could learn HTML, what a progress!

    The only thing that is more advanced than C or C++ is Assembly.
    maxorator, I don't think it's a wise advice to give, "stick to Win32API".
    It's long, messy, and the development takes just way too much time.
    At one point or another you need to more on.
    I find copy-paste and modify the best tactique to use Win32 API so you can do it as fast as with any other wrapper.
    Last edited by maxorator; 11-07-2006 at 02:01 AM.
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  14. #14
    * Death to Visual Basic * Devil Panther's Avatar
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    Allow my to explain why I said C# after C++.

    C# is not advanced, it's lame.
    BUT... If he's going to code windows apps for a living, believe me, he will probably use it, since it's alot faster to do insane looking GUI with C# that with C++ using Win32API and MFC... PLUS, many companies demand that you work with it!

    The reason I said C++ before C#, because it's a good idea to learn the hard first and then mess your head with Microsoft crap. C/C++ will ALWAYS be a better language for programming, than C#.
    I've see many people who started with VB or C# and then had difficult time to move to C/C++.
    "I don't suffer from insanity but enjoy every minute of it" - Edgar Allen Poe

    http://www.Bloodware.net - Developing free software for the community.

  15. #15
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    C/C++ will ALWAYS be a better language for programming, than C#.
    OK, that explains it.
    But still, I ain't gonna work anywhere where C# is necessary. Those must be really lame companies, who really don't give a **** what they are infecting the customers' computers with. (A hint: laggy slow, low-performance programs)

    I am using a quite fast computer and some VB, C# and Java applications are damn slow compared to some real applications.
    "The Internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it." - John Gilmore

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