Thread: Creating a Dialog Based Application without MFC

Hi,

I am just a beginner at windows programming, so I am wondering, how do I create a dialog-based application (similar to that of using VC++ and MFC) with just the pure windows API?

Currently I am just doing the following, but I have a slight feeling in my gut it's not the correct way to do it

Code:

HWND g_dlg = NULL;

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nShowCmd)
{
	g_dlg = CreateDialog(hInstance, MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_CALC), NULL, CalcProc);
	ShowWindow(g_dlg, SW_SHOW);

	MSG msg;
	while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0) > 0)
	{
		if (!IsDialogMessage(g_dlg, &msg))
		{
			TranslateMessage(&msg);
			DispatchMessage(&msg);
		}
	}
	return 0;
}

Any help is greatly appreciated Thank you very much.

Since you are using the dialog as your main window then you could just use a modal dialog and avoid create a message loop with the DialogBox macro.

Originally Posted by Quantum1024

Since you are using the dialog as your main window then you could just use a modal dialog and avoid create a message loop with the DialogBox macro.

Blah, its been a long day. Thank you Quantum, of course I could do that. Revised code would look something like this for future reference:

Code:

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nShowCmd)
{
	return DialogBox(hInstance, MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_CALC), NULL, CalcProc);
}

I think... I didn't look up the API but I think the CreateDialog and DialogBox functions have the same parameters. But what they do is quite different

Use MFC. In this case, it will make your life a lot easier.

1. Start an MFC project
2. Choose dialog-based
3. Create your dialog resource using the resource editor
4. Link the controls/variables with classes/names using class wizard.
5. Create a message map using class wizard.
6. Put your code in where MFC tells you to in the new message handler functions.
7. Create the dialog box using CDialog::DoModal()

Done.

I would show you how to do this in Win32, but it only complicates things and probably isn't the easiest way. The simplest way is to use MFC - you will be up and running within 20 min max.

Originally Posted by Bubba

Use MFC. In this case, it will make your life a lot easier.

...

I would show you how to do this in Win32, but it only complicates things and probably isn't the easiest way. The simplest way is to use MFC - you will be up and running within 20 min max.

I know how to do it in MFC. I kinda did the backwards route and learned MFC before learning the pure APIs. So now that I know MFC and I know I couldve done this very easily in MFC, I'd like to learn how to do it with the pure APIs.

Originally Posted by MitchellH

I know how to do it in MFC. I kinda did the backwards route and learned MFC before learning the pure APIs. So now that I know MFC and I know I couldve done this very easily in MFC, I'd like to learn how to do it with the pure APIs.

I work purely in the API and won't touch MFC. Ever. The first site that I went to to learn how to work with the API was here, theForger's API tutorial.

The MSDN will also help a great deal once you learn how to search it easily (Read: Use google).

Originally Posted by Lithorien

I work purely in the API and won't touch MFC. Ever. The first site that I went to to learn how to work with the API was here, theForger's API tutorial.

The MSDN will also help a great deal once you learn how to search it easily (Read: Use google).

Yes, I also used that tutorial and it was great! But I was wondering how to make a dialog-based app. The DialogBox() way seems pretty good... is that the correct way?

>> is that the correct way?
It's one of many "correct ways".

About Dialog Boxes

gg

Originally Posted by MitchellH

Yes, I also used that tutorial and it was great! But I was wondering how to make a dialog-based app. The DialogBox() way seems pretty good... is that the correct way?

One of many correct ways, yes.