How does MS Excel or Word draw to the screen??

In reading books, I know how a window is created, and I think I know how to create a menu toolbar (File, Edit, View, etc) across the top of the screen.

But, how does a Windows application like Excel or Word create everything else you see on the screen? In Excel, how would you draw the formula cells? In Word, how would you draw the text you see?

On really old computers, I remember that the screen is a bitmap, and you just manipulate the corresponding memory locations.

Can anyone tell me how this would work in a windows app?

Thanks!

Windows still uses bitmaps, drawn to the screen in response to a paint message.

How exactly you do the drawing depends on the requirements of the app, from none to all of the screen.

You need to be more specific.

When I need a control similar to a small section of an Excel spreadsheet, I use a report style listview.

Much subclassing is required, ie override the label edit messages to create controls (edit, combo etc) in the cells.

Thanks; that's the answer I was looking for: windows apps like excel and word use a paint message to draw on a bitmap.