1 application - 4 tasks :: how to seperate?

hi there!

i want to program an application. this application supports 4 tasks which you can do. yet i didn't separate them correctly. they were in different tab pages in one window and one 1200 lines code file.

now i tried to separate them to mdi children (see here: http://cboard.cprogramming.com/showthread.php?t=112439 )
which didnt work!

now's the question: how do i separate this like the pros do?
thanks :)

Hard to design with this limited information...

Generally the 'tasks' run in a window or dialog. Modal if other user actions need to be restricted.

Create a base class for the shared / common functionality for this window / dialog (create, paint, size, close, etc). Other classes handle threading, signaling, logging etc.

Derive from this class individual child classes for each task. Try to keep as much functionality in the base class, as this makes maintaining the code easier.

Derive smaller classes for control specialization (ie edit control for currency)

That should break the code up and make finding errors easier.

Remember a method / function should do one thing well. Smaller methods are easier to re-use.

More specific info will get a better answer...

this is my application yet:
http://stuff.dev-ch.de/content/screenshots/eWork_4.jpg

as you see, the four tasks are seperated by tabs. they all are melted into 1200 lines of messy code.

as said before, i tried to seperate them to MDI children (see here: http://cboard.cprogramming.com/showthread.php?t=112439 )

now's the question: how do i seperate them in the code, but still keep the user seeing the application as a whole all-in-one complex?

Find the common behaviors of 'tabs' in your system and place them into an interface. Derive your existing tabs from the interface. Keep all implementation of the specific tabs out of the interface.

Some things that all tabs must do:

• Initialize
• Clean up
• Draw
• Accept input

this still sounds messy. maybe my idea of putting everything into separate MDI children would work, but there are some major problems, too.

please help me out here, too: http://cboard.cprogramming.com/showthread.php?t=112439

thanks.

Handle the OnSize() / WM_SIZE msg and restrict the size?

but MDI does not sound like the right tool for this job.

Why not use a TAB control, with child dialogs overlayed? (which is easier than multiple runtime controls)

Quote:

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Handle the OnSize() / WM_SIZE msg and restrict the size?

---

any specific code example for that?
restrict the size? i think i only need to restrict it to stay always maximized, even if i switch between those tasks using buttons.

something like this in the base (interface) class...(not tested)

This is WIN32 as you have not mentioned a language, though it looks like managed C++.

Code:

---

case WM_SIZE:
//try just bypassing the default processing that allows a window to change size
if (wParam == SIZE_MINIMISED || wParam == SIZE_RESTORED)
{
  //try just ignorting this msg
  return 0;

  //OR
  //if above does not work
  //may have to restrict size by setting the lParam to the required width and height.
  //set the flag to maximise
  wParam = SIZE_MAXIMISED;
  //set the size to the maximised size
  lParam = MAKELPARAM(iMaxWidth, iMaxHeight);
  //now let windows process the msg
  return true;

}

---

eh, well. i'm programming in managed c#. might shoulda have said it before sry :(