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I am learning about object oriented programming with c++ and I was wondering how you guys write your windows gui programs. Do you create classes that encapsulate the windows api or do you write the windows code in C programming style? Anybody willing to share any code? :)
I create classes that encapsulate a whole application. That includes a separate thread to run the message loop, a basic window, and a window procedure. I'll attach the source so you can see how it works.
Interesting example bennyandthejets but I think I have to learn a lot more about C++ and OOP before I can digest the example. :) Is there anything wrong with programming windows user interfaces with the C non OOP style?
I believe that's how Windows API is written.
In other words, no.
Well I asked because if I am going to write C like code then why am I using C++? Is it justifiable to do interfaces with C like code but still use OOP for the other parts of a program or is that bad software design or something?
I've done a great deal of windows API code in C++. I find it to be much better because windows code can be ugly and difficult to maintain. OOP is the best way I know of to keep it clean.
I take the approach that code can read like english. A class is a noun, a method is a verb, etc.. Therefore it is common sense that a window is an object and lets say resize, move, show, etc are verbs or methods on that class. Inherit them from a common Window class that does things that all windows do and you've got yourself a good starting point.
If you choose this direction you'll want to look up:
SetWindowLong() and GetWindowLong() with the GWL_USERDATA flag. This is the best place to store a pointer to the window's class instance. You'll need this to get access to the thing in the window callback. Have fun.
You can take a gander at MFC, which is Win32 in OOP style. That can give you ideas how to set it up yourself.
>> I am learning about object oriented programming with c++ ...
So now isn't the time to come up with you own OOP GUI framework of the Win32 API.
I know that isn't what you were asking....
>> Is there anything wrong with programming windows user interfaces with the C non OOP style?
There is nothing wrong with what you do in your own process of learning.
An OOP GUI framework might be on the advanced side of things for now, but there are many other things in the Win32 API that lend themselves easily to OOP.
For example, here's my version of C++ thread encapsulation in Win32.
It only takes a little bit of C++ know-how (and Win32 API experience) to start thinking about an OOP framework on Win32 GUI programming. Once you're ready (maybe tonight), come back and digest bennyandthejets's example code and then read this thread.
Learning MFC is great way to study examples of slap'n C++ onto Win32 programming.
gg
codeplug,
You're probably right that im not ready to think about and OOP framework for the win32 api because right not im just learning about classes and operator overloading and still have inheritance and polymorphism to cover.
I learned how to read by learning how to talk, I learned how to write by reading.
Just start coding Windows applications in C++ right now, the details will become clear later.
Not ready for writing windows GUI applications as yet. Right not I'm focusing on learning c++ and thinking in an object oriented way. When I can do that I think it would be easier to code an object oriented framework for the win32 api.