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hi,
i am a beginner in programming and i have a fair knowledge of what iam doing and i have 1 concern that is, i have been programming in DOS (i use dev c++ compiler) for a while now and iam just wondering can i turn that DOS program i made into a windows application like microsoft word? Or do i have to write that code in a application then run it?
Going from console (text based) programming to GUI programming is not as easy as you might think, and it's really not for beginners. There's no simple "make window" command...
Take a look at The Forger's Windows Programming Tutorial. If you like what you see, get a copy of Programming Windows, by Charles Petzold.
Your compiler supports the WinAPI, so you can use it to write Windows programs.
Generaly you cant. Win 32 API is different from Ansi C / C++ libraries API. Only functions which not contain any console i/o function are portable to win 32, but win 32 offers its own functions almost for any function in Ansi C / C++ libraries API.
ouch, is it like learning a whole new language?(ie:there is no cout function?and is something totally different)Quote:
Going from console (text based) programming to GUI programming is not as easy as you might think, and it's really not for beginners. There's no simple "make window" command...
Take a look at The Forger's Windows Programming Tutorial. If you like what you see, get a copy of Programming Windows, by Charles Petzold.
Your compiler supports the WinAPI, so you can use it to write Windows programs.
Also what can i achieve from making a DOS program?
Quite a lot. There are text based games still around today, and consoles can still make good text editors, syntax checkers, compilers, maybe an anti-virus program, and I'm pretty sure that most (all?) programs can use a console as a base for code.Quote:
Originally Posted by k1ll3r
If you learn any programming language, really, you start out in the console to get used to and study what you are working with.
And yes, GUI tools are quite the separate dimension.
have you ever used a text editor, such as Notepad, or Microsoft Word, or used the Dev-C++ code editor? Those and hundreds of others like it are all written using win32 api functions. The win32 api is not another language at all, just an extension of C language much like the cout is an extension of C++ language. Many programmers work for years on just one win32 api program, or set of programs. So don't expect to learn it overnight.Quote:
Originally Posted by k1ll3r
Agreed. Don't start until you've mastered the console-based basics like everyone else.
recently i got a book on c++ for beginners and it says "teaches you everything you need to know to become a professional programmer." So after i read this book (understand it aswell) i would get another book on Win 32 API?
The person who wrote this book lied to you.Quote:
Originally Posted by k1ll3r
Yes.Quote:
So after i read this book (understand it aswell) i would get another book on Win 32 API?
Back to the original question:
Yes if the console-based (DOS) program is written in such a way to help.Quote:
Originally Posted by k1ll3r
If all input and output is done in functions and these function's only purpose is input or output, they can be replaced by new functions that do I/O to the Windows components instead. Other functions will have to be added to create the windows and windows layouts.
The rest of the code could work as is since it is the background processing, the real guts of the program, and would have nothing to do with the I/O.
This is the second time I've seen this. A DOS program does NOT mean it is a console program or run in a console window. A DOS program is run by command.com or command which is emulated 16-bit DOS. Nearly every aspect of DOS works in this mode except for loading of drivers into memory using HIMEM.SYS. Also EMM386.EXE does not work as expected since it is not loaded into memory. But if you could load it, and you could if you could boot to command prompt, it would work as well.Quote:
Yes if the console-based (DOS) program is written in such a way to help.
DOS is in XP but not under XP. XP is not built on DOS, but XP does support DOS for the most part.
Console programs can be made inside of MSVC 6, 2003 and 2005 by simply selecting console for the type of application. However interrupts are NOT allowed and setting of VGA mode is NOT allowed as well as mouse access. You can call Win32 API functions from console mode with no problem. There are ways to do this in DOS via DJGPP and NASM but they are different.
DOS and console are not synonymous.
To prove it:
Download Turbo C++ 1.0, Turbo C++ 3.0 or get Turbo C++ 4.52.
Create a DOS application just as you normally would back in the day.
Now create a console app inside of Visual Studio or Borland and see the difference.
They are not the same.
The term "DOS" means "Disk Operating System". Most operating systems have them, including MS-DOS, Unix, Linux, MAC, DEC, etc. etc. Just saying "DOS" means absolutely nothing, it's very similar to saying "my car" instead of "my chevy" or "my ford".
However the context of DOS in this discussion was that of the specific operating system MS-DOS :)
It is a wrong assumption to believe that programming for the console on any operating system over (and inclusive) Windows 2000 and Windows NT, is programming under MS-DOS. It is not.
Also a console is not DOS either. Even by your definition.
Yes, it is a wrong assumtion. MS-Windows command-prompt window is NOT the same as MS-DOS. MS-DOS ceased to exist after Win95.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario F.
Any program that calls cout or printf() is a console program, and most operating systems support them, I know of a few that do not but programs that run on them do not use cout or printf().
Yes, I'm very well aware of this. But to the OP, I doubt it really matters what the technical differences are, therefore I was responding at his level and didn't feel like explaining the difference. As far as he knew, they were the same. They act the same. They look the same. It's only "under the hood" they are different. And for his question the difference was moot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubba
Thank you for the explanation, though. For anyone that needs to know the difference, they now know.
Since they are two distinctly different beasts, let's not mix them eh?
It is never correct to assume (DOS==console).
I have no idea why we are even talking about DOS in the first place. :)
If you enjoy saying Ford==GM, then I suppose DOS == console is ok too
They are all run by drivers, fed with gas, and, most important, their brands are on the way declining to bankrupt. :) is that similar enough ? j/k
I don't see where it matters since the concensus here is DOS is dead. So what's the big deal calling the console window a DOS window. (please don't repeat your previous reasoning -- we already understand that). I find the difference negligible and moot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubba
Not assuming that. The DOS window is understood as the Console Window. So it's miscalled. That doesn't change it's functionality.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubba
Because you objected to the OPs use of DOS and I didn't correct him, so you did.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubba
Not the same at all. More like Datsun == Nissan.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ancient Dragon
[offensive]
A quote by somebody:
[/offensive]Quote:
Arguing on the Internet is like running in the special Olympics
even if you win you are still retarded.
<nitpick>not neccessarily true. A gui program can use printf or cout as well.</nitpick>Quote:
Originally Posted by Ancient Dragon
These days, there isn't really a clear definition between "console" and "gui" programs. Most people would consider devenv.exe (visual studio) a GUI program, yet it supports a command line interface (which is actually quite handy for scripting builds, just do "devenv /build someproject")
MS-DOS is really not dead. It's still alive and kicking on my machine where a multi boot ensures I still have some fun with the games of old :)Quote:
Originally Posted by WaltP
There is nothing wrong in calling the console window a DOS window. But there is nothing wrong either in saying C++ is just like Pascal. One can have fun and say a lot of stuff that aren't true, simply because... there's nothing wrong in saying so.
However, it will not change the fact that what is said is simply... not.... true.
> There is nothing wrong in calling the console window a DOS window
Maybe so, for the great unwashed masses who never do anything more complicated than typing 'dir'.
But programmers need to be a hell of a lot more precise over terminology, and making out they're the same simply doesn't wash in the long run. Time and again, noobs wander in clutching some VGA program they've downloaded, riddled with int86 calls, and wanting to know how to compile it with say dev-c++ or vc6.
With the stated compiler, the OP has been writing win32 console programs.
> MS-DOS is really not dead.
OK, so you have a twitching corpse instead, for practical purposes, it's dead.
There are no new versions from MS (the last rites have been read)
There are no new patches from MS (the plug has been pulled from life support)
There are no new applications from developers (the coffin is nailed shut)
And Salem said so. (Case closed).
:D
>>But programmers need to be a hell of a lot more precise over terminology<<
I share this view - scientific and technical disciplines necessarily have a precise lexicon to minimize ambiguity. While there is precedent in relaxing strict nomenclature, in practice it just leads to confusion in both the short and long term.
That was precisely my point too. Although apparently Salem didn't see the irony :)
Sure -- but the text goes into the bit bucket (unless stdout is redirected to a file), it sure doesn't go onto the gui screen!Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosEngine
There are a few, very rare, MS-DOS applications still around -- I know of some that are used for manufacturing industries because of their speed in controlling things on assembly lines. Programs run a lot faster on MS-DOS 6.X operating system than on either *nix or MS-Windows.Quote:
Originally Posted by Salem
It is still available for free here
Yes there are companies who are depending on DOS 6.20 to get the job done and surprisingly, it is doing a very good job. DOS 6.20 is extremely reliable which makes it great for systems that need to do one thing but do it very well and very reliably.
Some companies have processes which, if terminated, would wreak havoc and quite possibly endanger a lot of lives. For this reason they are often scared to move to Windows and more often than not either have a proprietary system setup with a proprietary OS, or they use DOS.
well you could redirect stdout to a window! :p it also goes to visual studio's output window (useful for debug logging), but as I said, that's a nit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ancient Dragon
but that is a console window, not a gui window such as one that might be created using this tutorial.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosEngine
so what? it's still a window in a gui. it just happens to display a console. you're making a distinction where none exists. I could redirect stdout out to a dialog box (such as one that might be created using that tutorial)in my app if I wanted. Hell you could redirect stdout to and display it as rotating 3d text in a directx app (it'd be slow as hell, but technically it's possible)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ancient Dragon
how do you guys put signatures?
Edit your member profile in your control panel (User CP).
The proof is in the pudding -- show us an example of doing that please. After creating the window, how do you redirect stdout to that window so that I can use printf() and the output will go to that window? :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosEngine
@citizen, i cant seem to find a place where i can edit my signature.
First, you obviously need to be signed in. Then underneath the
current path of the thread you're in, there should be a link for
"User CP." For example, as I type this reply, the path is:
C Board > General Programming Boards > C++ Programming >
programing in DOS?
directly under the C Board part it says Reply to Thread (Because
that's what I'm doing). Then under that it says User CP. Click
that, and it should say edit signature along the left.
hmmm theres no icon called edit signature.
not enough posts mayb?
On the Left Hand Side it should say Control Panel. Under that it
should say Settings and Options. Directly under that it should
have Edit Signature - I don't think posts have anything to do
with it.
I don't have an example here and I don't have time to write one, but you can have a look at this code project article to get an idea. that's for C++ cout.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ancient Dragon
for C printf, look into the freopen function.
I recently made a GUI helper dll.
Right now it has functions to.
Make Windows
Add Text Area's
Add Text Input Areas
Buttons
MsgBox's
Its basic but it make it a bit faster pm if anyone wants to try it out.
Thanks for that codeproject link -- but just as I suspected there is a great deal more to it than just simple redirection.