Just curious 'bout this one

I was just wonderin' what function (or whatever) you use to control Windows (eg. to get the program to change the screen saver for).

Thanks
-Chris

There is no single function you use to control Windows. There is, rather, a large API consisting of hundreds of functions, (although there are many that are only used in unusual circumstances).

A screen saver is an application, not a window. There is a special set of API routines dealing with screensavers.

Do you know where I could learn about API?

Programming Windows
Fifth edition
Charles Petzold

This is for Win 32 API...
i bought it 2 months ago but just 3 days ago i start reading it.
and i like it allready :)

There are some simple Windows tutorials linked in the FAQ, (if the links are broken, mail me), or a well worded search with google will find hundreds.

There are also a few good books. "Programming Windows" by Petzold, (get the 5th edition), is probably the most recomended book. Another good author, (espeacially if you are not using Visual C), is Herbert Schildt, browse Amazon for his name and look for the "... from the Ground Up" series.

If you get stuck with the API, ask questions on the Windows board.

I would recomend you learn the API before you try to learn a class library like MFC - other would disagree.

I have searched the book shops and the only *good* book that I have found is the one that i bought and have been learning from. So does anybody have a link to good tutorial on the subject of API?

you must have typed that one before I typed the above message...

Man I really wish there was a function that controlled windows :)
You can use the CreateProcess to run a screen saver. I don't have the knowledge of how to permanently change a screen saver from a windows program though. But if all you want to do is run a screen saver you'll be happy to know that you don't need to use windows to do that.

If you already have a book, make sure it is a Win32 book. There are earlier versions of the API, Win16 for example, that are now so out of date, I would not recomend bothering with.

Quote:

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I would recomend you learn the API before you try to learn a class library like MFC - other would disagree

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I agree with you totally adrian.MFC is very sparse in places and you OFTEN have to fall back on the api to do what you want and this is not easy if you started windows programming making dialog apps with mfc a la learn visual c++ in 21 days etc.

I'm not the most experience in API to say the least by what about .NET Framework Class Library. I heard that there are something like 5000 methods to call. Not only that but unlike MFC it is not wrapped with Win32, infact the .NET framework is built right into the operating system.

ohhh boy theres a gazillion functions, thats supierior thinking. Umm news flash, less is better, you want LESS code to do MORE. And it does not matter if u are doing windows that its portable... and guess wut .NET is built into the os... well binary is built right into your CPU! So if u want to continure limiting yourself... just skip right to paying someone to write HTML for you!

SPH :rolleyes: