Thread: Difference between MFC and API

I am a programmer in C and about to get into Windows programming with C through API. Well, I realize that MFC is a C++ thing, but I'm just curious. What is the difference between MFC and API? Thanks.

actuall API(Application Programming Interface) is a very broad term many things are API's but i suspect your refering to the Win32 API so here it goes,

MFC as i see it though some will undoubtably disagree is pretty much a wrapper aroung the Win32 API to make it easier and quicker to use without compramising stability,quality or speed, and it does it pretty well except for speed. and it sure as hell easifies using Win32 for people unfamiliar or even people familiar with it.

No offense (Ow, I feel a flame coming on...) but don't you think you should work a little while in C 'til you get up to WinAPI? Maybe you were having an off day, but you were using == to compare strings...and using = to assign a string to a variable...All I'm saying is to maybe stay with console for a bit longer...ESPESCIALLY if you're going to get into the API.

No offense taken. I see where you are coming from. When I say, "about to get into Windows programming", I guess I don't really mean "about". Not like tomorrow or anything. I don't know, I was thinking 3 to 4 months of a lot of console programming in C. Does that sound right? I've been programming in it for about a month now. In, maybe, 4 months would I be ready for Windows API? I mean, it's not like I want to rush to get into API. I want to have a good base of C when I do. I teach myself with books. Right now I'm working with O'Reilly's "Practical C Programming." It is not a really extensive book, but it is giving me, I believe, a really good feel for C. Then, when I read this book a couple of times, I move onto an extensive book that works on the all of C. Does this sound right? Thanks.

Sounds better than what I did: a few online tutorials, C For Dummies Vol's I&II, a lot of help from here, and a few books rented from the library before I got into WinAPI with petzold's. I also have K&R's and a book on algorithms in C, but I got those AFTER Petzold's, so it doesn't count. Yeah, you'll pretty much be ready to tackle the API after that, I think. Good luck!

> Good luck!
Thanks!

> Sounds better than what I did
Why do you say that? You seem to be an accomplished C programmer and Windows programmer.

> WinAPI with petzold's
Yeh, I'm pretty sure that's the book that I'll eventually go with. I heard a lot of recommendations for that book. Many said that is was great to learn from. So, that'll be the book when the time comes.

> and a book on algorithms in C
Do you recommend a type of book like that? I saw that O'Reilly had a book entitled "Algorithms in C", or something like that. Do you think I should invest in a book like that?

Thanks again! Take care...

-Garfield