Creating a Window (Win10)

[LjSpike]

I am just beginning to learn C++ (in the hopes of creating a little program of mine I've wanted to do for a while).

I was wondering if someone might be able to explain very simply the creation of a blank window in Windows 10 as a sort of starting point for my learning, and if they might be able to give the explanation with as little jargon as possible (and/or explain the jargon used).

[boost lexical cast]

You can use Qt, wxWidgets, SFML, etc. Google them. Then find tutorials on them.

[Thomas1965]

Other options would be MFC or Win API.
http://www.functionx.com/visualc/
http://www.functionx.com/win32/index.htm
However I don't think that it would be worth the effort doing it in C++. The learning curve is very steep and it would take some months just to learn the basics.

Easier option is Python
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJB1Ek2Ko_Y&list=PL6gx4Cwl9DGBwibXFtPtflztSNPGuIB_d
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/python/python_gui_programming.htm

[LjSpike]

Thank you Thomas for those links. I know the learning curve for C++ is rather steep, I already know some aspects of Python, however for my end goal, Python just isn't powerful enough... Also, In response to boost lexical cast I'll probably be using Visual Studio 2015, although thank you for the links nonetheless.

The end project I'm looking at doing is a ray-tracer, while it's not necessarily the most elaborate thing from a code perspective, it specifically requires a powerful language as it's a rather intensive type of program. In general ray-tracers are so intensive they are only really used for still images, or adding in CGI to very short sequences of video in movies where (near) photorealism is required.

[E0p9LyTq]

Walkthrough: Creating Windows Desktop Applications (C++)
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb384843.aspx

[LjSpike]

Thanks Furry. Bookmarked that tutorial too (will read through it at another time).

I take it Win32 is fine to use for essentially all windowed programs on Windows 10?

[E0p9LyTq]

there is also:

theForger's Win32 API Programming Tutorial
http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/

Win32 works well when you want to leverage the core of what Windows has to offer. Win32 is simple, the add on Win libraries (DirectX, WinForms, etc.) ease the burden of having to bash out a lot of low-level code.

[E0p9LyTq]

One thing to note if you are using the Win32 API to program Windows apps in C/C++ using Visual Studio 2015. There are a couple of bugs in the C Runtime DLL if you use dynamic linking. A couple of very specific Win32 functions.

Use static linking and the problems will disappear.

The size of your EXE file gets larger, but you won't have to worry about your program not working correctly.

[LjSpike]

I'll bear that in mind. It's probably best to use Win32 then, just to make life a bit easier for me. Nice to know it holds DirectX inside it too. I could well end up utilising that somewhere.