From console to Windows program

[DJGodsOwn]

So I was just wondering, what do I need to do to get from out of console programming, to coding a program with an installer, and graphics and all of that? What are some good resources to help me in that transition? Should I be using Visual Studio for programming Windows apps or Android and so on? I'm trying to get back into coding after a year or so hiatus and it's coming back to me, but the most I had done was some LED light sequence programming in Arduino (essentially C++). Please let me know your thoughts.

[deleted account xyzzy]

If'n you are looking at getting into Windows GUI programming then using Visual Studio wouldn't be a bad idea.

To get a taste for what Windows Desktop programming takes there's an old Win32 API (application programming interfaces) tutorial.

http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/

Just as the interface to C++ is sub-divided into multiple libraries ( https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/header ) the Windows interface is subdivided in the Windows API ( https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/apiindex/windows-api-list ).

[dutch]

For graphical Windows programs one should consider C#.

[deleted account xyzzy]

MSDN tutorials for Win32 and C++:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/learnwin32/learn-to-program-for-windows?view=msvc-160

C# tutorials using Visual Studio:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/get-started/csharp/?view=vs-2019

[zapshe]

C# on Visual Studio makes it easy to get started making a GUI. With C++, making a GUI can be pretty tedious, even when using a 3rd party library - which you definitely should if using C++. wxWidgets was the external library I used when coding a little game with a GUI on C++. It's also good for applications.

[seeplus]

to coding a program with an installer, and graphics and all of that

You use 3rd party libraries. For examples of what's available see:

https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/links/libs

Unless you're a sado-masochist, I advise against using the WIN32 API.

Do you want just for Windows - or also x-platform?

[z05DSL3A]

It would probable be worth reading up on this...

Windows App SDK
The Windows App SDK is a set of new developer components and tools that represent the next evolution in the Windows app development platform. The Windows App SDK provides a unified set of APIs and tools that can be used in a consistent way by any desktop app on Windows 11 and downlevel to Windows 10, version 1809.

The Windows App SDK does not replace the existing desktop Windows app types such as .NET (including Windows Forms and WPF) and desktop Win32 with C++. Instead, it complements these existing platforms with a common set of APIs and tools that developers can rely on across these platforms.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/windows-app-sdk/