C++> CLR Windows Application

[George3021]

Ok, i've been trying to make console c++ programs for two years and now i'm starting getting bored! So i'd like to learn how to make programs with the general windows application form. In visual studio 10 there are many "types" of forms for the c++ such as win32, atl, mfc etc. There is another one which is called clr and if you press to make windows form application in clr you'll be able to make your own graphics to your program (buttons, textboxes etc.)
My first question is: Is clr the right choice to make a windows application with graphics and not just a console program?

My second question: Are there any books or tutorials on how to make clr programs??

Please i'd be grateful if anyone helped!

[kaije]

If you've been making console programs for 2 years, you can always include the windows.h file and mess around with the tonnes of "low level" functions in there, such as CreateWindow and MessageBox.

Heres a simple winapi hello world:

#include <windows.h>

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hPrev, LPSTR lpArgs, int iCmdShow)
{
	return MessageBoxA(NULL, "hello world", "title", MB_OK | MB_TOPMOST | MB_ICONINFORMATION);
}

put that in a "win32 project" in vs, or change project settings in the linker to system "Windows (/SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS)"

[3pj6b7Xj]

Hey George looks like we are on the same boat, lol...except I didn't make console programs for so long, I starting making DOS UIs after a while, made a full fledged text editor, games, even my own little windows sorta looking environment but that is all history now...windows 7 forced me to move to the windows api since I couldn't go full screen anymore but what ever, the win api has proven to be very entertaining and challenging.

[blackcoder41]

Is clr the right choice to make a windows application with graphics and not just a console program?

In my opinion, that's a big NO!!
Try here..
http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/
http://www.zetcode.com/tutorials/winapi/

Are there any books or tutorials on how to make clr programs??

Not really concentrated on CLR but the whole Visual C++, like MFC etc..
http://www.amazon.com/Ivor-Hortons-Beginning-Visual-Programmer/dp/0470500883

[freddie1]

Thanks for giving the CORRECT answer blackcoder41! Somehow or other - apparently mistakenly, I had thought you were lost from the fold of true believers!

[Computergeek01]

I don't know what this "clr" thing is but he Windows API isn't difficult it's just complex (but not complicated).

[freddie1]

You apparently don't use Visual Studio Computergeek01. The Clr thing allows you to create a C++ project where you can use C++ exactly the way you are used to, but you can also use the .NET Framework. Last winter I bought a whole book on it, but never got to it.

[Computergeek01]

Lol, you say that like it's a bad thing. It's true that it is a pain in the neck to learn how to link stuff, especially when there really aren't many good tutorials on it but I feel like using a Big Boy IDE\Compiler gives you more of the frustrating programmers experiance.

[blackcoder41]

Computergeek01 wrote:

I feel like using a Big Boy IDE\Compiler gives you more of the frustrating programmers experiance.

I have to agree to that.

Just to keep things simple I consider C++/CLI as C# using C++ syntax but you can also access native C++ libraries. CLR actually means Common Language Runtime, which make sense because C++/CLI, C# and VB.net can share code with each other using the .NET Frameworks.

[freddie1]

Lol, you say that like it's a bad thing.

No, I didn't mean it that way at all! Its something of a PIA as far as I'm concerned. I tend to like lighter, simpler editors.

The CLI/CLR thing is interesting though (apparently not interesting enough for me to have read the book I bought on it though!). A bridge between managed and unmanaged code (another strange way of looking at things), so to speak.