Getting Started with Windows Programming

Welcome to the world of Windows programming! This guide will help you understand the foundational steps, tools, and concepts needed to begin building applications for the Windows platform.

Prerequisites

Before diving in, ensure you have a basic understanding of one or more programming languages like C++, C#, or JavaScript, along with fundamental computer science principles.

1. Setting Up Your Development Environment

The primary tool for Windows development is Visual Studio. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools for coding, debugging, and deploying your applications.

  1. Download Visual Studio: Visit the official Visual Studio website and download the Community edition (free for individual developers and open-source projects) or Professional/Enterprise editions for more advanced features.
  2. Install Workloads: During installation, select the appropriate workloads. For native Windows development, choose "Desktop development with C++". For UWP or WinUI apps, select "Universal Windows Platform development" or " .NET desktop development" and then ensure the relevant components are checked.
  3. Install Windows SDKs: Visual Studio will typically install the latest Windows SDKs. You can manage SDK versions through the Visual Studio Installer.

2. Choosing Your Development Path

Windows offers several frameworks for application development, each suited for different types of applications and target platforms.

3. Your First Application

Let's create a simple "Hello, World!" application. We'll use a C++ Win32 example as it demonstrates core Windows concepts.

C++ Win32 "Hello, World!"

Create a new project in Visual Studio: File -> New -> Project. Select "Windows Desktop Application" under the C++ templates.

Replace the contents of your main source file (e.g., YourProjectName.cpp) with the following code:


#include <windows.h>

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam) {
    switch (msg) {
        case WM_PAINT: {
            PAINTSTRUCT ps;
            HDC hdc = BeginPaint(hwnd, &ps);
            RECT rect;
            GetClientRect(hwnd, &rect);
            DrawText(hdc, "Hello, Windows!", -1, &rect, DT_CENTER | DT_VCENTER | DT_SINGLELINE);
            EndPaint(hwnd, &ps);
            break;
        }
        case WM_DESTROY:
            PostQuitMessage(0);
            break;
        default:
            return DefWindowProc(hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
    }
    return 0;
}

INT WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, PSTR lpCmdLine, INT nCmdShow) {
    const char CLASS_NAME[] = "Sample App";

    WNDCLASS wc = { };

    wc.lpfnWndProc = WndProc;
    wc.hInstance = hInstance;
    wc.lpszClassName = CLASS_NAME;
    wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW + 1);
    wc.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);

    RegisterClass(&wc);

    HWND hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
        0,                              // Optional window styles.
        CLASS_NAME,                     // Window class.
        "Hello World!",                 // Window text.
        WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,            // Window style.

        // Size and position.
        CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT,

        NULL,       // Parent window.
        NULL,       // Menu.
        hInstance,  // Instance handle.
        NULL        // Additional application data.
    );

    if (hwnd == NULL) {
        return 0;
    }

    ShowWindow(hwnd, nCmdShow);
    UpdateWindow(hwnd);

    MSG msg = { };
    while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0)) {
        TranslateMessage(&msg);
        DispatchMessage(&msg);
    }

    return 0;
}

Tip

For UWP or WinUI development, you'll primarily work with XAML for UI layout and C# or C++/WinRT for logic. The project templates for these frameworks will set up the initial structure for you.

4. Key Concepts to Learn

5. Next Steps

Happy coding!