MSDN Documentation - Windows Programming General

General Windows Programming Concepts

Welcome to the general concepts section for Windows programming. This area provides foundational knowledge for developing applications on the Windows platform, covering essential principles, architecture, and best practices.

Key Topics

Windows Architecture: Understanding the core components of the Windows operating system, including the kernel, user mode, and kernel mode, is crucial for effective development.
Processes and Threads: Learn how Windows manages execution, including the creation and management of processes and threads.
Memory Management: Explore how Windows handles memory, virtual memory, and allocation.
Inter-process Communication (IPC): Discover various mechanisms for processes to communicate with each other, such as pipes, shared memory, and messaging.
Error Handling: Implement robust error handling strategies to create stable and reliable applications.
System Services: Understand how to develop and interact with Windows services.

Getting Started

For new developers, it's recommended to start with the basics of the Windows API and then move on to specific areas like UI development or system programming. Here are some fundamental resources:

Example: Basic Win32 Application Structure

Here's a simplified structure of a basic Win32 application:


#include <windows.h>

// Forward declaration of the window procedure function
LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
                  LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{
    WNDCLASSEX wc = {0};
    wc.cbSize        = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
    wc.lpfnWndProc   = WndProc; // Pointer to the window procedure
    wc.hInstance     = hInstance;
    wc.lpszClassName = "MyWindowClass";

    // Register the window class
    if (!RegisterClassEx(&wc)) {
        MessageBox(NULL, "Window Registration Failed!", "Error!",
                   MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
        return 0;
    }

    HWND hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
        WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE,
        "MyWindowClass", // Class name
        "My First Windows App", // Window title
        WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, // Window style
        CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 240, 80, // Position and size
        NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);

    if (!hwnd) {
        MessageBox(NULL, "Window Creation Failed!", "Error!",
                   MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
        return 0;
    }

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

    // Message loop
    MSG msg;
    while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0)) {
        TranslateMessage(&msg);
        DispatchMessage(&msg);
    }

    return (int)msg.wParam;
}

// The window procedure function
LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    switch (msg) {
        case WM_CREATE:
            // Handle window creation
            break;
        case WM_PAINT:
            {
                PAINTSTRUCT ps;
                HDC hdc = BeginPaint(hwnd, &ps);
                // Paint contents of window
                TextOut(hdc, 5, 5, "Hello, Windows!", 15);
                EndPaint(hwnd, &ps);
            }
            break;
        case WM_DESTROY:
            PostQuitMessage(0);
            break;
        default:
            return DefWindowProc(hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
    }
    return 0;
}

General Windows Programming Concepts

Key Topics

Getting Started

Example: Basic Win32 Application Structure

Further Reading