Windows SDK C++ Documentation

MFC Overview

The Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) library is a C++ object-oriented framework that provides a comprehensive set of classes for developing Windows applications. It simplifies the process of creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs), handling messages, managing resources, and interacting with the Windows operating system.

What is MFC?

MFC is built on top of the Windows API. Instead of directly calling Windows API functions, you use MFC classes that encapsulate Windows objects and functionalities. This object-oriented approach makes your code more structured, maintainable, and reusable.

Key Features of MFC

• Document/View Architecture: MFC provides a robust framework for separating data (document) from its presentation (view). This promotes cleaner code and makes it easier to support multiple views of the same data.
• Message Handling: MFC's message mapping mechanism allows you to efficiently route Windows messages to specific member functions in your classes.
• Object Serialization: MFC supports object persistence, allowing you to save and load the state of your objects to and from files.
• Control Classes: MFC provides wrapper classes for common Windows controls like buttons, edit boxes, list boxes, and dialogs, simplifying their use.
• Graphics and Drawing: MFC offers classes for device contexts, pens, brushes, fonts, and GDI objects to facilitate drawing and graphics operations.
• Database Access: Through classes like ODBC and DAO, MFC enables you to connect to and interact with databases.

Getting Started with MFC

To start developing with MFC, you typically use Visual Studio. The IDE provides project templates and wizards that simplify the creation of MFC applications.

Basic Structure of an MFC Application:

• Application Class (CWinApp): Every MFC application has a class derived from CWinApp. This class initializes the application and handles its message loop.
• Frame Window Class: Represents the main window of your application.
• Document Class (CDocument): Manages the application's data.
• View Class (CView): Displays the document's data and handles user input.

Example: A Simple MFC Window

While a full example is extensive, the core idea is to derive from classes and utilize message maps.

// MyView.h
#pragma once
#include <afxwin.h>

class CMyView : public CView
{
protected:
    DECLARE_DYNCREATE(CMyView)

public:
    // Overrides
    BOOL PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs) override;
    void OnDraw(CDC* pDC) override; // Overridden to draw content

    DECLARE_MESSAGE_MAP()
};

// MyView.cpp
#include "MyView.h"

IMPLEMENT_DYNCREATE(CMyView, CView)

BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(CMyView, CView)
    // Add message handlers here
END_MESSAGE_MAP()

BOOL CMyView::PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs)
{
    return CView::PreCreateWindow(cs);
}

void CMyView::OnDraw(CDC* pDC)
{
    // Example drawing
    pDC->TextOut(10, 10, _T("Hello from MFC!"));
}
            

Further Resources

• MFC Class Hierarchy
• MFC Programming Techniques
• Working with Dialogs