In this section

• Windows Fundamental
• The Windows Environment
• Some Definitions
• Designing c++ application
• Event Driven Program

Windows Fundamental

• Windows applications can be developed using a procedure -oriented approach oin either C or C++.
• All approaches bring together point and shoot control, pop-up menus, and the ability to run applications written especially for the Windows Environment.
• Windows gives the ability to develop Graphics User Interface(GUI).

The Windows Environment

• Windows is a graphics-based multitasking operating system.
• Programs developed for this environment have a consistent look and command structure.
• To the user, this makes learning each successive Windows application easier.
• To help in the development of Windows application. Windows provides numerous built-in functions that allow for easy implementation of pop-up menus, scroll bars, dialog boxes, icons that represent a user-friendly interface.
• Windows permits the application to work in a hardware-independent manner.

• Basically there are two fundamental different kinds of C++ applications, we can develop with visual C++:
  1. Application that natively execute on our computer. These applications are referred to as native C++ programs. We write native C++ program in the version of C++ that is defined by ISO/ANSI language standard.
  2. We can also write applications to run under the control of the CLR in an extended version of C++, called C++/CLI. These Programs are referred to as CLR program or C++/CLI Program.
• The .Net framework is not strictly part of visual C++, but rather a component of the windows operating system that makes it easier to build Software(s/w) application.
• Advantage of .Net Framework: Code Reliability(Fault Tolerance), Security, and Ability to integrate C++ code with other languages that targets the .Net framework.

Some Definitions

• Common Language Runtime(CLR):

The CLR is a standardized-environment for execution of program written in a wide-range of high-level languages including visual C++.

Important :

1. The specification of the CLR is standardized by European Computer Manufacturer (ECMA) standard for the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI), and CLR is an implementation of that standard for Microsoft Windows.
2. That is why C++ for CLR is referred to as C++/CLI, as it is the implementation of specification of CLI by CLR.

• Common Language Infrastructure(CLI):

The CLI is a specification for a Virtual Machine environment that enables applications written in diverse high-level programming language to be executed in different system environment, without changing or recompiling the original source code.
1. The CLI specifies a standard intermediate language for the virtual machine to which the high-level language code is compiled. With .Net framework, this intermediate language is called Microsoft Intermediate Language(MSIL). The code in the intermediate language is ultimately mapped to machine code by a Just-In-Time(JIT) compiler, when we execute the program.
2. Code in the CLI intermediate language can be executed within any other environment that has a CLI implementation.
3. The CLI also defines a common set of data types called the Common Type System(CTS), that should be used for program written in any programming language targeting a CLI implementation.
4. The CTS specifies how data types are used within the CLR and includes a set of predefined types. We can Create our own datatypes, but that must be consistent with CTS.

Designing C++ Application

• Console Application:

  Command line character-based program. Two ways of writing console application:
  • Win32 Console applications, compile to native code. (way we have seen so far).
  • CLR Console application.

• Windows Application:

  GUI based program. Three ways of constructing windows application:
  • Using Windows Operating System API.
  • This will enable us to understand how a windows application works behind the scene.This is the fundamental interface that the windows operating system provides for communications between itself and the applications that are executing under its control.
  • Using Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC): Set of classes that encapsulates the Windows operating system API for GUI creation and program development.

Event-Driven Program: