Win32 Tutorials - General notes.

To compile my tutorials, I use MicroSoft Visual C++ version 6 Professional. It is possible if you are using a different compiler that source here might not work - I'm afraid the phrase, "such is life" applies. I try to stick to the mainstream API routines wherever possible, so it should not be a big problem. If you try to compile something and your compiler complains that a function is not defined or similar, try to find the corresponding function in your compilers help, (or by browsing the header files if you're feeling bold).

I run Windows XP, however, most of what I cover here should apply to any of the more recent versions of Windows. One thing that is different is the GetLastError() function that you will see me using. This routine is not properly supported in the 16bit versions of Windows, (95, 98, ME), and may return 0 even if there is an error.

Windows is a complicated operating system with a very rich API. Often, the same result can be acheived by more than one route. These tutorials generally demonstrate a way of doing something, there could be, and frequently will be other ways, thus if you are looking at tutorials on more than one site, and they approach your particular problem differently, don't be suprised! A different approach does not mean that the approach here or at another site is wrong, just different. You can often learn a lot by studying the different approaches to a problem.

The Win32 tutorials here, were produced in response to questions which appear regulaly on one or more of the programming help forums I contribute to.

If what you are having trouble with is not covered here, (and that's always the case isn't it!), I would encourage you to visit www.CProgramming.com or www.ProgrammersHeaven.com. There are other tutorials, extensive FAQ's and discussion forums. At both sites you'll find me using the adrianxw handle, I tend to be on CProg most often as I am a moderator there, at PH I tend to stick to the Windows board.

The forums at both sites are full of people who will try to help you, there is, as always, a caveat which is that not all the people trying to help are necessarily particulaly well qualified to do so - you may get a few odd answers, this is the internet - you have been warned!!! Read the FAQ and try a board or web search before asking a question, if you are not prepared to help yourself, you'll find online communities are quick to flame.

Some people have told me the tut's look a bit boring. Fair enough, I could fill them with pictures, animated .gifs and all manner of bells and whistles, (yes, sound as well!). Experience with my old site however, showed much interest from people in developing countries that have lower spec machines and have to rely on s-l-o-w connections of @#!! dubious (/*~ quality !=&&(!). Hence I've tried to keep the site a little minimalistic.

Similaly, people say the code is very simplistic and not very object oriented. Again, I would ask that you consider the audience for this material. Frequently, people looking for this kind of help have only been programming a short while, a great tract of templated classes and so forth is likely to be discouraging.

The navigation buttons at the bottom of each tutorial page should be intuitive. The Index button always goes back to the tutorials index page. Site Home, to the sites home page. Previous and Next Page allow you to move between the pages of multi-page tutorials. Clicking Previous on the first page or on a single page tut will go back to the Index. Clicking Next Page on the last page or a single page tut will do the same.

And finally... the traditional... Enjoy!