Awesome...that''s all you really need to learn? I''ll learn that by simply writing Pong (which I''m spending a lot of time designing, considering my grades got me grounded from the computer and I don''t have enough time to actually CODE ANYTHING! ARG!)...

1. Get to know the naming convention
I sort of know the naming convention...I''m learning pretty quick, though!

2. Learn the different functions of a Windows skeleton.
The WinMain() & WindowProcedure() stuff?

3. Become comfortable with using the windows procedure.
Aye! Aye!

4. Menus
You mean, like, creating menus and handling the user selecting their commands (also, via accellerators)?

5. Basic Input from the keyboard and mouse
Okay...I understand the WM_MOUSEMOVE and WM_KEYDOWN, etc....but doesn''t WM_KEYDOWN use the virtual key codes? Does anyone know how I can use it with character keys (like a, b, etc.)?

6. Painting (hdc, WM_PAINT, GetDC/ReleaseDC, BeginPaint/EndPaint, pens, brushes)
Still learning...

7. Printing text
As in...drawing it to the screen?

8. Lines, Points, Squares and Circles
Hrm...learning...

9. Timers
I''m still looking for it in MSDN...

10. Basics Sound
I''ll learn that after the graphics stuff, I guess.

11. Dialog Boxes (dialog boxes, buttons, controls)
Okay, understand this fairly well.

so...think I''m on a good start?

P h a n t a s m
"Through dreams I control mankind."
--Legend

man, i wouldn''t be able to go through that painful process. i just ripped the bare minimum to get a win32 app going, and went from there, figured everything else out as i went along. is this bad?

a2k

quote:
by Fredric
If you''re comfortable with making a windows application using all of the above to make a pretty cool program without using the book as a reference, then I think that''s the time you''ll be able to go on to DirectX.

I dont think its necessary to know everything of by heart, that would take for ever, if you can easily look something up that would take a couple of minutes to do then whats the point in spending a few months learning everything religeously, and besides you probobly will forget things even if you do.

Actually...I think that once anyone becomes truly competent with the Win32 API, then they are going to have worked with it enough that, by repitition, they might have the syntax and all memorized. Although I do agree that true wisdom is not in knowing, but in knowing how to find out.

P h a n t a s m
"Through dreams I control mankind."
--Legend

Well... either way, Win32 has been DRIVEN into my brain! I make Win32 apps at school all the time... hehe, cheesy ones, but ones that open a window, pop-up a message and tell people they''re gay! heheh, it''s great stuff!

GO LEAFS GO!

Very amusing, I''m sure you need a lot of talent and intelligence to be able to do that.

Hahahahaha!

GO LEAFS GO!

quote: Original post by a2k
man, i wouldn''t be able to go through that painful process. i just ripped the bare minimum to get a win32 app going, and went from there, figured everything else out as i went along. is this bad?

Why do so many people claim that Windows programming is painfull?
I think it´s rather easy (not logical ofcause)
and I learned in less than one week, by reading
Programming Windows.
No the hard part as I see it, is to learn C++ with all provided features that language has.

I kind of thought that Win32 all came falling into place when I learned the naming convention and how the windows procedure worked. After that it was a breeze.

GO LEAFS GO!

Fredric, I agree. I think the main thing you have to learn is the naming convention and the Window Procedure. After that, everything else is really not all that different from regular C. Oh, of course, I'm taking longer to learn everything else because a) I'm "grounded," and b)I'm trying to learn by wading through the MSDN Library.

P h a n t a s m
"Through dreams I control mankind."
--Legend

Edited by - Phantasm on 5/4/00 4:40:22 PM