MFC: Getting Started with Visual C++

Author: Ronald S. Holland
at
Total Application Works

  
class Toyota : automobile {
   ...
}

class Avalon : Toyota {
   ...
}
  

  
Create( 0,                       // default CFrameWnd class
        "Hello World",              // window title
         WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,     // full-featured frame window
         CRect( 100, 100,          // initial position and
                 600, 400 ) );       // frame size 
 
  

  
 
    pHello = new CStatic();      // create a static control

    pHello->Create(              // create Windows control
       "This is a slight modification of the Hello World. "
	   "\n \n"
	   "Hello world from Ron Holland" 	   , // text
       WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER  // window styles
       | SS_CENTER,                 // static object styles
       CRect( 50, 50, 450, 150 ),   // window coordinates
       this );       
 
  

Putting It Together: Build an Hello World Application

Using the template and the code to create a frame and static window, we get the following header file:

/******************************************************* * File: MyApp.h *******************************************************/ // define our window based on the MFC frame window class MyApp : public CFrameWnd { public: MyApp(); // MyApp constructor virtual ~MyApp(); // free-up resources private: CStatic *pHello; // pointer to a static control }; and the following .cpp file. /************************************************************* * File: helloWorld.cpp *************************************************************/ // include application framework windows class definitions: #include #include "MyApp.h" /**************************************** * MyApp constructor initializes frame * 1- Create a Cframe window * 2- Instantiate the pHello pointer based on a CStatic control * 3- Create a CStatic child window ****************************************/ MyApp::MyApp() { // Create Window with Title Bar Create( 0, // default CFrameWnd class "Hello World", // window title WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, // full-featured window CRect( 100, 100, // initial position and 600, 400 ) ); // frame size pHello = new CStatic(); // create a static control pHello->Create( // create Windows control "This is a slight modification of the Hello World. " "\n \n" "Hello world from Ron Holland" , // text WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER // window styles | SS_CENTER, // static object styles CRect( 50, 50, 450, 150 ), // window coordinates this ); // context } /**************************************** * destructor frees resources ***************************************/ MyApp::~MyApp() { delete pHello; // only object owned by window } /************************************************* * Derive our application class CHelloApp based on * CWinApp * 1- Overwrite InitInstance() method * 2- Make main frame window visiable * 3- Make the main frame window visiable *************************************************/ class CHelloWorldApp : public CWinApp { public: virtual BOOL InitInstance() // override default method { m_pMainWnd = new MyApp(); // instantiate MyApp m_pMainWnd->ShowWindow( m_nCmdShow ); // make frame visible m_pMainWnd->UpdateWindow(); // refresh frame window return true; // report success } } helloWorldApp;

Figure 7: Hello world

AFXWIN - This is a header for the Microsoft Foundation Classes C++ library. It must be included in all MFC applications.

CFrameWnd - The CFrameWnd class encapsulates the functionality of a Windows single document interface (SDI) frame window. A frame window is a window that frames an application.

CWinApp - The CWinApp class is the base class from which you derive a Windows application object. An application object provides member functions for initializing your application (and each instance of it) and for running the application.

CStatic - The CStatic class provides the functionality of a Windows static control. A static control is a control used to display text, to draw frames or lines separating other controls, or to display icons. A static control doesn't accept user input, but it can notify its parent of stylus taps if it's created with SS_NOTIFY style.

event handling - an event occurs when a mouse is clicked, double clicked, a button is clicked, a key pressed, etc. Event handling is the code that is called as a result of an event.

inheritance - is the ability to create a class that derives properties from one or more base classes.

initinstance - Override InitInstance to initialize each new instance of your application running under Windows. Typically, you override InitInstance to construct your main window object and set the CWinThread::m_pMainWnd data member to point to that window.

m_pMainWnd - Holds a pointer to the application’s main window.

SS_CENTER - Designates a simple rectangle and displays the given text centered in the rectangle. The text is formatted before it is displayed. Words that would extend past the end of a line are automatically wrapped to the beginning of the next centered line.

Template - is a unique class or pattern that can be used to build other software code.

WS_BORDER - Creates a window that has a border.

WS_CHILD - Creates a child window. Cannot be used with the WS_POPUP style.

WS_VISIBLE - Creates a window that is initially visible.