Working with GUI APIs - Essentials of Interactive Computer Graphics - page 42

Tu t o r i a l Demonstrates Reusable Codebase

2.1 Demystify source code files -

2.2 GUI elements and control variables -

2.3 More with control variables -

2.4 Application defined events -

2.5 Input/output GUI elements -

2.6 Extending GUI API with classes

SliderCtrlWithEcho

MFC _ Library

2.7 Custom GUI library

2.8 Grouping of GUI elements ReplaceDialogControl()

Table 2.1. Chapter 2 tutorials.

guide can also be found on the accompanying CD, written by Ethan Verrall. On-
line resources are excellent avenues for learning basic skills in working with these
software systems. Jason Pursell has developed an excellent step-by-step guide on
working with the MFC editor that is tailored for the MFC-based tutorials in this
topic. 1
Table 2.1 gives a brief summary of the tutorials in this section.

Tutorial 2.1. Demystifying the Files

Tutorial 2.1.
Project Name
MFC _ SimpleDialog

• Goal. To demonstrate that while on first look, programming with a GUI
API can appear to be overwhelming, with a systemic approach of analyz-
ing the purpose of the files in the environment, we can gain significant
understanding of the system.

• Approach. Familiarize and demystify the typically intimidating GUI de-
velopment source code structure; create the simplest possible application
with a GUI API and analyze every file; identify the purpose of files and
draw attention to how these files are related/unrelated to GUI development.

Figure 2.4 is a screenshot of running Tutorial 2.1. This entire tutorial is auto-
matically generated by the MFC wizard of the Microsoft Visual C++ (VC++)
integrated development environment (IDE). When user clicks on the “OK” or the
“Cancel” button, the application simply quits. This application does not do any-
thing else.

Figure 2.4. Tutorial 2.1.

1 See Jason's home page at http://home.myuw.net/jpursell / or http://faculty.washington.edu/ksung
/biga/chapter_tutorials/VC_Guide/CreatingDialogAppWithMFC7.pdf