Hardware 3D (C++ DirectX Graphics) Tutorial 2

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Registering a window class and creating our first window. Popping that MSDN cherry too.

Topics Covered

  • Win32 Entry Point Parameters
  • WinAPI Calling Convention (stdcall)
  • Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN)
  • Registering Window Class
  • Creating Window Instance

WinAPI Functions - A vs. W vs. Ex Versions

When you type your WinAPI code, you're gonna find many versions of the same function pop up in your Intellisense bullshits. For example, if you type CreateWindow, you will see CreateWindow, CreateWindowA, CreateWindowW, CreateWindowEx, CreateWindowExA, and CreateWindowExW. What is with all this bullshit?

Well first of all, for most WinAPI functions there are two versions: a multibyte (ANSI) version, and a Unicode (Wide) version. That explains the A/W shit. And the functions that don't end in A/W (e.g. CreateWindow) are actually macros that resolve to either A or W versions depending on a preprocessor setting. So you can write code that references CreateWindow, and then selectively target either Unicode or ANSI just by changing a single #define.

The Ex versions are extended versions of pre-existing functions. They generally have all the functionality of the original, plus a little sumpthin-sumpthin.

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Tutorial 2

Source Code

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