Win32 Api

[C++ programmer]

Hey guys, Recently I started learning win32 api using C but I am pretty scared of the Long and confusing Variables used in it. It appears alot difficult for me to learn those as I am learning myself. Will such kinds of variables will appear in future or not. Thanks.

Please don't give stupid answers. :)

[Ancient Dragon]

Don't let that turn you off -- you can use whatever variable names you want. If you are talking about the data types, then yes you will just have to learn to deal with them. Although DWORD is just a define for unsigned long int, you should use DWORD because Microsoft might change it in the future. They already did that for some data types when they wrote the 64-bit operating system. If you used unsigned long int instead of DWORD, and Microsoft decided to change it to __int64 then your program wouldn't work on the new os.

[mitrmkar]

Adding to what Ancient Dragon said, you might want to read up on Hungarian Notation , the same topic in Wikipedia with some criticism.

Over time, you'll probably get used to it.

[C++ programmer]

Ok, so if I want to make some software for example video player or file compressor, my friend told me i can make it too in DOS and for windows and other control button i can use MS visual studio tools. So if it's true is there any need to learn win api programming. OR learning it will make usage of 3rd party library easy!! Is it right or not?

[Ancient Dragon]

Learning win32 api is good because you learn how things work. You can easily write MS-Windows GUI using higher-level languages such as CLI/C++, Windows Forms, C#, or VB.NET, but to know how the engine really works you need to study win32 api. I can easily drive a car all my life without ever looking under the hood, but many people are not satisfied with that, they want to know how the car operates. If you want to be a mechanic then you will have to look under the hood and get your hands greasy.

[thines01]

You will never regret learning it.
You might always regret NOT learning it.

The first time I saw Hungarian notation, I found it intimidating until I realized how much it helped (if the coder maintained the standard).

I still use a modified rendition of it in every language I use -- even though in some languages it is discouraged.

Also, everything you learn is a springboard for learning other concepts.