Minimum Windows Application

Today we are spoiled by tools like Visual Studio which come complete with wizards and project templates to help us kick-start projects. However, sometimes it's good to go back to the basics just so we don't forget how everything works under the hood.

Tonight I decided I just wanted a minimal windows application with a single window. I was surprised by how long this took me to recall. I suppose I need to crack open Petzold's book.

If you're interested in how I got the syntax coloring into my blog, check out the Visual Studio Add-Ins Every Developer Should Download Now.

Here is my minimum windows app:

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

//Minimal windows application

//by Bruce Shankle

#include <windows.h>

 

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

//Window procedure callback

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc( HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam )

{

    switch (message)

    {

       case WM_DESTROY:

            PostQuitMessage(0);

            break;

 

        default:

            return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);

    }

    return 0;

}

 

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

//Entry point

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)

{

    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    //Register a window class

    WNDCLASSEX wcex={0};

    wcex.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);

    wcex.lpfnWndProc    = WndProc;   

    wcex.hInstance      = hInstance;

    wcex.hbrBackground  = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW);   

    wcex.lpszClassName  = L"MinWinApp";   

    if( !RegisterClassEx(&wcex))

        return -1;

 

    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    // Create window (640 x 480 client area)

    RECT rc = { 0, 0, 640, 480 };

    AdjustWindowRect( &rc, WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, FALSE );

    HWND hWnd = CreateWindow( L"MinWinApp", L"Minimum Windows App", WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,

        CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, rc.right - rc.left, rc.bottom - rc.top, NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);

    if( !hWnd )

        return -2;

 

    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    //Show the window

    ShowWindow( hWnd, nCmdShow );

 

    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    //Process messages

    MSG msg = {0};

    while( GetMessage( &msg, NULL, 0, 0 ) )

    {

        TranslateMessage( &msg );

        DispatchMessage( &msg );

    }

 

    return 0;

}