Introduction to Microsoft Windows MFC Programming: The Application/Window Approach

? Additional notes at: www.cs.binghamton.edu/~reckert/360/class14.htm

MFC Windows Programming

? The

Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) Library ? A Hierarchy of C++ classes designed to facilitate Windows programming ? An alternative to using Win32 API functions ? A Visual C++ Windows application can use either Win32 API, MFC, or both

Some characteristics of MFC

1. Convenience of reusable code ? 2. Many tasks common to all Windows apps are provided by MFC
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e.g., WinMain, the Window Procedure, and the message loop are buried in the MFC Framework
? ? ?

3. Produce smaller executables:

Typically 1/3 the size of their API counterparts

4. Can lead to faster program development:

But there's a steep learning curve

5. MFC Programs must be written in C++ and require the use of classes
Instantiation, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism

Help on MFC Classes

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See Online Help (Index) on:

MFC | classes MFC classes (MFC)

? ?

Clicking on a class ? a document with a link to the class members Also look at
MFC | hierarchy hierarchy chart

Base MFC Class

CObject: At top of hierarchy ("Mother of almost all MFC classes") ? Provides features like:
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Serialization
Streaming an objects persistent data to or from a storage medium (disk reading/writing)

Runtime class information Diagnostic & Debugging support Some important macros
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All its functionality is inherited by any classes derived from it

Some Important Derived Classes

? CFile:

Support for file operations ? CDC: Encapsulates the device context (Graphical Drawing) ? CGdiObject: Base class for various drawing objects (CBrush, CPen, CFont, etc.) ? CMenu: Encapsulates menus and menu management

CCmdTarget: Encapsulates message passing process and is parent of:

CWnd: Base class from which all windows are derived Encapsulates many important windows functions and data members Examples:
m_hWnd stores the windows handle Create() creates a window

Most common subclasses:

CFrameWindow: Can contain other windows ("normal" kind of window we've used) CView: Encapsulates process of displaying and interacting with data in a window CDialog: Encapsulates dialog boxes

? CCmdTarget

also the parent of:

CWinThread: Defines a thread of execution

m_pMainWnd is a member of this class
A pointer to an applications main window

Is the parent of:

CWinApp: Most important class dealt with in MFC applications: Encapsulates an MFC application Controls following aspects of Windows programs: Startup, initialization, execution, the message loop, shutdown An application should have exactly one CWinApp object When instantiated, application begins to run Member function InitInstance() is called by WinMain() m_nCmdShow is a member of this class

CDocument
Encapsulates the data associated with a program

MFC Classes and Functions

Primary task in writing MFC program--to create classes ? Most will be derived from MFC library classes ? Encapsulate MFC Class Member Functions- Most functions called by an application will be members of an MFC class ? Examples:
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ShowWindow( ) -- a member of CWnd class TextOut( ) -- a member of CDC class LoadBitmap( ) -- a member of CBitmap class

? Applications

can also call API functions

directly
Use Global Scope Resolution Operator (::), for example: ::UpdateWindow(hWnd);
? Usually

more convenient to use MFC member functions

MFC Global Functions

? Not

members of any MFC class ? Begin with Afx prefix ( A pplication F rameworKS) ? Independent of or span MFC class hierarchy ? Example:
AfxMessageBox( )
Message boxes are predefined windows Can be activated independently from the rest of an application Good for debugging

Some Important Global Functions

AfxAbort( ) -- Unconditionally terminate an app ? AfxBeginThread( ) -- Create & run a new thread ? AfxGetMainWnd( ) -- Returns a pointer to applications main window ? AfxGetInstanceHandle( ) -- Returns handle to applicationss current instance ? AfxRegisterWndClass( ) -- Register a custom WNDCLASS for an MFC app
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A Minimal MFC Program (App/Window Approach)

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Simplest MFC programs must contain two classes derived from the hierarchy: 1. An application class derived from CWinApp
Defines the application provides the message loop

2. A window class usually derived from CWnd or CFrameWnd

Defines the application's main window
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To use these & other MFC classes you must have: #include <Afxwin.h> in the .cpp file

Message Processing under MFC

Like API programs, MFC programs must handle messages from Windows ? API mechanism: switch/case statement in apps WndProc() ? In MFC, WndProc() is buried in the MFC library ? Message handling mechanism: Message Maps "
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lookup tables the MFC WndProc() searches

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Table entries:
Message number Pointer to a message-processing function
These functions are members of CWnd We override/extend the ones we want our program to respond to Like virtual functions

Message Mapping
? Programs

must:

Declare message-processing (handler) functions

e.g., OnWhatever( ) for WM_WHATEVER message

Map them to messages program is going to respond to

Mapping is done by "message- mapping macros
Bind a message to a handler function e.g., ON_WM_WHATEVER( )

STEPS IN WRITING A SIMPLE MFC PROGRAM (App/Window Approach)

DECLARATION (.h)
1. Declare a class derived from CWnd or CFrameWnd (e.g., CMainWin)-? Class Members:
The constructor declaration Message-processing function declarations for messages the application will override and respond to
e.g., void OnChar( )

DECLARE_MESSAGE_MAP( ) macro:
Allows windows based on this class to respond to messages Declares that a message map will be used to map messages to handler functions defined in the application Should be last class member declared

2. Declare an application class derived from CWinApp (e.g., CApp)-?

Must override/extend CWinApp 's InitInstance( ) virtual function:

Called each time a new instance of application is started
i.e., when an object of this application class is instantiated

Purpose is for application to initialize itself Good place to put code that does stuff that has to be done each time program starts

IMPLEMENTATION (.CPP)
1. Define constructor for class derived from CFrameWnd (e.g., our CMainWin)
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Should call member function Create( ) to create the window

Does what CreateWindow( ) does in API

2. Define message map for class derived from CFrameWnd (e.g., our CMainWin)-BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(owner class, base class) // List of message-mapping macros, e.g. ON_WM_CHAR( ) END_MESSAGE_MAP( )

3. Define (implement) message-processing functions declared in .h file declarations above 4. Define (implement) InitInstance() overriding function-?

Done in class derived from CWinApp our CApp :

Should have initialization code:
Instantiate a CMainWin object whose constructor will create the window? pointer to program's main window object
m_pMainWnd

(Used to refer to the window, like hWnd in API programs) Invoke object's ShowWindow( ) member function Invoke object's UpdateWindow( ) member function Must return non-zero to indicate success

[MFC's implementation of WinMain() calls this function]

? Now

nature & form of simple window & application have been defined ? But neither exists-? Must instantiate an application object derived from CWinApp our CApp

5. Instantiate the app class ( e.g., our CApp) ? Causes AfxWinMain( ) to execute
It's now part of MFC [WINMAIN.CPP]
? AfxWinMain(

) does the following:

1. Calls AfxWinInit( )- which calls AfxRegisterClass( ) to register window class

2. Calls CApp::InitInstance( ) [virtual function overridden in 4 above]- which creates, shows, and updates the window

3. Calls CWinApp::Run( ) [In THRDCORE.CPP]- which calls CWinThread::PumpMessage( )- which contains the GetMessage( ) loop

? After

CWinApp::Run( ) returns:

(i.e., when the WM_QUIT message is received) AfxWinTerm ( ) is called- which cleans up and exits

MSGNEW Example MFC Application: Mouse/Character Message Processing

? User

presses mouse button ?

L or R displayed at current mouse cursor position

? Keyboard

key pressed ?

Character displayed at upper left hand corner of client area

Message map contains:

ON_WM_CHAR( ) ON_WM_LBUTTONDOWN( ) ON_WM_RBUTTONDOWN( )

To respond to messages:
WM_CHAR WM_LBUTTONDOWN WM_RBUTTONDOWN

So we need to define the following handler function overrides:

CWnd::OnChar(UINT ch, UINT count, UINT flags); CWnd::OnLButtonDown(UINT flags, CPoint loc); CWnd::OnRButtonDown(UINT flags, CPoint loc);

In each handler we need to get a Device Context to draw on:

CDC* pDC
Declare a pointer to a CDC object

pDC = this->GetDC( );
Use GetDC( ) member function of this CWnd to get a device context to draw on

And then display a string using TextOut( )

If its a character, it must be formatted into a string first Can use wsprintf( )
Formats integers, characters, and other data types into a string

Steps in Creating and Building an MFC Application like msgnew manually

1. File | New | Project Specify an empty Win32 project as in previous examples 2. Project | Add New Item Categories: Visual C++ | Code Templates: C++ File Enter or copy/paste .cpp file text (e.g., msgnew.CPP)--see IMPLEMENTATION above 3. Project | Add New Item | Visual C++ | code | Header File Enter or copy/paste .h file text (e.g., msgnew.h)--see DECLARATION above 4. With project name highlighted in Solution Explorer window, Project | Properties | Configuration Properties | General From Use of MFC, choose: "Use MFC in a Shared DLL" 5. Build the project as usual