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Could anyone recommend my best way to start learning C++ Windows Applications

Like any tutorials or books for that matter

any help woudl be great

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by fulyaoner

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As points out, the first decision is whether you want console or GUI work — both paths start with solid C++ fundamentals. As reminded, regular practice is what turns concepts into real skills. A practical, low-friction plan is: learn modern C++ basics, get comfortable with your Windows toolchain, then pick a GUI approach and build small, focused apps.

Begin with core language and STL: types, RAII, smart pointers, containers, algorithms, lambdas, and move semantics (C++11+). Good reference books include "C++ Primer" (Lippman), "The C++ Programming Language" (Stroustrup), and "Effective Modern C++" (Scott Meyers). Learn an IDE (Visual Studio Community) and a build system (CMake). Use source control (Git) early.

Choose a GUI strategy based on goals: raw Win32 API for low-level Windows knowledge; MFC only if maintaining legacy apps; Qt or wxWidgets for cross-platform GUI work; C++/WinRT/WinUI for modern Windows-native UIs. Start with tiny projects (a single-window "Hello", a calculator, a basic text editor) and iterate from there.

A minimal Win32 skeleton to study the message loop and WndProc:

#include <windows.h>

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam) {
    if (msg == WM_DESTROY) { PostQuitMessage(0); return 0; }
    return DefWindowProc(hWnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
}

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE, LPSTR, int nCmdShow) {
    const char CLASS_NAME[] = "Sample";
    WNDCLASS wc = {}; wc.lpfnWndProc = WndProc; wc.hInstance = hInstance; wc.lpszClassName = CLASS_NAME;
    RegisterClass(&wc);
    HWND h = CreateWindowEx(0, CLASS_NAME, "Hello", WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
                            CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 400, 300, NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);
    ShowWindow(h, nCmdShow);
    MSG msg = {}; while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0)) { TranslateMessage(&msg); DispatchMessage(&msg); }
    return (int)msg.wParam;
}

Troubleshooting tips: use the debugger to step into message handling, check GetLastError/FormatMessage for Win32 failures, watch ANSI vs Unicode macros (use wide chars where appropriate), and prefer STL and RAII over raw new/delete. Build a few small apps rather than one big project — it accelerates learning and exposes common pitfalls quickly.

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Member Avatar for fulyaoner

Could anyone recommend my best way to start learning C++ Windows Applications

Like any tutorials or books for that matter

any help woudl be great

try

practice as much as you can. and maybe write down to a notepaper.
(hardcode with a pencil and paper is the permanent way of learning)

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