   Windows Forms
  Is it a good idea to use the new "Windows Forms"? My concern is that as it is based on .NET that it won't work on some peoples computers if they don't have the .NET framework on their computers. Is it any different then using the Win32 API?It seems to be what Microsoft is promoting at the moment so presumably this is what I should learn?I am primarily interested in game development.   
  Nearly everyone should have the .NET Framework on their system now so that shouldnt be a worry. Windows Forms is very different from the Win32 API.   ;Quote:Original post by paulbirdIs it a good idea to use the new "Windows Forms"? My concern is that as it is based on .NET that it won't work on some peoples computers if they don't have the .NET framework on their computers. Is it any different then using the Win32 API?quote from MSDN :Whereas Win32 is good at creating low-level code for device and operating-system support, the .NET Compact Framework is good for interacting at a high level. It is best suited for building an application with a user interface that collects data, stores it in a local database, and, from time to time, forwards that data to a server-based database.As mentioned earlier, Win32 code is referred to as unmanaged code, and .NET code is called managed code. The term "managed code" refers to the fact that the Common Language Runtime (CLR), which might also be called the "code manager," provides several assurances for such code: Managed code cannot have bad pointers. Managed code cannot create memory leaks. Managed code supports strong type-safety. A key benefit of managed code is that certain common errors that plague Win32 programmers are handled for you by the managed development environment.Quote:Original post by paulbird It seems to be what Microsoft is promoting at the moment so presumably this is what I should learn?I am primarily interested in game development.C++ is a good choice but I think Vole is trying to push the .Net technology( C# particular)And quote from here (WINFX soon will be .Net 3.0  ):Quote:In Longhorn, Win32 will no longer be the principal API. It will, of course, continue to be supported; 20-year-old DOS applications still run on the latest version of Windows, and likewise, Win32 applications will also continue to work for the foreseeable future. But just as DOS and 16-bit Windows applications were superseded by Win32 applications, so in Longhorn will Win32 become the "old way" of doing things. In Win32's place is a new API called WinFX (pronounced "Win Effects"). WinFX is a significant milestone in the history of the Windows API, as it puts .NET at the center of the platform. While Win32, the main API for previous versions of Windows, is a C-style API, WinFX is designed primarily to be used by .NET languages. In other words, it is a managed API. Moreover, it is a superset of the existing .NET Framework. and see the table of comparison between WIN32 and .Net here.;I don't like that .NET. Managed fatware is that bullsh**.Microsoft and milestone? That is a good joke. This .NET framework is froma old OS. Billy boy saw it at a presentation and had the idea for the firstwindows 1.0. And now they added the .NET like that OS had.They had NEVER milestones, only stolen bad programmed copys.   ;Quote:Original post by paulbirdIs it a good idea to use the new "Windows Forms"? My concern is that as it is based on .NET that it won't work on some peoples computers if they don't have the .NET framework on their computers. Is it any different then using the Win32 API?It seems to be what Microsoft is promoting at the moment so presumably this is what I should learn?I am primarily interested in game development.Most games don't use form controls (buttons, radio buttons, listboxes, pictureboxes, etc.); so if your primarily interested in developing a game engine, winforms won't be much use. However, I do find working with C#, winforms, and Managed DirectX is great when it comes to developing tools.If your interested in working on a game engine, there are two routes I would recommend, either C++ w/ DirectX or OpenGL, or C# w/ Managed DirectX. If you hope to do game development professionally some day, you will most likely have to learn C++, as almost every job listing has it as a requirement.   ;Quote:Original post by KaradokI don't like that .NET. Managed fatware is that bullsh**.Microsoft and milestone? That is a good joke. This .NET framework is froma old OS. Billy boy saw it at a presentation and had the idea for the firstwindows 1.0. And now they added the .NET like that OS had.They had NEVER milestones, only stolen bad programmed copys.Ignorance is bliss, isn't it.   ;Quote:Original post by Colin JeanneNearly everyone should have the .NET Framework on their system now so that shouldnt be a worry. Windows Forms is very different from the Win32 API. Try telling that to Thevenin. Many users still do not have the .NET Framework installed, or if they do, they don't have the latest version. This is true even at  companies that do software development.   ;  Well, in that case, make sure you bootstrap what you need.   