   Need API advice
  Hey, I just jumped from Beginners Forum to here, Can someonet ell me what API is?and if this releates tohttp://www.winprog.org/tutorial/and vc++?   http://phil.webula.netAIM: wuZZup189 
If you (i assume) donr some programming, you will have created some functions in your programs to do stuff. Windows provides a set of(about 3000 IIRC) functions your programs can make use of. This is called the Windows API (Application programming interface).Because there part of the operating system, the code is not in your program making it smaller.Since the link is to a WinAPI tutorial, then yes, it is related.It can be releated to C++. But you avoid the API using predefined C++ classes and possibly the MFCs (Never used them so not sure).If you use the API directly, your applicaion will only work on Windows PCsIll stop gibbering on now.   [edited by - Empirical on February 17, 2004 1:18:11 PM];  API - Application Programming Interface; a set of functions, classes, types, etc. for building applications of a particular type.Win32 API - An API for building Microsoft Windows applications.VC++ - An integrated development environment (IDE) for developing Microsoft Windows applications using the C++ language.  You can build console apps, Win32 apps, and MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes) apps with VC++.  Maybe even .NET apps, but I think that''s a different product (Visual Studio.NET).   --Dave Mikesell Software;  Application Programming Interface. Basically its just the exposed interface that the programmer uses to take advantage of the functionality of a given piece of software or piece of hardware.OpenAL is an API that lets the user play sounds and media on their sound card. FMOD also has an API that does the same thing. Each API is different but they both achieve the same thing. MySQL has an API that the programmer uses to manipulate entries in a database. -=[ Megahertz ]=- ;  API stands for Application Programming Interface, which is basically a library that would have certain features/functions.There are many API''s around. Examples are Win32, DirectX, OpenGL, and so on. Its basically just a library that allows you to take advantage and do stuff through it.Visual C++ is a IDE/Compiler for C/C++. You write the C++ code in its development environment (IDE) and you can compile it to make your application/dll. Altho you can even write your code in notepad and compile it with Visual C++.In the URL you gave me, theyre talking about the API (library) you can use to program in Windows (aka Win32). The Win32 API.The API comes with Visual C++, altho you can download the latest at http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/Hope this Helps! ;  Application Programming Interface.  Basically, just a set of functions already written by others that do stuff related to a specific category.  The Win32 API is a (rather large) set of functions to do stuff in Windows, such as CreateWindow(), LoadImage(), LineTo(), EnumDesktops(), etc.  (Those are just some randomly grabbed from the documentation.)  So if you wanted to create a window, you would just use the Win32 API, and call CreateWindow() (with all the necessary parameters and such, of course).Direct3D and OpenGL are examples of other APIs.  They allow you to use their functions to access the video card, and manipulate graphics-related data.And there are APIs for sound, networking, input, compression, bitmap manipulation, and eight billion other categories.  They are all primarily wrappers around a complicated task that allow the programmer to perform that task more easily, and without worrying about the details.   [Edit - heh, I suppose my post is pretty redundant, now.  Ah well.]   [edited by - Agony on February 17, 2004 1:22:57 PM];  Thanks for the help. I was in my computer science class, and i had to turn off the monitor. That's why my question above doesn't make much since.I know that VC++ 6.0 Pro (what i have) has different types of projects I can do. I may sound crazy, but I'd like to start without "any" pre-made windows/code. I always liked starting from scratch & find it the best way of learning. So I guess what I'm asking is can I use a win32 API in vc++ and start from scratch somehow? Idea is to make my own windows, adjust them to whatever. Thanks.   ps. Up to now, I feel that I mastered the win32 console mode through C++. Which is why I said I jumped from Beginners to here now. I'm ready for the fun stuff  at least i hope... http://phil.webula.netAIM: wuZZup189   [edited by - philvaira on February 17, 2004 3:02:06 PM];  To start from scratch in VC++, you''d make a new Win32 Application.  Although, it isn''t truly from scratch.  But then again, neither is a Win32 Console Application.  So making the Win32 Application will be just as "from scratch" as the Console Application.  There is quite a bit of stuff done before main() or WinMain() is called, and I doubt many people would care to do all of that stuff themselves.So if you do create a new, blank, Win32 Application project, you''ll still have full control over creating windows, adjusting them, handling their messages, etc.  Well, full control as in the project doesn''t create a default window for you, doesn''t handle messages in a default manner already, etc.  You''re still letting Windows do a ton   of work for you, however.  The API functions often do quite complicated stuff behind the scenes.  But there will still be a lot of stuff for you to learn and use yourself.  The Win32 API is pretty large, and covers all sorts of different tasks. ;  Okay, I''ll give it a shot. Thanks.   http://phil.webula.netAIM: wuZZup189 