CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++user-interfacecross-platform
Punga
Punga

Reputation: 245

Basic GUI functionality in C++

Is there some basic way to draw something in C++?

I know there are lot of engines, libraries etc. But these libraries have to use some most basic drawing function or whatever it is. I mean normally without any non-standart c++ libraries you are only able to make console applications. But the new libraries that can draw something, or atleast show something different than standard command line, have to use some basic function that allows to make something different without commandline.

I've heard about WIN32 API (I'm not targeting just Windows platform,vbut I'm using windows, still have Ubuntu(Wubi)). I just can't belive that the only way is to use WIN32 API.

So I guess my questions are as follows:

(Sorry for my English, it's not my native language)

Upvotes: 2

Views: 839

Answers (1)

Martin Beckett
Martin Beckett

Reputation: 96157

The operating system (on a modern computer) is in charge of the screen so you have to use it's functions to draw on the screen.

There are a whole range of libraries from very high level ones, where displaying a video is a single line of code, to low level ones where you can determine the details of every pixel.

As well as drawing on the screen a GUI library, or toolkit, is also responsible for handling keyboard and mouse, for dealing with other windows going over your window and for drawing all the standard controls such as file open boxes etc - that's why it's a bit complex.

See minimal cross-platform gui lib? fro some examples

Upvotes: 3

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