ABSTRACT

This chapter deals with the principles of Windows programming. It explains the differences between a DOS and a Windows program and provides a model, called event-driven programming, that is suitable for Windows applications. The chapter describes the fundamental components of a Windows program, its file structure, and visual features. The operating systems used in the first generation of digital computers required that the user toggle a series of binary switches, each one with an attached light, in order to enter data into the machine. In these systems, the bootstrap sequence consisted of a predefined sequence of switch-toggling and button-pressing actions which the operator memorized and executed in a ritual-like fashion. Many realized the advantages of a more reasonable and physical interaction with a computing machine. However, it took many years for the actual implementation of this idea in an effective operating system that would be preferred by the majority of users.