Using native Windows GUI with Allegro

Using native Windows GUI with Allegro

Paul whoknows

Member #5,081

September 2004

It is possible to use windows GUI (menu bar, combobox, labels, listbox, etc) with Allegro?
I looked at the manual and I only found Shawn's old-AtariST-based-GUI, which is really ugly (btw, I think Allegro 4.2 deserves a better GUI).
I decided to use windowed mode for my level editor and I want to use Windows GUI for that, I also want to use several additional windows if were necessary.

My level editor should look like this:

http://www.freeimagelibrary.com/images/PaulPaul/ss2_3.png

I know there are a lot of free GUIs for Allegro, but I don't want to use them, most Allegro GUIs were designed for games, not for applications, and my level editor should look like a serious application.

____

"The unlimited potential has been replaced by the concrete reality of what I programmed today." - Jordan Mechner.

Archon

Member #4,195

January 2004

Quote:

It is possible to use windows GUI (menu bar, combobox, labels, listbox, etc) with Allegro?

Yes.

You should be able to 'blit' Allegro into a picture-box (or any other widget) because they all have HWNDs/HDCs.

Obviously you'll lose that cross-platform ability - maybe someone will recommend wxwidgets or other.

Specter Phoenix

Member #1,425

July 2001

Off-Topic Question: If Windows uses HWNDs/HDCs what do other OSes use? If anything.

Paul whoknows

Member #5,081

September 2004

I think I'll need some help:-/
Here is typical "Hellow world" windows program.
How should I add allegro in a program like this?
How can I blit something on it?

1 sizeof(WNDCLASSEX); 
2// tyty.cpp : Defines the entry point for the application.
3//
4 
5#include "stdafx.h"
6#include "resource.h"
7 
8#define MAX_LOADSTRING 100
9 
10// Global Variables:
11HINSTANCE hInst;                // current instance
12TCHAR szTitle[MAX_LOADSTRING];                // The title bar text
13TCHAR szWindowClass[MAX_LOADSTRING];                // The title bar text
14 
15// Foward declarations of functions included in this code module:
16ATOM        MyRegisterClass(HINSTANCE hInstance);
17BOOL        InitInstance(HINSTANCE, int);
18LRESULT CALLBACK  WndProc(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);
19LRESULT CALLBACK  About(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);
20 
21int APIENTRY WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance,
22                     HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
23                     LPSTR     lpCmdLine,
24                     int       nCmdShow)
25{
26   // TODO: Place code here.
27  MSG msg; 
28  HACCEL hAccelTable;
29 
30  // Initialize global strings
31  LoadString(hInstance, IDS_APP_TITLE, szTitle, MAX_LOADSTRING);
32  LoadString(hInstance, IDC_TYTY, szWindowClass, MAX_LOADSTRING);
33  MyRegisterClass(hInstance);
34 
35  // Perform application initialization:
36  if (!InitInstance (hInstance, nCmdShow)) 
37  {
38    return FALSE;
39  }
40 
41  hAccelTable = LoadAccelerators(hInstance, (LPCTSTR)IDC_TYTY);
42 
43  // Main message loop:
44  while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0)) 
45  {
46    if (!TranslateAccelerator(msg.hwnd, hAccelTable, &msg)) 
47    {
48      TranslateMessage(&msg);
49      DispatchMessage(&msg);
50    }
51  }
52 
53  return msg.wParam;
54}
55 
56 
57 
58//
59//  FUNCTION: MyRegisterClass()
60//
61//  PURPOSE: Registers the window class.
62//
63//  COMMENTS:
64//
65//    This function and its usage is only necessary if you want this code
66//    to be compatible with Win32 systems prior to the 'RegisterClassEx'
67//    function that was added to Windows 95. It is important to call this function
68//    so that the application will get 'well formed' small icons associated
69//    with it.
70//
71ATOM MyRegisterClass(HINSTANCE hInstance)
72{
73  WNDCLASSEX wcex;
74 
75  wcex.cbSize =
76  wcex.style      = CS_HREDRAW | CS_VREDRAW;
77  wcex.lpfnWndProc  = (WNDPROC)WndProc;
78  wcex.cbClsExtra    = 0;
79  wcex.cbWndExtra    = 0;
80  wcex.hInstance    = hInstance;
81  wcex.hIcon      = LoadIcon(hInstance, (LPCTSTR)IDI_TYTY);
82  wcex.hCursor    = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
83  wcex.hbrBackground  = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW+1);
84  wcex.lpszMenuName  = (LPCSTR)IDC_TYTY;
85  wcex.lpszClassName  = szWindowClass;
86  wcex.hIconSm    = LoadIcon(wcex.hInstance, (LPCTSTR)IDI_SMALL);
87 
88  return RegisterClassEx(&wcex);
89}
90 
91//
92//   FUNCTION: InitInstance(HANDLE, int)
93//
94//   PURPOSE: Saves instance handle and creates main window
95//
96//   COMMENTS:
97//
98//        In this function, we save the instance handle in a global variable and
99//        create and display the main program window.
100//
101BOOL InitInstance(HINSTANCE hInstance, int nCmdShow)
102{
103   HWND hWnd;
104 
105   hInst = hInstance; // Store instance handle in our global variable
106 
107   hWnd = CreateWindow(szWindowClass, szTitle, WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
108      CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);
109 
110   if (!hWnd)
111   {
112      return FALSE;
113   }
114 
115   ShowWindow(hWnd, nCmdShow);
116   UpdateWindow(hWnd);
117 
118   return TRUE;
119}
120 
121//
122//  FUNCTION: WndProc(HWND, unsigned, WORD, LONG)
123//
124//  PURPOSE:  Processes messages for the main window.
125//
126//  WM_COMMAND  - process the application menu
127//  WM_PAINT  - Paint the main window
128//  WM_DESTROY  - post a quit message and return
129//
130//
131LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
132{
133  int wmId, wmEvent;
134  PAINTSTRUCT ps;
135  HDC hdc;
136  TCHAR szHello[MAX_LOADSTRING];
137  LoadString(hInst, IDS_HELLO, szHello, MAX_LOADSTRING);
138 
139  switch (message) 
140  {
141    case WM_COMMAND:
142      wmId    = LOWORD(wParam); 
143      wmEvent = HIWORD(wParam); 
144      // Parse the menu selections:
145      switch (wmId)
146      {
147        case IDM_ABOUT:
148           DialogBox(hInst, (LPCTSTR)IDD_ABOUTBOX, hWnd, (DLGPROC)About);
149           break;
150        case IDM_EXIT:
151           DestroyWindow(hWnd);
152           break;
153        default:
154           return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
155      }
156      break;
157    case WM_PAINT:
158      hdc = BeginPaint(hWnd, &ps);
159      // TODO: Add any drawing code here...
160      RECT rt;
161      GetClientRect(hWnd, &rt);
162      DrawText(hdc, szHello, strlen(szHello), &rt, DT_CENTER);
163      EndPaint(hWnd, &ps);
164      break;
165    case WM_DESTROY:
166      PostQuitMessage(0);
167      break;
168    default:
169      return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
170   }
171   return 0;
172}
173 
174// Mesage handler for about box.
175LRESULT CALLBACK About(HWND hDlg, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
176{
177  switch (message)
178  {
179    case WM_INITDIALOG:
180        return TRUE;
181 
182    case WM_COMMAND:
183      if (LOWORD(wParam) == IDOK || LOWORD(wParam) == IDCANCEL) 
184      {
185        EndDialog(hDlg, LOWORD(wParam));
186        return TRUE;
187      }
188      break;
189  }
190    return FALSE;
191}

Quote:

Obviously you'll lose that cross-platform ability

Yes, I am working only on Windows at the moment.

____

"The unlimited potential has been replaced by the concrete reality of what I programmed today." - Jordan Mechner.

Archon

Member #4,195

January 2004

I don't know WIN32 API. I tried learning it with DirectX 6 but it was a mistake at my level. I learnt most of the Windows programming stuff via Visual Basic 6.

Look at these functions (and others) described in the Allegro Manual:

win_set_window(HWND wnd);

blit_to_hdc(BITMAP *bitmap, HDC dc, int sx, sy, dx, dy, w, h);

Paul whoknows

Member #5,081

September 2004

It would be possible to write a wrapper for this purpose instead? so I can keep my code 100% allegro-friendly:D, those win32 code lines hurts my eyes badly every time I see them:(

____

"The unlimited potential has been replaced by the concrete reality of what I programmed today." - Jordan Mechner.

Archon

Member #4,195

January 2004

Quote:

It would be possible to write a wrapper for this purpose instead?

Just a question, are you going to be using the WIN32 widgets only for a map editor? If so, I personally would have just have used C# or VB.NET which is almost as easy as VB6 to do form based applications.

Paul whoknows

Member #5,081

September 2004

Quote:

Just a question, are you going to be using the WIN32 widgets only for a map editor?

A "map editor" is not what I have in mind, a complex level editor instead, you know (tiles, objects placement, enemies, AI, mission creation, routes, story, etc).
Now I am open to suggestions about which allegro GUI should I try for my level editor (it has to allow comercial usage).
I won't give up so easily;), but now I am working in a prototype and I think it would be stupid to waste my time in such silly details.

Quote:

I personally would have just have used C# or VB.NET which is almost as easy as VB6

I want to make my level editor interactive, so the game "engine" has to be running inside the level editor

____

"The unlimited potential has been replaced by the concrete reality of what I programmed today." - Jordan Mechner.

Specter Phoenix

Member #1,425

July 2001

Why not use QT4 Open Source for Mingw? GUI for all OSes and skinnable too?

Paul whoknows

Member #5,081

September 2004

Can you give me a link?
Also I am thinking to change from MSVC6 to MingW, but I don't know where to start:-/
Can you give me some advice to install Mingw with Dev-c?

[EDIT]

It seems that QT is something more than a GUI, and it is expensive!

____

"The unlimited potential has been replaced by the concrete reality of what I programmed today." - Jordan Mechner.

Thomas Fjellstrom

Member #476

June 2000

Quote:

It seems that QT is something more than a GUI

So is Win32.

Quote:

and it is expensive!

Expensive, IF you dont want to use the GPL version. Othwerwise its free for linux, osx, and windows.

--
Thomas Fjellstrom - [website] - [email] - [Allegro Wiki] - [Allegro TODO]
"If you can't think of a better solution, don't try to make a better solution." -- weapon_S
"The less evidence we have for what we believe is certain, the more violently we defend beliefs against those who don't agree" -- https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/592870205409353730

Archon

Member #4,195

January 2004

Quote:

Also I am thinking to change from MSVC6 to MingW, but I don't know where to start:-/
Can you give me some advice to install Mingw with Dev-c?

Dev-C++ would come with MinGW unless you get the one that says "IDE only" or "compiler not included".

It's so simple that I did it ::)

Arthur Kalliokoski

Second in Command

February 2005

Look in /allegro/tests/win for some examples that use regular windows programming stuff along with allegro.

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

Paul whoknows

Member #5,081

September 2004

That's exactly what I wanted!, a true win32-allegro hybrid program.
It seems dibsound.c is the first program featuring resizable windows and a system menu bar using allegro... and win32
Thanks guys!

____

"The unlimited potential has been replaced by the concrete reality of what I programmed today." - Jordan Mechner.