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going Windows

Started by Witchcraven Sep 26, 2005 at 10:48 AM 10 replies 1.8k views
Original Post
Witchcraven
Witchcraven
After years of brain damage from *nix experimentation, I have decided to just go windows. I have been using it for the past few months and XP, I must say, is really nice. Things just work, drivers have installers, I dont have to compile everything. Its great. Since I have been keeping my programming skills unix for a while, what have I been missing in the windows world? Aside from .net, is win32 API still being used on xp? Any cool technologies I should be aware of?
--------------------------I present for tribute this haiku:Inane Ravings OfThe Haunting JubilationA Mad Engineer©Copyright 2005 ExtrariusAll Rights Reserved
Wolfmanyoda
Wolfmanyoda
It may not still be available for download, but the other day I installed the beta 2 version of Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition and it's really slick.
I don't know when the official version comes out, or how much it will cost, so if you want to check out the latest in free Windows development, try to snatch the beta before it's too late.
capn_midnight
capn_midnight
while win32 is still used, I don't see any advantage to using it, or MFC. .NET is more than adequate for application development. You may want to learn how to make a basic window in win32 if-and-only-if you want to do OpenGL or DX in straight, non-.NET C++. Otherwise, don't even waste your time. I don't, and so far it hasn't been an issue.
eedok
eedok
Quote:
Original post by capn_midnight
while win32 is still used, I don't see any advantage to using it, or MFC. .NET is more than adequate for application development. You may want to learn how to make a basic window in win32 if-and-only-if you want to do OpenGL or DX in straight, non-.NET C++. Otherwise, don't even waste your time. I don't, and so far it hasn't been an issue.


don't even bother then, just use SDL.
capn_midnight
capn_midnight
Quote:
Original post by eedok
Quote:
Original post by capn_midnight
while win32 is still used, I don't see any advantage to using it, or MFC. .NET is more than adequate for application development. You may want to learn how to make a basic window in win32 if-and-only-if you want to do OpenGL or DX in straight, non-.NET C++. Otherwise, don't even waste your time. I don't, and so far it hasn't been an issue.


don't even bother then, just use SDL.
well, SDL is a problem if you don't want to GPL your code. While I'm not anti open source software, I am definitely anti-GPL.
eedok
eedok
Quote:
Original post by capn_midnight
Quote:
Original post by eedok
Quote:
Original post by capn_midnight
while win32 is still used, I don't see any advantage to using it, or MFC. .NET is more than adequate for application development. You may want to learn how to make a basic window in win32 if-and-only-if you want to do OpenGL or DX in straight, non-.NET C++. Otherwise, don't even waste your time. I don't, and so far it hasn't been an issue.


don't even bother then, just use SDL.
well, SDL is a problem if you don't want to GPL your code. While I'm not anti open source software, I am definitely anti-GPL.

hasn't this discussion been discussed before, since it's LGPL, as long as you don't statically link to the library, you don't have to GPL your code. I can't find the source that states this atm, but games like Unreal Tournament 2004 use SDL, and aren't GPL.

EDIT: found it on http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html
Quote:

5. A program that contains no derivative of any portion of the Library, but is designed to work with the Library by being compiled or linked with it, is called a "work that uses the Library". Such a work, in isolation, is not a derivative work of the Library, and therefore falls outside the scope of this License.

Oluseyi
Oluseyi
Quote:
Original post by capn_midnight
well, SDL is a problem if you don't want to GPL your code. While I'm not anti open source software, I am definitely anti-GPL.

I'm pretty sure SDL is LGPL.
matt_j
matt_j
The latest Microsoft compilers are great, and I can compile my SDL/OpenGL game engine and games pretty easily. Windows XP is stable; I've never had any crashes or lost work.

Write your programs with SDL/OpenGL, and other cross platform libraries and running them off *nix should be fine.

Check out wxWidgets. I have yet to try it but it looks very useful.
capn_midnight
capn_midnight
Sorry, I knew it was LGPL, just brain farted or something. Anyway, this part of the LGPL kind of scares me:
Quote:

3. You may opt to apply the terms of the ordinary GNU General Public License instead of this License to a given copy of the Library. To do this, you must alter all the notices that refer to this License, so that they refer to the ordinary GNU General Public License, version 2, instead of to this License. (If a newer version than version 2 of the ordinary GNU General Public License has appeared, then you can specify that version instead if you wish.) Do not make any other change in these notices.

Once this change is made in a given copy, it is irreversible for that copy, so the ordinary GNU General Public License applies to all subsequent copies and derivative works made from that copy.

It sounds like anyone may upgrade a library to the GPL, and that upgrade is permanent. Software that dynamically links with GPL libs must be GPLed as well. What happens if a library is changed from LGPL to GPL?
eedok
eedok
Quote:
Original post by capn_midnight
It sounds like anyone may upgrade a library to the GPL, and that upgrade is permanent. Software that dynamically links with GPL libs must be GPLed as well. What happens if a library is changed from LGPL to GPL?


That's called a license fork(XFree86 is a good example of this), what happens is the LGPL version does not dissappear and is still bound to the LGPL. Other LGPL copies of the previous library can be made(like X.org)

NOTE: I know the licensing of the XFree86 was not LGPL but it was just an example.
Benjamin Heath
Benjamin Heath
Quote:
Original post by capn_midnight
Sorry, I knew it was LGPL, just brain farted or something. Anyway, this part of the LGPL kind of scares me:
Quote:

3. You may opt to apply the terms of the ordinary GNU General Public License instead of this License to a given copy of the Library. To do this, you must alter all the notices that refer to this License, so that they refer to the ordinary GNU General Public License, version 2, instead of to this License. (If a newer version than version 2 of the ordinary GNU General Public License has appeared, then you can specify that version instead if you wish.) Do not make any other change in these notices.

Once this change is made in a given copy, it is irreversible for that copy, so the ordinary GNU General Public License applies to all subsequent copies and derivative works made from that copy.

It sounds like anyone may upgrade a library to the GPL, and that upgrade is permanent. Software that dynamically links with GPL libs must be GPLed as well. What happens if a library is changed from LGPL to GPL?
Huh. I've never sat and read the LGPL so I haven't seen that before. The GPL would apply to that particular copy and any redistributions of it, though, and I don't see the SDL developers doing that at any time.

It does, however, encourage me to never use even the LGPL for my code.
mutex
mutex
Quote:
Original post by Wolfmanyoda
It may not still be available for download, but the other day I installed the beta 2 version of Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition and it's really slick.
I don't know when the official version comes out, or how much it will cost, so if you want to check out the latest in free Windows development, try to snatch the beta before it's too late.
Visual Studio 2005 will be launched November 7th, and the express editions will be offered at $50 each. You can try the express edition betas here. Click here for a comparison of the different editions.

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