LPDIRECT(whatever)

Each new version of DDraw is supposed to add improvements and features to the last, using the newer version will let you take advantage of those newer features. Of course, you still will be able to use the older features as well.

Invader X
Invader''s Realm

I''m not sure I understand your question, but if you''re wondering whether the version numbers on the interface names correspond to the version number of the DirectX version they first appeared in:

Nowadays the numbers correspond, e.g.
IDirectDraw7 appeared in DirectX 7; Direct3DDevice8 appeared in DX 8 etc...

It''s not true for older interfaces though, IIRC
IDirectDraw3 appeared in DirectX 5 or 6.

I guess my question is, if I use, say, the following three declarations in my program:

LPDIRECTDRAW lpDDObject;
LPDIRECTSOUND lpDSObject;
LPDIRECTINPUT lpDIObject;

What versions and features am I getting? I''m linking to and including files from the DX8 SDK...

Well, I havent programmed DirectX in C++ yet. But, I can tell you DirectDraw is not part of The DirectX8 API and has been replaced with Direct3D. So, even 2D images must be rendered with Direct3D. In conclusion 2D+Microsoft=3D then Head->upbutt; goto confused?

PS: In VB all the DirectX8 objects have 8 in their names.

LPDIRECTDRAW lpddObject;
That would probably be the pointer to the first iteration of the directdraw interface, which isn't too helpful. As Rambo mentioned, dx8 doesn't support directdraw any longer, so for that at least your best bet would probably be to use the dx7 interface, ala:

if(FAILED(DirectDrawCreateEx(NULL, (void**)&lpdd7, IID_IDirectDraw7, NULL))) { fprintf(iParms->ELog, "Could not create dd7 interface\n"); return(0); }

where lpdd7 was defined as LPDIRECTDRAW7 lpdd7...


Edited by - Muse on October 14, 2001 11:13:28 AM

The components of DirectX use COM (Component Object Model) to manage object management and versioning. Each subsystem/component (such as DirectDraw, DirectSound etc) is composed of multiple objects (such as a DirectDraw surface, a DirectDraw clipper, a Direct3D vertex buffer etc).

As you know the LPblahblah is just a pointer to the interface of the object (think of a pointer to an instance of a class in C++).

With COM, when Microsoft want to add a new feature to a component they add a new version of an interface and give it a new number. Previous interfaces are still available (though it''s not advisable to mix versions from within the same component)

MS only recently started keeping the interface numbers the same as the SDK version. Before that it was a tad more confusing because you''d have things like an IDirectDrawSurface3 pointer with an IDirectDraw pointer etc.

You should use the newest interface available unless you have a good reason not to. (An example of a good reason would be if you needed to use DirectDraw with DirectX 8).

You should look in the DirectX SDK docs for more on how it uses COM etc. The location is something like:
DirectX 8.x (C++) ->
Introducing DirectX 8.x ->
Programming DirectX with C/C++ ->
Using COM
[The exact location may be different in your SDK, I only have a beta version of 8.1 on my home machine]

--
Simon O''''Connor
Creative Asylum Ltd
www.creative-asylum.com