w32++: Modern C++ bindings for the Win32 API.

Author:	Andre Caron ([email protected])

Introduction

This library is intended to help you write all those nitty-gritty Windows-only programs and features that require an intimate relationship with the platform: services, shell extensions and scripting of Windows components (such as the task scheduler) to name a few.

Although there is some feature overlap with .NET, Boost or Qt, it is not an alternative to these frameworks. Rather, it gives you the tools you need to write those extra platform-specific features not covered by these frameworks.

Project state

I've been working on this project in my spare time since 2006. I'm in the process of assembling all the code I wrote into this project and there are still some large-scale design issues to resolve. There is active development in several core components. Therefore, you should not expect backwards compatibility for the next few minor releases.

Getting started

1. Get the source code.

   git clone git://github.com/AndreLouisCaron/w32.git
   cd w32
   git submodule init
   git submodule update
   

2. Generate build scripts.

   mkdir work
   cd work
   cmake -G "NMake Makefiles" ..
   

   If you prefer to use Visual Studio, generate a solution using one of the Visual Studio solution generators built-in to CMake. Type cmake on the command line for a list of supported Visual Studio versions.

3. Compile the libraries and demo projects.

   nmake
   

   If you generated Visual Studio solution instead of the Makefiles, start Visual Studio, open the solution and build the project (Ctrl+Shift+B hotkey).

4. Build the API documentation.

   nmake help
   

Embedding

This library is designed to be easily embedded into other CMake projects. When built as a dependency, the demo projects, test suites and API documentation are not compiled. Further, you can compile only the parts of the library you intend to use.

project(fubar)

# Tell CMake where to resolve the w32 library.  If you linked it as a
# Git submodule under "libs/w32", you can do something like this:
set(w32_DIR
  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/libs/w32
)

# Add w32 library targets.  Specify a subset of the w32 sub-libraries
# using the CMake components feature or select all libraries by
# omitting the list (e.g. use only "find_package(w32)").
find_package(w32
  COMPONENTS
    w32
    w32.io
    w32.mt
)

# Write some program depending on the w32 libraries.
set(sources
  fubar.cpp
)
add_executable(fubar ${sources})

# Have this program link against the w32 libraries.
target_link_libraries(fubar
  w32 w32.io w32.mt
)

# Make sure CMake knows to build the w32 libraries first.
add_dependencies(fubar
  w32 w32.io w32.mt
)

License

This software is free for use in open source and commercial/closed-source applications so long as you respect the terms of this 2-clause BSD license:

Copyright (c) 2009-2012, Andre Caron ([email protected])
All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
met:

 * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

 * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
   documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
"AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
(INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

If you use and like this software, please let me know. If you are willing to announce it publicly, I can add you to a list of known users. Such a list usually helps in attracting attention and giving the project more credibility, ensuring it keeps growing and stays bug free!