5 step to create Window with windows API use C

5 steps:
1. Initialzate class
2. Resgister class
3. Create window
4. Receive message from WinProc
5. Translate message and dispatch it

Step 1: Initialzate class
I like way http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/simple_window.html use:

const char g_szClassName[] = "myWindowClass";

Step 2: Registering the Window Class

In WinMain() function:

WNDCLASSEX wc;

wc.cbSize        = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
wc.style         = 0;
wc.lpfnWndProc   = WndProc;
wc.cbClsExtra    = 0;
wc.cbWndExtra    = 0;
wc.hInstance     = hInstance;
wc.hIcon         = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
wc.hCursor       = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW+1);
wc.lpszMenuName  = NULL;
wc.lpszClassName = g_szClassName;
wc.hIconSm       = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);

if(!RegisterClassEx(&wc))
{
    MessageBox(NULL, "Window Registration Failed!", "Error!",
    MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
    return 0;
}

Step 3: Creating the Window
Use CreateWindowEx() function - put it after Register class ( still in WinMain())

hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
        WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE,
        g_szClassName,
        "Project Zero again!!!",
        WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
        CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 240, 120,
        NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);

Check return value:

if(hwnd == NULL)
{
    MessageBox(NULL, "Window Creation Failed!", "Error!",
    MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
    return 0;
}

Show and update Window:

ShowWindow(hwnd, nCmdShow);
UpdateWindow(hwnd);

Step 4: The Message Loop
In WinMain(), after create window:

while(GetMessage(&Msg, NULL, 0, 0) > 0)
{
    TranslateMessage(&Msg);
    DispatchMessage(&Msg);
}
return Msg.wParam;

Step 5: the Window Procedure

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    switch(msg)
    {
        case WM_CLOSE:
            DestroyWindow(hwnd);
        break;
        case WM_DESTROY:
            PostQuitMessage(0);
        break;
        default:
            return DefWindowProc(hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
    }
    return 0;
}

Full Soure:

#include

const char g_szClassName[] = "myWindowClass";

// Step 4: the Window Procedure
LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    switch(msg)
    {
        case WM_CLOSE:
            DestroyWindow(hwnd);
        break;
        case WM_DESTROY:
            PostQuitMessage(0);
        break;
        default:
            return DefWindowProc(hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
    }
    return 0;
}

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{
    WNDCLASSEX wc;
    HWND hwnd;
    MSG Msg;

    //Step 1: Registering the Window Class
    wc.cbSize        = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
    wc.style         = 0;
    wc.lpfnWndProc   = WndProc;
    wc.cbClsExtra    = 0;
    wc.cbWndExtra    = 0;
    wc.hInstance     = hInstance;
    wc.hIcon         = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
    wc.hCursor       = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
    wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW+1);
    wc.lpszMenuName  = NULL;
    wc.lpszClassName = g_szClassName;
    wc.hIconSm       = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_WINLOGO);

    if(!RegisterClassEx(&wc))
    {
        MessageBox(NULL, "Window Registration Failed!", "Error!",
            MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
        return 0;
    }

    // Step 2: Creating the Window
    hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
        WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE,
        g_szClassName,
        "Project Zero again!!!",
        WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
        CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 240, 120,
        NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);

    if(hwnd == NULL)
    {
        MessageBox(NULL, "Window Creation Failed!", "Error!",
            MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
        return 0;
    }

    ShowWindow(hwnd, nCmdShow);
    UpdateWindow(hwnd);

    // Step 3: The Message Loop
    while(GetMessage(&Msg, NULL, 0, 0) > 0)
    {
        TranslateMessage(&Msg);
        DispatchMessage(&Msg);
    }
    return Msg.wParam;
}

complete:

C:\Code\Dev>gcc -o project0 main.c

run:

C:\Code\Dev>project0.exe

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Thanks for reading
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All my Lab:
Linux Lab -- window and Cisco Lab
to be continued - I will update more.