1.4 Setting Up Your Windows Development Environment

You can use Windows as your primary application-development environment. Windows allows you to switch quickly among applications, including non-Windows applications. As a result, you can write the code for your application, create its resources (such as dialog boxes), compile and link the application, and debug and test it, all in the same Windows session.

To provide the best possible performance for creating Windows applications, you should follow these tips:

Configure Windows to improve the performance of your software-development tools.

Associate file extensions with software-development tools when you are using File Manager.

Compile and link in 386 enhanced mode.

Compact your hard disk to improve disk-access times.

When you associate a filename extension with a development tool, you can run the tool simply by choosing the appropriate filename in the File Manager directory window. File Manager starts the application and passes the chosen filename to the application.

To associate a filename extension with an application, choose the Associate command from the File menu in File Manager. The system records the filename extension and associated application in the WIN.INI file and in the registration database.