For DOS programmers, writing applications for Windows 98 (or for Windows NT or Windows 95) constitutes a distinct and abrupt departure from familiar and accepted practices. In fact, this departure is sometimes so abrupt that many programmers find themselves wondering if they have changed languages as well as operating systems. They are surprised to discover distinctly Pascal-like elements appearing in their C code and to find that previously familiar shortcuts and procedures—such as main() or exit()—are either no longer valid or, in some cases, even fatal to the application or the operating system.
Others, particularly those who have worked with previous versions of Windows, or even with OS/2, may find that these new practices use familiar techniques, although they sometimes bear new names or have somewhat different syntax. Unfortunately, those who have programmed applications for Windows 3.x (either 3.0 or 3.1) may find themselves the most confused of all because many of the differences are slight; yet in many cases, these slight differences are also very critical.
So, even if you’re an experienced Windows application programmer, you should take the time to study programming practices for Windows 98. Chapter 1 discussed mechanisms for compiling Windows 98 programs. Now it’s time to look at the components of a Windows program, beginning, as the White King advised Alice, “at the beginning.”