How to develop a basic Win32 Application in Visual C++ using a Dialog Box

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? Complete Guide: Creating a Win32 Application with a Dialog Box in Visual C++ (MFC)


This guide walks you through creating a basic Win32 desktop application using Visual C++ and MFC, starting from scratch and using a dialog box as the main interface.

? Step 1: Create a New Project in Visual Studio

1. Open Visual Studio.
2. Go to File > New > Project....
3. In the template list, select Windows Desktop Wizard.

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1. Name the project and click OK.
2. In the next screen:
   • Application type: select Desktop application
   • Check Empty Project to start from scratch.

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Step 2: Enable MFC Support


To use MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes):

1. Right-click the project in Solution Explorer and select Properties.
2. Navigate to:

Project Properties > Configuration Properties > General

1. Set Use of MFC to:
   • Use MFC in a Static Library.
2. Click Apply, then OK.

? Step 3: Create the Main Application Class (Main)


This class represents the entry point for the application.

➤ Add the Header File

1. Right-click on Header Files > Add > New Item
2. Choose Header File (.h) and name it Main.h.

#pragma once
#include "afxwin.h"

class Main : public CWinApp {
public:
BOOL InitInstance();
};
➤ Add the Source File

1. Right-click on Source Files > Add > New Item.
2. Select C++ File (.cpp) and name it Main.cpp.

#include "afxwin.h"
#include "Main.h"
#include "CMainDlg.h" // To be created later

Main app;

BOOL Main::InitInstance() {
CMainDlg dlg;
m_pMainWnd = &dlg;
dlg.DoModal();
return TRUE;
}
? Step 4: Add a Dialog Box Resource

1. Right-click Resource Files > Add > Resource.
2. Select Dialog and click New.
3. A dialog template named IDD_DIALOG1 will appear in the editor.

You can customize the dialog using the toolbox, adding buttons, labels, etc.

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? Step 5: Create the Dialog Class

1. Right-click on the dialog template and select Add Class....
2. Name the class CMainDlg.
3. This will generate two files:
   • CMainDlg.h
   • CMainDlg.cpp

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➤ Edit CMainDlg.h


Make sure it includes the necessary header:


#pragma once
#include "afxdialogex.h"

class CMainDlg : public CDialogEx {
public:
CMainDlg(CWnd* pParent = nullptr); // Constructor

#ifdef AFX_DESIGN_TIME
enum { IDD = IDD_DIALOG1 };
#endif

protected:
virtual void DoDataExchange(CDataExchange* pDX);

DECLARE_MESSAGE_MAP()
};
➤ Edit CMainDlg.cpp


Ensure this file includes the resources header and links to the dialog ID:


#include "resource.h"
#include "CMainDlg.h"

IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC(CMainDlg, CDialogEx)

CMainDlg::CMainDlg(CWnd* pParent /*=nullptr*/)
: CDialogEx(IDD_DIALOG1, pParent) {}

void CMainDlg::DoDataExchange(CDataExchange* pDX) {
CDialogEx::DoDataExchange(pDX);
}

BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(CMainDlg, CDialogEx)
END_MESSAGE_MAP()
? Step 6: (Optional) Enable Windows Visual Styles


To make your application use modern Windows controls:

1. Right-click the project and select Add > New Item.
2. Choose XML File, name it app.manifest.
3. Paste the following into the file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
<dependency>
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity
type="win32"
name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"
version="6.0.0.0"
processorArchitecture="*"
publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"
language="*" />
</dependentAssembly>
</dependency>
<trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
<security>
<requestedPrivileges>
<requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false"/>
</requestedPrivileges>
</security>
</trustInfo>
</assembly>

This enables high-DPI support and modern UI styles for controls like buttons.

Step 7: Run the Application

1. Build the project (Ctrl + Shift + B).
2. Run the application with Ctrl + F5.
3. The dialog box should appear as the main window.

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What's Next?


Now that you have a basic MFC app running with a dialog, you can:

• Add buttons, text boxes, combo boxes, etc.
• Handle events like button clicks with ON_BN_CLICKED macros.
• Store user input using UpdateData(TRUE/FALSE).

? Related Video

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? Questions or improvements? Fork this guide or leave a comment in your repo!

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