Creating Windows Applications

With Visual Fortran, you can build Fortran applications that are also fully-featured Windows applications. You can create full Windows applications that use the familiar Windows interface, complete with tool bars, pull-down menus, dialog boxes, and other features. You can include data entry and mouse control, and interaction with programs written in other languages or commercial programs such as Microsoft Excel.

With full Windows programming you can:

• Deliver Fortran applications with a Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI). GUI applications typically use at least the Graphic Device Interface (GDI) and USER32 Win32 routines.
• Access all available Windows GDI calls with your Fortran applications. GDI functions use a 32-bit coordinate system, allowing coordinates in the +/-2 GB range, and performs skewing, reflection, rotation and shearing.

Only the Fortran Windows project type provides access to the full set of Win32 routines needed to create GUI applications. Windows projects are much more complex than other kinds of Visual Fortran projects. Before attempting to use the full capabilities of Windows programming, you should be comfortable with writing C applications and should familiarize yourself with the Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK).

To build your application as a Fortran Windows application in the visual development environment, choose Fortran Windows Application from the list of Project types when you open a new project.

When using the command line, specify the /winapp option to search the commonly used link libraries.

Fortran Windows applications must use the DFWIN module or subset of DFWIN (see Calling Win32 Routines).

The following Fortran Windows application topics are discussed:

• Calling Win32 Routines
• Coding Requirements for Fortran Windows Applications
• Using Menus and Dialogs in SDI and MDI Fortran Windows Applications
• Sample Fortran Windows Applications
• Getting Help with Windows Programming