Using resources in your application

[Fromethius]

How come, whenever I use a resource, I have to define it as an integral and call the integer's value to use it?

For example, I have this:

CONTROL "",IDC_COMBOBOX,"ComboBox",0x50010003,8,90,62,111

Then I define it like this:

#define IDC_COMBOBOX 30000

I can use this in my main.cpp like this:

MAKEINTRESOURCE(30000)

But when I go like this:

IDC_COMBOBOX

It says:

'IDC_COMBOBOX' undeclared (first use this function) 

Some help would be great. I don't like using MAKEINTRESOURCE and then using the integral definition because it confuses me.

[weaknessforcats]

You have to follow the rules of resources.

IDC_COMBOBOX

is meaningless.

#define IDC_COMBOBOX 30000

at least says 30000 is the integer value represented by ISC_COMBOBOX.

Once you do this, foreverafter in your code you use IDC_COMBOBOX. Not the 30000.

One day you will need to change that 30000 to 35000 and you will have 12,500 places in your code where you need to make that change.

By using the symbolic name IDC_COMBOBOX, all you need do is change the #define and re-compile.

Sorry about your confusion, but that's simply how things work.