Sample Windows Applications - Special Request

[MattKent]

Hi,

Im going to get straight to the point and explain my situation. I'm going to be programming a simple windows program in the C++ language with the MS Windows SDK in the not too distant future. I'm currently thinking about the user interface.

Now I can create quite easily a window, with the standard top toolbar (file, edit, help etc) but what I essentially want to do next is create a 'panel' down the right hand side of the window, on which I can lay down buttons and other windows controls. Anybody who has used, for example, 3DS Max should know roughly what I have in mind: 3DSMax UI shot. Only of course, my objective is alot simpler, with fewer controls and no tabs. Just a pane with buttons.

After hours searching through any relevant MSDN articles I could find, I started looking at 'toolbars', namely right aligned and wrapped toolbars. But these seem to act too specifically and restrictively. I can't tell for sure.

I've spent many more hours trying to find any more example code or information to help, but to no avail sadly. Part of it may lie in not knowing exactly what to search for, or where to search.

If anybody can either point me in the right direction of some source code, or even tell me some windows programming concepts to research about, I would be greatful. Anything to get me on track!

Thank you for your time,
Matthew Kent

[weaknessforcats]

Your 'panel' may turn out to be a collection of windows on top of your main window. Nothing says you need to use a tool bar.

[Cucumber]

Try looking for splitter windows.

A splitter window creates two windows inside a parent window.So you can have either a left & right or a top & down
pair of windows inside your application.

You can have all the splitters you want, so you can orginize the working space of your application window any way you want.