So, last weekend I started putting together a GUI for a map builder. That was a fun diversion, but then I saw EasilyConfused's journal and got editor-envy. So I thought it was about time I figured out how to make decent apps in windows. Ok, when I say decent, I mean that there's a window and maybe a few buttons and they actually do something (low expectations help sustain for a starving ego). But I got pretty lost. I've seen a lot of TLAs bandied about in the various forums on GDnet in this regard so I start trying to find more info on them. Mostly, I discovered that there are some truly awful website designs out there, but hidden in the quagmire of popup ads, banners, and garish colors, there were a few useful leads. Not enough to give me much confidence though.
I turned instead to the Beginners Forum to see what wisdom would I could squeeze out of our learned community. First, thanks a lot to those people who replied and tried to help me, I really appreciate it. I decided to go with WindowsForms and C#. I don't know C#, but I do know C++ and a little Java, so the transition didn't look too heinous. I download Visual Studio Express for C# and started playing around. Now it was late last night by the time I got to this point, so forgive me for not putting up a screeny. I'll try to have something hammered out by tomorrow. In any case, using VS and WindowsForms was pretty easy and intuitive, so that was nice starting out. I haven't really got much functionality into my map builder but I can get it to open files and exit - yay! I guess my only concern is that it'd be nice to have a reference book of some kind to say "hey, this is the way to do it" because I'm sure that I'm going to hack things together in a fashion that'd make a seasoned C# programmer blanch and go weak at the knees.
Any suggestions?
