If you have Visual Studio, you have VB. I''d recommand giving it a look because it not only allows you to rapidly developpe Win32 apps, it allows you to avoid the Win32 API quite a bit more than if you''d use C++. Although MFC can do that too if you''re willing to learn it. I''d say VB is easier for a starting project, though.

Personally, when I write a game, I''ll organize a folder structure somewhat like this...

Projects
+Prophecy of the Alien Seaweed Camels III
|+Dev
||+Editors
||+Misc. Source
||+Notes
|+Res
||+Background
||+Data
||+Music
||+Sprites
||+Sound
||+Tiles

I keep track of all of my ideas in notes. Particularly file formats I''m creating, for instance, or quick drafts of what the tools I''ll be writing will involve. I might keep some example source in misc. source that I plan on using in my engine (classes I''ve used in other games, for instance).

In editors, I''ll have whatever editors I write. All of them are in VB: performance isn''t an issue since I''m the only one using the editor (and if I decide to bundle them with the game later on, I can just tweak the interface a bit) and I can usually write up something that works pretty darn fast.

What you should do is similare. Write editors for your project. Don''t do this by hand; I used to and I regret it because I''ve wasted a lot of time. My first 2D sidescroller, Cat''s Paw, was done like this. My maps were in ascii and were hard to edit ("Uh... I should add a tree here... oh crap, what''s this "145,146,146,146,147" set?"), but not so hard as to be untamperable by users. I usually limited myself to small maps because big ones were too hard to do. Now, I just have a map tool with which I can click on tiles and put ''em down, wham bam thank you m''mam.

The production time for an editor generally pays for itself in terms of time and effort. Plus, as a bonus with your purchase, you get...

- FREE code you can tweak to fit into your game that''ll allow you to display the map (Since if the editor you wrote can do it, then why reinvent the wheel? Especially if you''ve already invented it yourself?)
- FREE tools you can use for your next project.
- FREE bragging rights ("Yeah, I had to write this really complex tool to work with the map format!")

What are you waiting for? Reach for that keyboard and dial- er, code now! Our compilers are open 24/7!

It would definitely be. However, don''t overestimate these kinds of tools.

The advantage to your idea is obvious: you''ll have code you can practically copy-paste right out of the box into your project. Once it''s done, it''s done.

The disadvantage, other than complexity, is the time you''ll most likely end up spending on the actual tool. After all, what you want out of this is just a quick little app to edit maps and, most important of all, to save you production time.

Well, I don''t have any experience in writing a GUI with SDL, though I wish you luck. Be bloody sure to post screenshots for those of us whom are curious!!