C++Builder 5 Developers Guide

Chapter 3. Programming in C++Builder

by Mark Cashman

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Better Programming Practices in C++Builder

• VCL Overview

• Review of the Component Palette

• Creating User Interfaces

• Nonvisual Components and Programming

• Creating Multithreaded Applications

C++Builder influences programming on many levels, and this chapter helps you to see how. This chapter assumes your basic understanding of the C++ language and the C++Builder IDE as described in previous chapters.

This chapter begins with the programming practices that form the basis of C++ Builder programming. Some of these differ from those used in pure C++ programming, but they add to your productivity by leveraging the key advantages of the C++Builder environment.

This is followed by an overview of the VCL (Visual Component Library) that provides the rapid application development capability unique to C++Builder among C++ development environments.

Next comes a quick trip through the most useful components on the component palette.

One of the core advantages of C++Builder is the visual development environment that you can use to build user interfaces. You will get a trip through all the important features, including screen layout techniques to create interfaces that work well as the user changes the window's size , and how to use Actions to simplify user interface implementation.

Then, a brief discussion of the use of nonvisual components in C++Builder leads to an in-depth discussion of multithreading to wrap up this trip through key C++Builder programming practices.