This section describes the binding from Silverfrost FTN95 compilers to the Microsoft Windows Applications Programming Interface (API). It also describes the Silverfrost ClearWin+ library. ClearWin+ offers an easy-to-use interface to the Windows API making rapid development of GUI possible in Fortran.
ClearWin+ is used together with a Silverfrost Win32 compiler in order to develop Windows applications that will run under the Windows family of operating systems. This guide describes how to write these Win32 applications.
The ClearWin+ library is located in the main FTN95 run-time libraries. For 32-bit program this DLL is called salflibc.dll, for 64-bit that DLL is clearwin64.dll. If you are developing an executable with the potential for multi-platform use then you must not use ClearWin+ except perhaps as a development/debugging tool. The release version of a multi-platform executable should not use ClearWin+. The alternative to ClearWin+ is to use a C# or Visual Basic form (see A simple C# form).
The guide does not try to describe or to document the Windows API, which is a subject too extensive to be covered here. Full documentation of the Windows API is provided with the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK).
When installed, FTN95 includes some example programs that illustrate some of the more common operations that developers will need in order to produce Windows applications.
Enhancements to ClearWin+ that have been added after the preparation of this guide are described in a README and .ENH enhancement files on the CD and also in the BROWSE example program.
FTN95, Silverfrost C++, and ClearWin+ are trademarks of Silverfrost Ltd.
MS-DOS, Visual Basic, and Windows are all trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.