Reusing Elements

The classes DIBitmap and TString are prime candidates for reuse. The code is well tested and can be in a wide range of projects. Future extensions to this code could consist of: -

• Reworking error handling to exception based system
• Reworking DIBitmap file handling to .NET framework
• Extending TString capabilities (adding printf style functionality etc)

However there is little value to be gained by these alterations.

Hopefully the .NET framework will be a huge step forward as far as using the Windows API is concerned. The current C style state of affairs is a major hindrance to OO. This would mainly impact on the development of the application and it may prove unviable to use this framework in VCC.

The Pipe classes need a little more work and are susceptible to the fragile base class problem but should prove useful for future VCC projects requiring Windows Communication. The classes PClient and PServer provide a framework for pipe based communication, any derived class needs to provide a read/write function and extend the connect/disconnect functions as required.

The WaitCallback can be reused, it simply provides some of the missing functionality which is available in Windows 2000 and above but sadly missing in Windows NT4.

The VScreen and BitmapScreen classes can be reused future projects have sufficient overlap with this one.

The remaining code is too specific to be of great use in further projects. A late change of the application requirements hurt the readability (and stability) of the main application but combined with the Platform SDK documentation it still provides a basic guide as to what's possible.

Hopefully the hints on VCC and the compilation of Windows code for VCC contained within this report will be of use in the future helping to alleviate the VCC related pain!

I hope that the real world I/O in future project will find it easy to build on my work and hopefully this aspect will be much simpler after this year.