Platform SDK and Visual Studio 6 - broken ?
From: Allenb (allenb_485_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 06/04/04
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Date: 4 Jun 2004 10:21:38 -0700
After a two year hiatus, developing embedded and Linux applications,
I had the misfortune of having to return to the Windows platform.
At first I was looking forward to it, having over 10 years of
Windows development experience, starting with Win 3.1, it felt
like I was returning to an old friend. I unearthed my Visual Studio 6.0
CD,s and got going. The first problem soon came to light, I DON'T use
MFC, unfortunately creating a new resource file presumes everyone
has been seduced by the MFC junk, and creates a broken resouce file.
A search of the web, soon got me over that hurdle. Edit the resource
file, and replace every occurance of afxres.h with winres.h, simple
once one knows how, but worse was yet to come.
I needed to use the SHGetFolderPath library function. It appears that
this is only available in versions of shfolder.h and shfolder.lib newer
than those in VS6.0. A search of microsoft's web site, informed me that
I needed to install an updated Plaform SDK.
This is where the real fun started. Firstly although I am happy with
the Firefox browser, finding it preferable to IE in every way, MS is
not happy with me using it. To download the Platform SDK, I have to
use IE.crap. I load up IE, install the requisite Active X control, and
eventually got to the installation page. I choose the core SDK, which
informs me that I need approx 500 MByte of free disk in order to install.
I am pretty shocked, as all I need is a few libraries and header files,
but as I have nearly 800 MByte free, I decide to proceed. I go off to
get a cup of coffee, 20 minutes later back at my desk, I see that the
install has crapped out, insufficient disk space. I decide to free up
some disk space before proceeding, but in the process notice that I have
somewhere lost over 200MB. I reboot the computer, thinking that the temp
files will probably be cleaned up, but the disk space is still gone. After
deleting temp files and temporary internet files, I seem to to have recovered
the space. I eventually got the piece of bloatware known as the Platform
SDK installed. Over 500MB of my hard drive consumed, including an Office10
directory with some junk in it. I don't, and have never used MS Office but
the bizzare minds at MS seem to think that I should.
Whoever is responsible for the Platform SDK is a moron. Why should I have
to install over 500MB to get a few headers and libraries? How do I burn
the SDK to a CD, so that 2 years from now when my program needs to be
changed, I can install the exact same development environment?
The platform SDK is either an extreme example of MS bundling, or design
by IDIOTS.
Either way, the biggest mistake the DOJ made was not breaking up
MS and ridding the planet of this scourge. It is time for me to give
up Windows programming for good.
I urge all you developers who have been seduced by the MS crap, to have a
look at the otherside occasionly. For me having worked with non-MS products
for two years, coming back to Windows was a rude shock. The terms small and
elegant have meaning in my vocabulary, but seem to be used as a synonym for
bloatware on the MS campus.
Allen
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