Windows Template Library
Windows Template Library (WTL) is a set of classes that encapsulate most Win32 API into lightweight classes for programming Windows operating system. WTL has the advantages of ATL and without the bulk of MFC. Although this is not officially supported by Microsoft, it is not being maintained on SourceForge.
With the unique environments on the Windows Mobile devices, WTL is ideal for writing mobile applications that are fast but still object oriented. WTL provides many features from MFC (but not as rich) without the size and it doesn't lock you into any particular programming style. You can freely mix Win32 and WTL code.
Using WTL for Windows Mobile development
Since WTL becomes an open source project, it has received many enhancements for use on Windows Mobile devices. Please note that it is unsupported by Microsoft. You are on your own if you use it. The good thing is that you have all the source code to figure it out if you run into difficulties. This page will provide more information from our experiences.
Download
You agree to the following disclaimer by downloading the code:
THIS CODE AND INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
| File | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Template Library 8.0 | Jun 10, 2007 | WTL 8.0 has been designed to work with Windows CE and includes a new application wizard to generate a program template. |
Documentation
The main disadvantage to using WTL is the lack of documentation. To find out how to use a class, look at the source files. The basic windowing classes are from ATL, thus they are documented in the ATL for Windows CE section of the MSDN help files. Also, you will find a large community of developers that use WTL on the Internet. There are many attempts in documenting WTL and providing tutorials. The following links provide more information on WTL (most of them are for desktop Windows developments):
- Tips and Traps: Programming tips from us.
- Smartphone Developer Network: Information on using WTL on Smartphone which can be useful for developing Pocket PC applications as well. Note that the tutorial is tailored for the Smartphone platform.
- IDevResource.com: Useful tutorials and links on WTL.
- Code Project: Rich contents and documentation on WTL for desktop Windows.
- Tech Head: More information on WTL.
- WTL Yahoo group: Ongoing discussion of WTL (desktop oriented).
How to Get Started
- The best way to start is to read the articles in IDevResource.com for an introduction.
- Download the Windows Template Library 8.0 and get familiar with the basic classes.
- Install the WTL App Wizard.
- Generate a new application using the App Wizard and study the code.
- Download the library and experiment. Have fun!
Support
There is no support on WTL. Use at your own risk. Post your questions to Visual C++ forum on one of the developer newsgroup such as microsoft.public.pocketpc.