Help Using MFC

[ProgrammerMatt]

I have used MFC in MSVC++ 6.0, but I am overwhelmed by what happens when I try to start a new MFC project in Visual Studio 2005.

My program is very simple and only needs to get the coordinates of the mouse in realtime as I position a box on the screen.

When I started a project in MSVC++ 6.0, the extra files could essentially be ignored. In Visual Studio, I try to create the simplest project possible using MFC, and I get several files that I don't understand. I also don't want the MFC window to appear when I run my application (not at this stage, at any rate). I would great appreciate some help in getting this going either in MFC or with another another library in C++.
Thanks!
-Matt

[weaknessforcats]

There is not requirement to show any of your windows. Just call ShowWindow() using your window handle and SW_HIDE. Check your docset for more options.

What files are don't you understand?

Any Windows application will have a stdafx.h, a resource.h, the resources themselves will be in a .rc file plus you will have various .cpp files for your source code.

Any other files are Visual Studio files used to manage your project.

[ProgrammerMatt]

When I started the project, 4 source files and 4 header files were created; most of that code has little meaning to me. I also could not find a main anywhere in the code. I have a running program already built, but I want to add mouse functionality to it. Do I just paste the main function in the MFC source file? Once I get that working, I would appreciate the exact code I can use in my functions to get the cursor coordinates.
Thanks!
-Matt

[weaknessforcats]

Read this for information about your main().

Also, do you have a copy of "Programmin g Windows using MFC" by Jeff Prosisi?

Most of MFC is a wrapper of Win32, so you may want to get "Programmin g Windows" by Charles Petzold.

Most of your MFC classes have a HitTest() method you can use to see of the control has been clicked.

[ProgrammerMatt]

I realized my mistake regarding MFC being classes and all; my question now is how to make the basic text input window appear (just like it would in a simple Hello World program). MFC seems to prevent it from opening somehow.
Thanks!
Matt

[weaknessforcats]

You need Prosisi's book.