Windows Template Library
| Windows Template Library (WTL) | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Stable release | 10.01
/ March 1, 2026 |
| Written in | C++ |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Library |
| License | Common Public License, Microsoft Public License |
| Website | wtl |
| Repository | sourceforge |
Windows Template Library (WTL, also called C++/WTL[1]) is a free software, object-oriented C++ template library for Win32 development. WTL was created by Microsoft employee Nenad Stefanovic[2] for internal use and later released as an unsupported add-on to Visual Studio and the Win32 Framework SDK. It was developed primarily as a light-weight alternative to the Microsoft Foundation Classes and builds upon Microsoft's ATL, another lightweight API widely used to create COM and ActiveX libraries.[3]
Overview
[edit]WTL provides support for implementing various user interface elements, from frame and popup windows, to MDI, standard and common controls, common dialogs, property sheets and pages, GDI objects, and other common UI elements, such as scrollable windows, splitter windows, toolbars and command bars. WTL's main objective is to deliver small and efficient code, close in size and speed to "straight" SDK programs while providing a higher-level and more flexible object model to developers. Other classes such as a string wrapper that is syntax-compatible with MFC's CString and some templated collections are also included.
Most of the WTL API is a mirror of the standard Win32 calls, so the interface tends to be familiar to most Windows programmers. Although no official documentation from Microsoft exists, the WTL Documentation Project is attempting to create a comprehensive reference for the library.[4] The WTL is not supported by Microsoft Product Support Services.
Licensing
[edit]While WTL is a template library and therefore code-based, the original license was similar to the one used for the Microsoft Foundation Class Library (MFC) source code, although it contained no usage or distribution restrictions. In 2004 Microsoft made the complete source code available under the Common Public License and released it through SourceForge. Since version 9.1, the library is licensed under the Microsoft Public License.[5]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit] | This article needs more citations. (September 2009) |
- ↑ Kochmann, Sven (March 20, 2014). "Beryllium10: a free and simple tool for creating and managing group safety data sheets". Journal of Cheminformatics. 6 (1): 6. doi:10.1186/1758-2946-6-6. ISSN 1758-2946. PMC 3998190. PMID 24650446. Wikidata Q28658395.
- ↑ Tavares, C.; Fertitta, K.; Rector, B.; Sells, C. (2007). ATL Internals: Working with ATL 8 (2nd ed.). Addison–Wesley. p. ⅹⅲ. ISBN 978-0-321-15962-5. LCCN 2006008998. OCLC 64897677. OL 21631335M. Wikidata Q140514311.
- ↑ Kenny Kerr (December 2007). "Windows with C++: Windows Template Library 8.0". MSDN Magazine. 22 (12). ISSN 1528-4859. Wikidata Q140480529.
- ↑ WTL documentation project
- ↑ Download pages for WTL version 7.5, 8.0, 9.0, 9.1 and 10
External links
[edit]- Windows Template Library on SourceForge
- Microsoft's download page for WTL 7.5
- Microsoft's download page for WTL 8.0
- WTL 8.1 (2011-11-21)
- WTL Documentation - An Effort to Create Documentation for the WTL Programming Library.
- "Using the Windows Template Library Part 1" Archived May 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- "Using the Windows Template Library Part 2" Archived May 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- "WTL for MFC Programmers" Archived June 10, 2005, at the Wayback Machine – A series of tutorials aimed at MFC programmers who want to start using WTL.
- The WTL Wiki - A wiki dedicated to the Windows Template Library (WTL)
