[kazinator]

> it's good for mucking with OS-level objects in Windows, stuff that I would otherwise have to write native code to frob.

In about one-and-a-half months, earlier this year, I gave my Lisp dialect an FFI, using which I was able to completely translate the MSDN "Your first Windows Program" C example, almost line by line:

http://nongnu.org/txr/rosetta-solutions-main.html#Window%20c...

After a bunch of FFI definitions of constants, structures and functions, the core of code is just:

  (defun WindowProc (hwnd uMsg wParam lParam)
    (caseql* uMsg
      (WM_DESTROY
        (PostQuitMessage 0)
        0)
      (WM_PAINT
        (let* ((ps (new PAINTSTRUCT))
               (hdc (BeginPaint hwnd ps)))
          (FillRect hdc ps.rcPaint (cptr-int (succ COLOR_WINDOW) 'HBRUSH))
          (EndPaint hwnd ps)
          0))
      (t (DefWindowProc hwnd uMsg wParam lParam))))
 
  (let* ((hInstance (GetModuleHandle nil))
         (wc (new WNDCLASS
                  lpfnWndProc [wndproc-fn WindowProc]
                  hInstance hInstance
                  lpszClassName "Sample Window Class")))
    (RegisterClass wc)
    (let ((hwnd (CreateWindowEx 0 wc.lpszClassName "Learn to Program Windows"
                                WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW
                                CW_USEDEFAULT CW_USEDEFAULT
                                CW_USEDEFAULT CW_USEDEFAULT
                                NULL NULL hInstance NULL)))
      (unless (equal hwnd NULL)
        (ShowWindow hwnd SW_SHOWDEFAULT)

        (let ((msg (new MSG)))
          (while (GetMessage msg NULL 0 0)
            (TranslateMessage msg)
            (DispatchMessage msg))))))

[oblio]

True, but then you have to develop in Lisp :p

I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But on the other hand, related to your example: the Windows APIs are in my opinion awful. Look at that CreateWindowEx call...

[kazinator]

> True, but then you have to develop in Lisp

Sorry to poop your meme frolicking here, but your statement is flatly untrue at face value; other non-native languages exist that provide access to Windows API's.

Obviously, since I made this for myself at considerable effort in my free time over more than eight years, developing in Lisp must obviously be something I really want, not something I have to do.

[oblio]

Non-native languages with Win32, access: VB 6, VBScript/ JScript (CScript), everything on top of .Net, Python, Perl, heck, even Autohotkey.

Regarding the second part, don't take it so personally, I was just joking. You're also on the internet: if a lighthearted comment such as mine annoys you, a real internet troll will ruin your day...