=====Writing to the screen using the Windows API=====

//by Richard Russell, November 2006//\\ \\  Normally you would write to the screen using BBC BASIC's built-in text and graphics statements; see the main help documentation (particularly [[http://www.bbcbasic.co.uk/bbcwin/manual/bbcwin3.html#title3|Graphics and Colours]] and [[http://www.cix.co.uk/~rrussell/bbcwin/manual/bbcwin8.html#title8|VDU Emulation]]). However there may be circumstances when you need to use the Windows API instead, for example when the built-in statements do not provide the required features, or when you need to ensure that the screen and printer outputs are as similar as possible (e.g. a **Print Preview** facility).\\ \\  There are two principal ways of outputting to the screen via the Windows API, one using the **Graphics Device Interface** (GDI) and the other using the **GDI Plus** interface (GDI+).\\ \\ 
===== Writing to the screen using GDI =====
\\  For information on writing to the screen using the Windows Graphics Device Interface see the article [[/Writing%20graphics%20to%20the%20printer|Writing graphics to the printer]], and particularly the note at the end entitled **Writing to the screen**. All the Windows GDI functions described in that article are equally applicable to writing to the screen.\\ \\ 
===== Writing to the screen using GDI+ =====
\\  For information on writing to the screen using the Windows GDI Plus interface see the section in the main help documentation entitled [[http://www.bbcbasic.co.uk/bbcwin/manual/bbcwing.html#gdiplib|Antialiased graphics]].