C / C++ / MFC

• Win32 API - Lowest level, C-based API, ugly.
  
• MFC - Class library with great support from DevStudio. Thinly wraps many Win32 APIs. It's been around for years.
  
• WTL - Template based class library. Not well supported or widely used, but some people like it more than MFC.
  
• .NET - Shiny, new, easier. Natively supported by other languages such as C# and VB.NET. The wave of the future.
  

/*----------CUT HERE------------*/
#include <windows.h>

/* Declare Windows procedure */
LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);
/* Make the class name into a global variable */
char szClassName[ ] = "WindowsApp";
int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hThisInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpszArgument, int nFunsterStil)

{
    HWND hwnd;               /* This is the handle for our window */
    MSG messages;            /* Here messages to the application are saved */
    WNDCLASSEX wincl;        /* Data structure for the windowclass */

    /* The Window structure */
    wincl.hInstance = hThisInstance;
    wincl.lpszClassName = szClassName;
    wincl.lpfnWndProc = WindowProcedure;      /* This function is called by windows */
    wincl.style = CS_DBLCLKS;                 /* Catch double-clicks */
    wincl.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);

    /* Use default icon and mouse-pointer */
    wincl.hIcon = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
    wincl.hIconSm = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
    wincl.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
    wincl.lpszMenuName = NULL; /* No menu */
    wincl.cbClsExtra = 0;                      /* No extra bytes after the window class */
    wincl.cbWndExtra = 0;                      /* structure or the window instance */
    /* Use light-gray as the background of the window */
    wincl.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH) GetStockObject(LTGRAY_BRUSH);

    /* Register the window class, if fail quit the program */
    if(!RegisterClassEx(&wincl)) return 0;

    /* The class is registered, let's create the program*/
    hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
           0,                   /* Extended possibilites for variation */
           szClassName,         /* Classname */
           "Windows App",         /* Title Text */
           WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, /* default window */
           CW_USEDEFAULT,       /* Windows decides the position */
           CW_USEDEFAULT,       /* where the window ends up on the screen */
           544,                 /* The programs width */
           375,                 /* and height in pixels */
           HWND_DESKTOP,        /* The window is a child-window to desktop */
           NULL,                /* No menu */
           hThisInstance,       /* Program Instance handler */
           NULL                 /* No Window Creation data */
           );

    /* Make the window visible on the screen */
    ShowWindow(hwnd, nFunsterStil);
    /* Run the message loop. It will run until GetMessage( ) returns 0 */
    while(GetMessage(&messages, NULL, 0, 0))
    {
           /* Translate virtual-key messages into character messages */
           TranslateMessage(&messages);
           /* Send message to WindowProcedure */
           DispatchMessage(&messages);
    }

    /* The program return-value is 0 - The value that PostQuitMessage( ) gave */
    return messages.wParam;
}

/* This function is called by the Windows function DispatchMessage( ) */
LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure(HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    switch (message)                  /* handle the messages */
    {
           case WM_DESTROY:
           PostQuitMessage(0);        /* send a WM_QUIT to the message queue */
           break;
           default:                   /* for messages that we don't deal with */
           return DefWindowProc(hwnd, message, wParam, lParam);
    }
    return 0;
}
/*-------------CUT HERE-----------*/

LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure(HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    switch (message)                  /* handle the messages */
    {
           case WM_DESTROY:
           PostQuitMessage(0);        /* send a WM_QUIT to the message queue */
           break;
           default:                   /* for messages that we don't deal with */
           return DefWindowProc(hwnd, message, wParam, lParam);
    }
    return 0;
}

LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure(HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    switch (message)                  /* handle the messages */
    {
           case WM_CREATE:
           MessageBox (NULL, "Hello world!" , "test", 0 + MB_ICONASTERISK);
           break;
           case WM_DESTROY:
           PostQuitMessage(0);        /* send a WM_QUIT to the message queue */
           break;
           default:                   /* for messages that we don't deal with */
           return DefWindowProc(hwnd, message, wParam, lParam);
    }
    return 0;
}

  CString filepath = "C:\\temp.exe";<br />
<br />
  HINSTANCE err = ShellExecute(NULL, _T("open"), filepath , NULL, NULL, SW_SHOW);