Windows Template Library

The Windows Template Library (WTL) is an object-oriented Win32 encapsulation C++ library by Microsoft. The WTL supports an API for use by programmers. It was developed as a light-weight alternative to Microsoft Foundation Classes. WTL extends Microsoft's ATL, another lightweight API for using COM and for creating ActiveX controls. Though created by Microsoft, it is unsupported.

Although Microsoft is generally critical of open source software, they made the source code of WTL freely available under an open source license. Releasing it under the Common Public License, Microsoft posted the source on SourceForge, an Internet repository for open-source code. As of version 7.5, the library was also dual licensed under the Microsoft Permissive License. [1]

Most of the WTL API is a direct mirror of the standard Win32 calls, so the interface is familiar to most Windows programmers. Being an unsupported library, WTL has little formal documentation. Faced with this problem the "WTL Documentation" project [2] was started and now has a semi-complete documentation.

External links

• The SourceForge WTL project
• Microsoft's download page for WTL 7.5
• WTL Documentation - An Effort to Create Documentation for the WTL Programming Library.
• "Using the Windows Template Library" article from GameDev.net, excellent introduction to library.
• "Getting Started with the Windows Template Library", another introduction
• "WTL for MFC Programmers" – 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)