Implementing Loading Screens

Question

Sometimes it can take a while to load a binary executable. Applications like GIMP and Code::Blocks have loading screens that pop up almost immediately, and give status messages until the full application is loaded.

How do they get a loading screen to pop up instantaneously and start showing progress before the rest of the application is loaded.

WxWidgets in C++ specific answers are sought.

Answer 1

Have you looked at wxSplashScreen?

http://docs.wxwidgets.org/trunk/classwx_splash_screen.html

Display this window first, before starting any time consuming initialization.

BTW, if your initialization code is taking a long time to complete, you should probably take a look at its design.

Answer 2

Splash screens are small programs in and of themselves. They load their parent program and then close. You may have noticed (at least for windows) that the splash screen opens a task bar button while loading and then for an instant two will be open then one will close. This is the main program opening and the splash screen program closing.