The message loop in the Run member function of class CWinApp retrieves queued messages generated by various events. For example, when the user clicks the mouse, Windows sends several mouse-related messages, such as WM_LBUTTONDOWN when the left mouse button is pressed and WM_LBUTTONUP when the left mouse button is released. The framework's implementation of the application message loop dispatches the message to the appropriate window.

The important categories of messages are described in Message Categories.

Messages and Commands in the Framework