www.amazon.2db.com.pl - Microsoft Visual C++ .NET Standard

Developers can include both managed and unmanaged code in the same project: the compiler does the necessary internal translation automatically. This feature is particularly valuable for those with existing applications that cannot be ported all at once to the .NET platform.

The Visual C++ .NET product consists of an IDE, class libraries, compiler, and tools. The compiler in the Standard edition is nonoptimizing, so professional developers may prefer Visual Studio .NET Professional or higher. The key libraries are the MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes), which wrap the Windows API, and the ATL (Active Template Library), for efficient development of COM or ActiveX components. In addition, the bundled .NET Framework SDK has command-line compilers for Visual Basic, JScript, and Visual C#, and you can also compile C# from the IDE. Despite its managed extensions, Visual C++ .NET does not support the Windows Forms designer or the Web Forms designer, although there is a visual dialog editor for native Windows applications.

The two big changes in Visual C++ .NET, when compared to Visual C++ 6.0, are support for the .NET Framework and a brand-new IDE. There are minor updates to MFC and ATL, and the ability to do COM programming using attributes is a strong feature. The Standard C++ Library is updated in this version, with improved standards compliance for those building portable applications, although Visual C++ .NET is still not the best in this respect. On the other hand, it excels as a tool for building Windows applications and components, where its huge flexibility compensates for the lack of a visual form designer.

The Visual C++ IDE is outstanding, although you need to double the minimum system requirements for good performance, and note that it does not run on Windows 98 or Me. Online help is now fully integrated into the main workspace, wizards have been streamlined, and the XML designer will be useful even to those not working with the .NET Framework. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk

I use Visual Studio as an editor when I write code for Linux/Unix, and also to develop native XP/2000 device drivers and windows application code.

This version is basically an upgrade of Visual C++ 6, with .NET, managed classes, and better template and ANSI standards adherence. Any problems you had with STL are resolved with this version. Note, on some code you will get some errors on code that compiled without warning under VC6, due to a stricter compiler.

Unfortunately, there are some negatives. The biggest is a rewrite of the Visual Studio IDE. The Visual Studio C++ class wizard is gone. Yes. Gone. You will have to spend time (and a large amount of it) to relearn how to add events, message handlers, and otherwise get up to speed with the VB-ish property window.

What would take me five minutes (drag and drop of an ActiveX control) ended up taking several hours of sifting through the help files.

This version is basically the academic version, with some crippled functionality. This version will not allow you to generate optimized code (/Ox switches are disabled), and some other functionality has been removed.

Also, you will want to have at least 512 MB, or it will crawl. I keep reverting back to Visual Studio C++ because of the .NET's lethargy. Luckily, unlike previous versions of Visual C++, the two versions can coexist on your system peacefully.

Further, if you intend to do any .NET development, you may be somewhat disappointed as .NET support is primarily focused on C# and VB. There are no examples for C++ using .NET assemblies, etc.

Let's see what Borland has to offer ...