There is a separate getline for strings. Instead of:itsCode:std::cin.getline(myCharArray);Note that since you are using VC++ 6.0, you might have an issue with getline with strings. Go to http://www.dinkumware.com/vc_fixes.html and scroll down to the part about <string>.Code:std::getline(std::cin, myString);
As far as returning a string, you can return a const std::string& or just a string. The second one makes a copy, which is easier if you have no performance concerns (and often even if you do). Including <string> in the header file is fine if you need it there - which you will if you have string members. I would suggest typing std::string, though, especially in your header files, instead of using a using directive.
