Differences between C++ & Visual C++

People,

What are the differences between C++ and Visual C++?

I'm asking this because I can't decide in which language I will start programming.

Regards,

Job

Ouch.

Why do people put Visual C++ in a different category than C++? Where did it start?

Regardless, C++ is a programming langauge. Visual C++ is a compiler (turns source code that you write into code that the machine can execute) and a development enviroment, that helps you edit the source files more efficiently.

You start by getting a compiler such as Microsoft VC++6 or else VS.NET beta2. Than you pruchase a C++ textbook. Than you write code in your compiler in project workspaces called Win32 console.

Thanks, but I thought it was like C is different from C++, so I figured C++ was different from visual C++.

Regards,

Job

C -> Programming Language
C++ -> Programming Language
Visual C++ -> Compiler

Visual C++ is just a C++ compiler/IDE and makes it a little easier to make windows apps...almost like a VB approach...but not that much...

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C -> Programming Language
C++ -> Programming Language
Visual C++ -> Compiler

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Not quite. VisualC++ has some so-called "language extensions", which make it different from ANSI C++.
E.g. if you want to compile following lines without errors:
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for ( int i = 0; i < 100; i++ ) ;;
for ( int i = 0; i < 200; i++ ) ;;
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you have to disable VisualC++'s "language extension"(see Visual C++ Project/Project Settings/C/C++/Customize or /Za option), or else you get redefinition errors for i, even if ANSI C++ doesn't complain for it.

There are probably many other such "extensions". Microsoft made it's own C/C++ standards, which may vary from ANSI ones...

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Visual C++ is just a C++ compiler/IDE and makes it a little easier to make windows apps...almost like a VB approach...but not that much...

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dirduck, the IDE is (was) VisualStudio (now it's VisualStudioNet(?)).