Windows Programs With MSVC++ 2005

[Brad0407]

I downloaded Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition, but I didn't use it much. It doesn't come ready for windows developement. Does anyone know where I can download the templates to create windows applications?

[@nthony]

About half a minute on wiki:
Using Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition with the Microsoft Platform SDK

[Ken Fitlike]

Or even a couple of posts up in the Windows Programming Links tagged to the top of this board.

[VirtualAce]

Correction: It doesn't come ready for MFC programming. It certainly can do Win32 code.

[Brad0407]

Thanks. I was searching for a template but appearently even with the Platform SDK you don't get a template, just an extra option for console applications. So that explains why I wasn't getting any results.

[CornedBee]

Correction: It doesn't come ready for MFC programming. It certainly can do Win32 code.

No, it actually can't do Win32 code, because the Platform SDK isn't distributed with it. You have to download and install it separately.

[ulillillia]

Visual C++ 2005 Express can indeed compile Win32 code, but it requires downloading the SDK (note: huge download - 250 MB if I recall correctly, not bad on 4 Mbps DSL, but horrible on dial-up (that's about 20 or so hours of constant downloading on dial-up)). Not only that, but VC++ also needs some tweaking as mentioned in the second link on the second post. I'm using VC++ and it's compiling Win32 code just fine, unless, of course, I have a syntax error or something like that that prevents compiling.

[chrishowarth]

I've downloaded and promptly got fed-up with MS VC++. When I tried to show a simple message box it gave me errors because i was using 'real' C++! They want managed or CLR stuff, and it's so Object orientated that it's like learning C++ all over again because you don't know the names of the classes.

*Rant over :P*

[CornedBee]

You created the wrong project type. You need to avoid all project types that contain "CLI" or "CLR" or ".Net" or "Managed". A plain Win32 Application, with the Empty Project checkbox enabled, is the way to go.

[Brad0407]

I've got it up and running and I'm quite pleased with it. ( I had it running a while ago, but didn't update because the thread seemed dead)

[abachler]

VC++ is the way to go if you are developing commercial applications. The other compilers are ok for non-commercial or in-house stuff, but there are too many impossible to predict run-time issues with them to make it worth the risk.

[CornedBee]

*blinks*
Um, I'm aware of quite a lot of commercial software being compiled with GCC, Intel CC, SunCC and others.

[Frost Drake]

He probably meant that if your compiling on the Windows platform, you should use Microsoft's own compiler.

Although Microsoft's own software have been known to break a larger Microsoft software from time to time.