The Visual C++ Programming Language

History

As the Microsoft Windows and the benefits of the graphical user interface (GUI) became widely accepted, the programming for Windows became in high demand. Programming for Windows is different from old-style batch or transaction-oriented programming. An essential difference between them is that a Windows program processes user input via messages from the operating system, while an MS-DOS program calls the operating system to get user input.
Visual C++ is a textual language which uses a graphical user interface builder to make programming decent interfaces easier on the programmer.

Significant Language Features

C++ is one of the components of Visual C++. However, its compiler can process both C source code and C++ source code. Further more, the version 4.0 compiles Fortran code as well.
Visual C++ also includes a large and elaborate collection of software development tools, all used through a windowed interface.
The Microsoft Visual C++ includes the tools listed below.

Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC)
A large and extensive C++ class hierarchy library that make the Windows application development easier.
App Wizard
A code generator that creates a working skeleton of a Windows application with features, class names, and source code filenames. It gets a programmer started quickly with a new application.
Class Wizard
A program which generates code for a new class or a new function. It writes the prototypes, function bodies, and code to connect the messages to the application framework.
App Studio
A resource editor which includes wysiwyg menu editor and a powerful dialog box editor.

Areas of Application

Windows application development

Sample Programs

Printed References

Kruglinski, David J. (1993). Inside Visual C++. Microsoft Press.
Barkakati, Nabajyoti (1995). Visual C++2 Developer's Guide Second Edition. Sams Publishing.
Murray, William H. and Pappas, Chris H. (1995). The Visual C++ Handbook Second Edition. Osborne.

Acknowledgements

Credit should be given to the Hello, World! program written in Visual C++ and submitted by Paul Roub, which I created my Hello world! program based on. Also, credit should be given to the book "Inside Visual C++" written by David J. Kruglinski for a clear description of Visual C++ and its components to which I referred on creating this web page.

Last modified: 07:30 PM on 11/21/1996

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