Learning C++?

Question

I'd like to learn how to code native Windows applications using C++. Can anyone recommend a website that will teach me?

I'm using Visual Studio 2005 (I know VB already), but I don't want the final applications to be dependent on the user having the .net framework installed.

What, in simple terms, do MFC and ATL mean? I've gathered that they are some kind of library, but do they need installing on users' computers separately?

Thanks


BTW I do have some basic C++ knowledge regarding command line applications

Answer 1

MFC is a C++ class library which encapsulates the Windows API. ATL is the advanced template library, it contains stuff for COM programming and GUI programming (i think).



If you want to write native Windows applications, you find a lot of articles on codeguru.com. Also, there's a book by Microsoft Press, written by Charles Petzold, which is a kind of a reference.



The Windows API is a C API. So either you use C functions in C++, or you have to use a C++ wrapper like MFC or WxWidgets or QT.

Answer 2

MFC was sort of the pre-cursor to .Net. It's not quite as useful to .Net, but if you use that API you get a more organized object oriented layer on top of the Windows API. MFC is standard with Windows, so if you target that API you won't have any dependencies that Windows users won't already have installed.



ATL is just the abstract template library, it's also pretty standard and all Windows installations should have it.

Answer 3

man u doing some crazy work, but i can tell u to have encarter 07 installed, thru web companion and see if that helps.

Answer 4

codeproject .com wud be best for ya



then try gcc compiler



MFC-microsoft foundation classes

atl activex template library

partially yes