Visual C++ .NET 2003 Frequently Asked Questions

Click the text for the option you are interested in; the node will expand to show the choices in that category.

 

 

ATL Server is a set of native C++ classes that allow developers to create high-performance native code Web applications and XML Web services. Many of the classes can also be used in client applications or components that have a need for features such as performance monitoring support, caching, and thread pooling. For details, see ATL Server. ATL Server is one of the libraries, including the Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) Library, Active Template Library (ATL), OLE DB Templates, and the Standard C++ Library, that are a part of Visual C++.

 

Attributes are designed to simplify COM programming and .NET Framework common language runtime development. When you include attributes in your source files, the compiler works with provider DLLs to insert code or modify the code in the generated object files. Some attributes are interpreted directly by the compiler. Other attributes inject code into the program source, which the compiler then compiles. Yet others are included in the metadata generated from your code and therefore are available at run time to other managed applications. For details, see Attributes Overview (.NET Framework) and Attributed Programming (Visual C++).

 

 

Visual C++ .NET 2003. The ATL and MFC libraries have been updated to version 7.1 and now use the link library files atl71.dll and MFC71.dll, respectively.

 

Yes, you can install Visual C++ .NET 2003 on a computer that is using Visual C++ .NET 2002 and use both, if your system meets the system requirements. For details, see Side-by-Side Installations of Visual Studio .NET.

 

In many cases, yes. Improvements have been made in many areas, and you should read Upgrading Your Program for specific, potentially code-breaking changes, especially if you use the ATL and MFC libraries. If you are interested in upgrading your existing code to use Managed Extensions and the .NET Framework, see Upgrade to Managed Extensions for C++.

 

A solution is a new name for the workspace. Solutions and projects contain items that represent the references, data connections, folders, and files that you need to create your application. A solution container can contain multiple projects, and a project container typically contains multiple items. For details, see Introduction to Solutions, Projects, and Items .

 

ClassWizard was replaced with several new wizards that individually provide more control for adding member variables, message handlers, methods, properties, and events. For details, see Where Are ClassWizard and WizardBar in Visual C++ .NET?.

 

Visual C++ no longer supports the ability to export a makefile for the active project from the development environment. Use Devenv Command Line Switches to build Visual Studio projects at the command line.

 

The Startup Project options allow you to specify which project or projects run when you start the Visual Studio debugger. For more details, see Startup Project, Common Properties, Solution Property Pages Dialog Box.

 

In Visual C++ 6.0, you needed to explicitly specify in which DLLs you set breakpoints, in order for the debugger to stop in the source code for the DLL. In Visual C++ .NET, you can now just set a breakpoint in DLL source code and the debugger will stop there, without the need to explicitly list which DLLs' source code have breakpoints.

 

 

It is not compulsory to use managed code, but there are many advantages to doing so. A program written using managed code using Managed Extensions for C++, for example, can operate with the common language runtime to provide services such as memory management, cross-language integration, code access security, and automatic lifetime control of objects.

 

Visual C++ .NET extends the standard C++ language to make it easy to add support for the .NET Framework to new and existing applications. For details, see Managed Extensions for C++ Programming.

 

The /clr compiler option enables the use of Managed Extensions for C++ and creates an output file that will require the .NET Framework common language runtime at run time.

 

The .NET Framework is a new computing platform designed to simplify application development in the highly distributed environment of the Internet. Software running on the .NET Framework can communicate with software running anywhere else through SOAP and can use standard objects locally or distributed across the Internet. Consequently, the developer experience is made consistent so that you can focus on features instead of the framework. For details, see Overview of the .NET Framework.

 

Yes, you can. For details, see Windows Forms Designer for Managed Extensions for C++.

 

 

On the Tools menu, click Customize and then click the Keyboard button. You can select several different key bindings from the Keyboard mapping scheme drop-down list menu or define your own. Changes to the basic key combinations in Windows and the inclusion of a broader range of tool sets in Visual Studio .NET required that many familiar quick key combinations in Visual C++ 6.0 had to be changed. For a list of these changes, see Changes to Visual C++ 6.0 Key Commands. For a list of Visual C++ 6.0 key combinations that are no longer supported, see Obsolete Visual C++ 6.0 Key Commands.

 

You must supply a name when you create a new project. However, it is possible to specify a default name, such that, when you create your project, a name will already be provided.

Edit Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003/Vc7/vcprojects/vc.vsdir and change the second to the last item for a given project type from 4096 to 0. Then, change the last item to the name you want each project to have when you create it with the wizard. For example: