Visual C++

Visual C++ has been an integrated graphical development environment, Integrated Development Environment( IDE), of the company Microsoft for the C++ programming. In many companies Visual C++ is still used today, mostly in the latest version 6.0 and the various associated service packs and patches. Since the introduction of the . NET platform by Microsoft, there is no longer a stand-alone Visual C++, the tool has rather been merged into the universal development environment Visual Studio .NET.

Microsoft itself is now promoting the use of the more modern C-Sharp (C#) language, but the existing very large code base and the resulting migration effort mean that customers are very slow to switch to this new language. .NET and the new Visual Studio therefore offer the possibility of continuing to develop pure C++ programs.

The development of graphical user interfaces( GUI) was mainly done with the help of Microsoft Foundation Classes( MFC), which offer a relatively direct access to the Windows system. However, they are correspondingly complicated to use, so that MFC programming has acquired the reputation of being a rather thankless job. Libraries such as the Visual Components Library( VCL) used by Delphi are more convenient to use and allow shorter development times. Visual Basic, which also comes from Microsoft, is also easier to use.