I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a good site to learn (Visual) C++. I have programmed in C and C++ with Borland and MS C++ 5.0 and 6.0, but never (Visual) C++ to have a GUI interface.

I do own a copy of MS Visual Studio.net, but defaulted back to MS Visual C++ 6.0 because I just cant get use to the drastic differences between 6.0 and .net.

Is it easier to throw in the towel on C++ and go with ( learn )Visual Basic for GUI applications? I have heard many people say that C++ was not very good and very complex at GUI compared to VB! Is that true? I would consider myself not a beginner or a know it all of C++, I am sort of in the middle knowledge wise, but havent touched on the GUI (visual) aspect of C++ before. All my applications/programs ran from DOS shell.

Thanks for your help and suggestions!The method of creating a GUI with Visual C++ would be via the Windows SDK. Personally I didn't have the internet while learning it so I had to go with the MSDN documentation that CAME with Visual Studio 6. Even after learning it I haven't written a serious GUI app in C++, I always go back to VB. In short VB is easier to create a GUI with by fairly large margins.

Another route with Visual C++ would be to use MFC. I haven't done more then dabble with it, but it seems like a thin layer over the SDK functions.

Also, what kind of stuff have you done in C++? SDK calls, COM programming, classes, etc

Right now, unless you already did, you could look at the sample programs, GENERIC in particular. It's hard to glean much info, but the comments are pretty informative about what is going on.

Essentially the main difficulty with using the SDK/MFC is that almost all your windows will need to be created by code, register the window class, create the window, create windows (controls) within that window, huge pain in my opinion.

Another route to try might be C#...


Thanks for the info...

I havent tried C# before so I will check into that. I suppose I will get a VB for dummies book and start reading up as well...ha ha

As far as programs written, they are generally small apps to integrate with DOS as better method than batch for testing data and commanding DOS through the SYSTEM call.
Other than that WITHOUT knowing how to do a nice GUI window etc, its pointless to make anything else really other than tools that run behind the scenses with data etc.If your going into .NET, you may as well learn C#. You could start with Visual C++ as included with VS.NET.

If your not going into .NET (which, unlike MICROSOFT seems to think, IS an option) you could learn VB6. I don't know if you have VIsual Studio 6 (or just standalone VC6), So you might need to go into the nether regions of the net since Microsoft doesn't sell it. I've seen a few on Ebay.

So then you'll be able to do both, GUI in VB, and command-line stuff in C/C++. (you could do commandline apps in VB, but that's even harder then doing GUI in C++ (lol)).


here are some websites I frequent:


www.killervb.com
www.vbaccelerator.com
www.classicvb.com

Also, I did a quick google search and found a good beginning guide to VB6:

http://visualbasic.about.com/od/standalonevb6/l/bllearnvba.htm

once you skip the first few pages to actual VB stuff rather then programming rhetoric, it seems to be fairly good.


Either way, with a BACKGROUND in any amount of C it should be fairly easy to start using VB.

Be sure to snap up any VB6 (or Visual C++ 6, for that matter)-based books that look good, they seem to be replacing all their "old stock" of computer books with .NET programming stuff.Thanks for all the info once again!

Also, I have noticed that the pre-.net books have been becoming scarce also...so I suppose MAYBE I just need to dive head first into it.

TG for Ebay, Amazon, and as always the local used book stores for obsolete or soon to become obsolete books and software.