WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK?

This book has been designed with several audiences in mind:

• Those who want to program but have no experience doing so

• Those who know C++ but not .NET (there's a world of difference)

• Those who want to develop applications quickly

• Those who want to become more comfortable with .NET, possibly branching out to other languages such as C#

No Experience Necessary

This book assumes no prior knowledge of C++. It is an excellent starting place if you're interested in learning the basics of the language and how to build your own applications. Each chapter starts with a broad overview to ground you in the concepts being discussed. Then it moves on to a step-by-step approach, explaining precisely what you need to do to get every chapter program up and running. By the end, you will be able to build your own programs from scratch and be well on your way to becoming a competent C++ programmer.

C++ Programmers New to .NET

If you're experienced with programming in C++, be prepared for some changes. Writing code meant solely to run in the Windows environment is quite different from writing code to conform to the .NET Framework's requirements. Even simple commands such as cout and cin have become obsolete as Microsoft has focused on a system of creating code that works reliably on a diverse range of platforms in addition to the Web.

This book reacquaints you with C++ from the .NET perspective. It starts simply, concentrates on the basics of the .NET Framework, and gives examples in each chapter that reinforce the new paradigm. By the end of this book, C++ programmers will have a good grasp of the ground-level basics and the confidence to begin deepening their exploration of the .NET Framework using C++.

Developing Applications Quickly

Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition has been designed with productivity in mind. The improved interface features several optimizations that make the tools you need easier to find and use. The all-new inclusion of WinForms and several interface elements give you the power to rapidly design and lay out a potential application to see how it will look and feel. And when you're ready to build a fully functional program, the automated code generation features make it easy not only to drop in functionality right where you need it, but also to test and improve your code each step of the way. With Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition, you'll have programs up and working in minutes.

Branching Out from .NET

The core concept behind the entire Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 product line is cross compatibility between each of its languages. The interface is uniform across the entire product line. Because of this, should you decide to expand your programming knowledge to cover Visual Basic, Visual C#, or Visual J#, you will be branching out into using a product whose look and feel you will already be familiar with. Almost all the productivity-enhancing and help features you will come to rely on in the Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition will be readily available to you in these other Visual Studio products.

Learning Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition offers further advantages. It offers you an excellent springboard if you want to dive into the emerging realm of C# development. By the time you finish reading this book, you should be comfortable with many of the same language structures and methodologies that exist in C#. This advantage allows you to concentrate on the differences, thus accelerating the process of mastering both languages.