6. Working with Data

Chapter 1 - The Visual C++ Compiler, Version 6

Visual C++ 6: The Complete Reference
Chris H. Pappas and William H. Murray, III
  Copyright 1998 The McGraw-Hill Companies

What’s New for Visual C++ Version 6?
Microsoft Visual C++ version 6.0 provides new features such as AutoCompletion to facilitate coding, and Edit and Continue to optimize your debugging sessions. Other features support the Active Platform, such as Dynamic HTML and Active Document Containment. OLE DB Consumer and Provider Template Support and ADO Databinding are designed to help database and control developers who use MFC and ATL. These new features are detailed below.
The following discussion presents the purpose and special features of each edition. This text was prepared using the Enterprise Edition; however, all of the material covered (except where noted in the text) is portable to all three editions.
Learning Edition
Microsoft’s Visual C++ Learning edition allows you to easily learn the C++ language while using the professional Visual C++ toolset. The Learning Edition contains all of the features of the Professional edition except code optimizations, the Profiler, and static linking to the MFC Library. This edition is the perfect choice for students and is priced low to make learning the C++ language affordable for a single individual. The license for the Learning Edition explicitly prohibits using the product to develop software for distribution.
Professional Edition
Microsoft’s Professional Edition provides developers with the license to distribute programs developed under the Professional Edition, and additional horsepower by taking the Learning Edition and adding to it services and controls for Win32 platforms, including Windows 95/98 and Windows NT. These additions allow you to target the operating system’s graphical user interface or console APIs.
New features added to the Professional Edition include the following:
  New C++ keywords, including bool, explicit, false, mutable, true, and typename, for improved C++ performance
  Use of __declspec to declare whether the specified storage-class attribute applies to a type or to a variable of a type
  Compiler support for COM files
  New compiler optimization options
  An updated AppWizard that automates the dialog class in a dialog-based application
  MFC asynchronous (URL) monikers (providing asynchronous application Internet communication)
  Active Documents (displayed either in the entire client window of a Web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer), or in an OLE container (e.g., Microsoft Word)
  Win32 Internet API (WinInet)—making the Internet an integral part of any application, simplifying Internet services FTP, HTTP, and gopher
  Active Template Library (ATL)
  C Runtime Library
  ANSI C++ Standard Library
  ERRLOOK—Look up system error messages
Enterprise Edition (Used for this Manuscript)
With the Enterprise Edition, you receive all of the capabilities provided by the Professional Edition plus the ability for developers to create and debug client/server applications for the Internet, or even an intranet. Microsoft’s Enterprise Edition ships with additional tools for working with SQL databases and debugging SQL stored procedures. The Visual SourceSafe source-code control system simplifies developing in a team environment. Features unique to the Enterprise Edition include the following:
  Specialized Microsoft Transaction Server
  Visual Database Tools
  Extensive SQL data type support
  Note Unless specifically mentioned, the applications in this book can be compiled with any version of the compiler. For example, the applications in Chapters 1 through 20 are standard command-line C or C++ applications that can be run under MS_DOS or in a compatibility box under Windows 95/98 or Windows NT. Likewise, the Windows applications developed in Chapter 25 will run under Windows 95/98 or Windows NT.
These latest Visual C++ compiler releases incorporate many new and upgraded features. Some of the most important enhancements include support for the AT&T C++ 2.1 standard, precompiled headers, auto-inlining, and p-code (packed code).
The Microsoft Visual C++ compiler packages also provide tools for building Windows programs targeted for other platforms. Your code can even be leveraged for both Apple Macintosh and other RISC machines. The C++ compiler includes all the header files, libraries, and dialog and resource editors necessary to create a truly robust Windows application. Microsoft has also incorporated the resource editors for bitmaps, icons, cursors, menus, and dialog boxes directly into the integrated environment. And speaking of integration, new ClassWizards help you build OLE applications using the Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) libraries in record time.
In this chapter you will learn about the various components of the C++ compiler, the system requirements, and recommendations for setting up the development environment. This chapter explains the Microsoft Visual C++ system and shows you how to fine-tune it to your particular needs.
Many of the subjects discussed in this chapter are dealt with in greater detail throughout the remainder of the book. For example, there are chapters on the Microsoft Foundation Class library, ClassWizards, OLE, and so on.

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Visual C++ 6(c) The Complete Reference
Visual Studio 6: The Complete Reference
ISBN: B00007FYGA
EAN: N/A
Year: 1998
Pages: 207

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