Visual C++ comes within Microsoft Visual Studio. Visual Studio also contains Visual Basic, Visual C#, and Visual J#. Using Visual Studio, you can mix and match languages within one "solution". We will, however, focus on developing C++ code throughout these labs.
Visual Studio is a package that contains all the libraries, examples, and documentation needed to create applications for Windows. Instead of talking about programs (as we did in CS110 and 115), we talk about projects and solutions. Solutions can contain several projects and projects typically contain multiple items or files. For more information about projects,
You will be writing programs, and then compiling and running them. To compile a program (think of compilation as turning C++ code into a different language that your PC can run), it must be a part of a Visual C++ "project".
Think of it this way. A program is a lot like a piece of paper with words on it, and a project is a lot like a big wooden desk. When you create a new Visual C++ Project, you are building a new desk to work on. This desk has a special area where it holds the papers that are most important to you, but there is also lots of space to hold other papers.
Every time you write a new program, you get out a blank piece of paper and write on it. You can also, of course, take an old program (a piece of paper you've already written on) and run it, or modify it and then run it.
When you want to compile and run your program, you have to tell the computer to remove any other papers from the special space on the desk, and put your program in the special space. Then you have to tell it to put your new program in the special space. Finally, you tell it to compile and run what's in the special space.
Think of it this way. A program is a lot like a piece of paper with words on it, and a project is a lot like a big wooden desk. When you create a new Visual C++ Project, you are building a new desk to work on. This desk has a special area where it holds the papers that are most important to you, but there is also lots of space to hold other papers.
Every time you write a new program, you get out a blank piece of paper and write on it. You can also, of course, take an old program (a piece of paper you've already written on) and run it, or modify it and then run it.
When you want to compile and run your program, you have to tell the computer to remove any other papers from the special space on the desk, and put your program in the special space. Then you have to tell it to put your new program in the special space. Finally, you tell it to compile and run what's in the special space.
