Visual Studio 2017 project template descriptions - visual-studio-2017

There are a lot of project templates for Visual Studio. I am new enough to programming that the little blurb of a description given in the new project window just doesn't give me enough information. Is there a place (perhaps online) where you can see detailed descriptions of all the visual studio project templates, and when to use them?

The description of the project types is all over the place. You can find them all on MSDN when you search for them, but not in one place. Visual Studio is extensible and some projects are added by SQL Server, some are added by BizTalk, some are added by Xamarin and each of these is "optional" and may not be installed in your Visual Studio or not available in your edition. You'll find their descriptions in each of these documentation areas.
The best way to start is probably to figure out what you want to do, find that on the MSDN documentation and in the docs you'll find a number of tutorials on what kind of project type to create.

Related

Visual studio solution with multiple projects

I am relatively new to the corporate world and hence just started to use Visual Studio 2019. I have been given the task of testing a new software on some C++ project built using MSVC compiler. And I have been asked to test it on a solution containing multiple projects. I know that a single solution of visual studio can contain multiple projects. I have trying to find such a solution but so far I have no luck in finding such a project. Can anyone please tell me if there is any Microsoft visual studio open source solution with multiple projects written in C++?
Try to search for open source projects on github.
After searching, you will find many examples. E.g. Link1 Link2 from
MSDN

Visual Studio MFC C++ "CFormView" Missing from "base class" drop down

I am a beginner learning Visual Studio 2019 Community. Specifically MFC C++.
It is challenging as I am struggling to find good reference material and examples. Youtube has been very helpful for tutorials and examples. However, all the information I have found are using earlier versions of Visual Studio which are not a step by step process. I have found myself doing additional research or experimenting to find the same tool used in the example.
My current issue is the example creates a new class with the base class type of "CFormView". However no such value exists in my version of Visual Studio.
With that being said. I have two questions.
Please advise on how to create a CformView class in VS.
Is there any good quick learning guides for MFC in VS 2019? It would be great to have tutorials.
Thank you in advance.
VS2017 and VS2019 have become difficult development environments to continue program development with MFC/ATL.
If you want Wizard-guided development as you've seen in previous books and resources, the best shortcut is to go back to VS2015 and port the results to VS2017 or VS2019.
I have similar answers to similar questions several times.
For example, see these answers and their links.
How to add database to MFC project in Visual Studio 2017?
I am missing the Add new item Add "MFC Class From Typelib" in VS-2019
The big ATL wizard misery.
Deprecations - Visual Studio 2019
Add ATL Simple Object in Visual Studio 2017
Changes to Project Templates and Code Wizards in 15.3
Visual Studio 2017 version 15.3 Release Notes

Visual Studio 2010/2012 Add-in Project Questions

I have already created a simple source code analyses tool for C/C++, but I wanted it to be an extension or tool for Visual Studio 2010 and 2012 editions. It is written completely in C++. For this reason I created it using "Create an Add-in using Visual C++/ATL" option. And then under "Choose Add-in Options", I have some problems. I don't know which one or ones to select. I want it to have a name and icon under Tools section, but on the other hand, my code analyzer can be used from command line too. If someone can advice me which option(s) to select there I would be glad.
My second question is this, when I have opened a source file in Visual Studio, and if I go to Tools -> MyAddin, and press it, I want it to do its job and analyze the code, and show the results in the output section below.
And my last question is that, if I have a C/C++ project with few files let's say, and if I right-click one of the files, I want to see my add-in and be able to execute the add-in from there, not to go always to Tools -> MyAddin. And also the same thing to work if I right-click the project, then it should analyze the all files and show the problems in the output section.
Please note that I have already created the source code analyzer tool in C++, and I have it as a DLL. I can also use it in Linux from terminal, and if I want I can also create a GUI for it, which I plan to do later. But I'm not that much experienced with Visual Studio, especially about add-ins, that's why I need your help. As you can see my first question is a kind of advice, but I think my second and third questions require some source code. I know that it is very hard for you to give me some help without seeing my code, but if you would help me somehow I would be glad.
For Visual Studio 2010 and 2012 you should consider using Extensions, not Add-Ins. It is a new technology introduced in Visual Studio 2010. Extensions come in form of a VSIX packages and are automatically installed in all applicable versions of Visual Studio. If you are not targeting Visual Studio version prior to 2010, I strongly recommend using extensions.
From this point of view, I will not answer any of your technical questions about Add-Ins. Here are a couple of links to start using extensions instead:
Anatomy of a VSIX Package
Building and publishing an extension for Visual Studio 2010
VSX FAQ
Walkthrough: Creating an Options Page
I think you will find valuable information on this topic here: Developing extension packages for Visual Studio 2005/2008/2010/2012 using C# with real-life samples

How visual studio intellisense recognize functions and properties in classes even though there is no reflection in C++?

I want to list properties and functions present in c++ classes. Is that functionality already implemented in any library ? Does visual studio intellisense use any library ? Is that library available publicly from Microsoft?
Visual Studio parses your code, so that's how it knows. You would need to do the same.
The Visual C++ team maintains a blog that has had several very nice articles about how IntelliSense has worked in the past and how it will work in the future:
IntelliSense History, Part 1
IntelliSense, Part 2 (The Future)
Visual C++ Code Model
Rebuilding Intellisense
Visual C++ Code Model in Visual Studio 2010
Essentially they build their own 'reflection' database (the .ncb file in current and past version sof VS, using a compact SQL database starting with VS2010) by parsing the headers and other source files - using both custom parsers and parsing that's done with the cooperation of the compiler.
Apparently at least some of that information is available in the VCCodeModel and related interfaces that the Visual Studio extensibility model provides. I have no idea how well the extensibility model works or how easy it is to use.
They use a propriety format to store intellisense information (they are saved as NCB files). You can delete these files to force VS to recreate its intellisense database if things go wrong.
They then scan header files for class information as well as dependencies, then build the NCB file for future reference.
No, this library is not available for personal use.
Intellisense in C# is lots better than the one in C++
VS2010 will see C++ have the same intellisense features as C# currently enjoys.
I would imagine that Visual Studio uses the header files to provide Intellisense.

VS2008 Express Editions and Resources

I am wanting to add resources (such as an icon) into a WinAPI based program in VC++ 2008 EE and am struggling. As there is no resource editor bundled with the IDE, is it possible?
My Google searches all seem to related to C# or other managed environments.
Thanks all,
I'm afraid there is no resource editor with the Express Edition. (edit) I couldn't find a feature matrix on the official site, but Wikipedia says so, so it must be right;-)
You could look at 3rd party tools - a quick web search throws up ResEdit as a possible answer.
There used to be a matrix which would explicitely state that EE hasn't such a feature but I also can't find it anymore.
Unfortunately you can't edit *.rc files graphically with Visual Studio 2008 EE.
Only "Standard Edition" and higher have a native resource-editor bundled.
With the Express Edition you can only edit windows forms via WYSIWYG.
As Steve Haigh said, you can build such a file with ResEdit or any other text editor and just add this generated/written file to your project.
VC2008EE will be able to compile the *.rc-file, despite the lack of a graphical editor.