Downloading and Writing Programs with

Visual Studio

• Download:  You have several options for obtaining different versions of Visual Studio. The version we will be using this course is Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition. This is the version of Visual Studio which is loaded on the lab computers in ENS 242 and ENS 243. You may load this version on you dorm computers by checking out the installation CDs from the Cedarville Library.

  • Note: at this time I am checking our license agreement to see whether or not this program can be installed on SPCs. Please do not install this program on SPCs until you are given permission. In the interim, if you would like an edition of Visual Studio on your SPC, you could download Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition from Microsoft's web site at http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/.

• There is also an old version of Visual Studio 6.0 on Cedarnet following the following path:  Start .... All Programs .... Cedarnet .... Programming Languages .... Visual Studio 6.0 (Local Install). I do not recommend using this version.

  Writing Programs:

  • Within Visual Studio each C++ program that you write needs to be within a Visual C++ project.  Furthermore, all projects need to be part of a solution.  You may have any number of projects within the solution.

  • To Create a Visual C++ Project in Visual Studio 2005, do the following:

    • Open Visual Studio 2005 by double-clicking on the icon or selecting it from the start menu.

    • Select File ... New ... Project (or CTRL+SHIFT+N).

    • In the property sheet that appears, make sure the "Visual C++" project type is expanded and select the "Win32" project type and then the "Win32 Console Application" as the template.

    • Still in the property sheet chose a name for your project, a location on the network to store the project (typically somewhere on the H: drive) and check the box which asks to "create directory for solution" and enter a solution name. Then click OK.

    • In the wizard that appears, click next.

    • On the "Application Settings" make sure "console application" and "empty project" are selected. Then click finish.

    • At this point, you should see your soloution in the "solution explorer" window on the left of your screen. In this window, is your project showing folders for headers, resources, and source code. Right click on the "source files" folder and choose "add" ... "new item" ... "code" ... "C++ file". Enter a name for the file and click "add". It took a bit of effort, but you are now ready to write your program in the editor window that appears.

      Write the program as you normally would.

    • To compile and link your program, select Build ... Build Solution (or type F7)

      To run your program, select Debug ... Start without debugging (or type Crtl-F5)