Future of VC++ MFC Developers and .NET

[Tarundeep Singh Kalra]

Hi,
i am a VC++ developer (MFC) and i want to use .NET at its best.
But all the samples , tuotorials etc are either in C# or VB.NET.

I have certain doubts :-

1). Is Microsoft going to phase out C++ development especially MFC , ATL
since very little material and focus on MFC developers is there ?

2). There are no MCSD Exams that i can take if i want to earn that since
there is no exams that is related to VC++.NET all of them are VB or C#.
Although i know i can do a lot with VC++.NET also.

3). Any good books related to VC++.NET , MFC and .NET .

4). COM and .NET any ideas ?

Regards
Tarun

[David Lowndes]

>I have certain doubts :-

You're not alone - search the Google archives of these newsgroups -
this is effectively a FAQ!

1). Is Microsoft going to phase out C++ development especially MFC , ATL
since very little material and focus on MFC developers is there ?

MS are not going to phase out C++ development - consider that most of
their best selling products are probably written in C/C++ and you'll
realise that their own internal developers are going to want a really
clean way of moving their code to any future .Net platform.

MS tell us that MFC/ATL will continue to be maintained and enhanced
although these are considered as "mature" areas, so there's less
(almost no) marketing emphasis on them.

Dave
--
MVP VC++ FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/vcfaq

[Bret Pehrson]

My interpretation of the Writing on the Wall:

Microsoft will move virtually *all* applications development to C#. Compilers
and operating systems will remain as C/C++ for the forseeable future.

MFC is dead. It may persist, but there will probably be no support for new
controls, features, etc. in the upcoming OS version(s). Although still
immature, the .NET framework is/will replace all of the functionality of MFC.

My recommendation: move to C#/.NET ASAP. .NET is now in the marketing
machine...

David Lowndes wrote:

I have certain doubts :-

You're not alone - search the Google archives of these newsgroups -
this is effectively a FAQ!

1). Is Microsoft going to phase out C++ development especially MFC , ATL
since very little material and focus on MFC developers is there ?

MS are not going to phase out C++ development - consider that most of
their best selling products are probably written in C/C++ and you'll
realise that their own internal developers are going to want a really
clean way of moving their code to any future .Net platform.

MS tell us that MFC/ATL will continue to be maintained and enhanced
although these are considered as "mature" areas, so there's less
(almost no) marketing emphasis on them.

Dave
--
MVP VC++ FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/vcfaq

--
Bret Pehrson
mailto:br**@infowest.com
NOSPAM - Include this key in all e-mail correspondence <<38952rglkwdsl>>

[David Lowndes]

>Microsoft will move virtually *all* applications development to C#.

Some parts of MS may want to - others may not. Remember that they like
many other vendors have millions of lines of working C/C++ code to
maintain, some of it cross platform (Office for the Mac). I can't see
those groups wanting to rewrite that code in C#.

Dave
--
MVP VC++ FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/vcfaq

[Ronald Laeremans [MSFT]]

Hi Bret,

No, we are not. Right now the majority of new code targeting .Net written by
Microsoft is indeed C#. There is a healthy competition between the C# team
who wants that to continue and the C++ team who think they have very
competing products in the pipeline to entice our developers to use C++ even
for from the ground up new product lines targeting .Net. However for teams
that are moving their current products forward to support Longhorn and its
managed APIs, C++ is the clear choice internally (with Whidbey toolsets).

Ronald Laeremans
Group Program Manager
Visual C++

"Bret Pehrson" <br**@infowest.com> wrote in message
news:40***************@infowest.com...

My interpretation of the Writing on the Wall:

Microsoft will move virtually *all* applications development to C#. Compilers and operating systems will remain as C/C++ for the forseeable future.

MFC is dead. It may persist, but there will probably be no support for new controls, features, etc. in the upcoming OS version(s). Although still
immature, the .NET framework is/will replace all of the functionality of MFC.
My recommendation: move to C#/.NET ASAP. .NET is now in the marketing
machine...

David Lowndes wrote:

I have certain doubts :-

You're not alone - search the Google archives of these newsgroups -
this is effectively a FAQ!

1). Is Microsoft going to phase out C++ development especially MFC , ATLsince very little material and focus on MFC developers is there ?

MS are not going to phase out C++ development - consider that most of
their best selling products are probably written in C/C++ and you'll
realise that their own internal developers are going to want a really
clean way of moving their code to any future .Net platform.

MS tell us that MFC/ATL will continue to be maintained and enhanced
although these are considered as "mature" areas, so there's less
(almost no) marketing emphasis on them.

Dave
--
MVP VC++ FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/vcfaq

--
Bret Pehrson
mailto:br**@infowest.com
NOSPAM - Include this key in all e-mail correspondence <<38952rglkwdsl>>

[CaseyB]

Is there any movement to true cross-platform support in microsoft development plan? I have been using the Trolltech Qt framework in place of MFC for a few years now, and it is MUCH easier than MFC, much more satisfying and more efficient to create apps that run on more than just windows and MAC. With growing interest in flavors of UNIX I see this a big plus, and more vigorous support from MS would help.