Can Visual Studio .NET compile programs so that they can run on any Windows machine, even w/o the framework?

[JonTheBaller]

Or do all VS.NET applications require the .NET framework to run?

 

[Descartes]

All .NET applications will require the .NET Framework, yes, but you can create unmanaged C++ (i.e. traditional) applications in VS.NET that do not require the .NET Framework.

 

[JonTheBaller]

Thanks Descartes. Can you explain quickly how to make an unmanaged application? And did you say C++ as an example, or is it only for C++. Thanks again!

 

[Descartes]

You can create the same type of applications in VS.NET as you could in VC++ 6, so that includes: a normal win32 project, an MFC project, an ATL project, etc.. You can't create a non.NET VB application as it is now VB.NET, however.

Hope that helps.

 

[JonTheBaller]

Just one more... how do I know which project is right for my task? I'm not sure what the difference between win32, MFC, ATL, and the other unmanaged projects are. Thanks.

 

[Descartes]

That's a huge question, and one I can't answer without knowing the details of your project

Knowing all the respective technologies is what allows you to choose the right one.

 

[oog]

Originally posted by: johnnytightlips
Just one more... how do I know which project is right for my task? I'm not sure what the difference between win32, MFC, ATL, and the other unmanaged projects are. Thanks.

It depends on if you want to use the libraries/framework supplied as a part of MFC or ATL. I know that doesn't sound very helpful, but there are many ways of doing the same thing. For many projects, you can choose any of those three options and still be able to do the project successfully.

 

[DaveSimmons]

The online help should explain the different types. The 2 most useful I can suggest to a new person without knowing what you are trying to do:

console -- like a unix or "C++ book" program, runs as if in a DOS box and has standard in / standard out

MFC -> dialog-only app -- works kind of like creating a VB6 app, draw buttons and use classwizard for handling presses.

 

[JonTheBaller]

My project seems fairly simple to me. I want to ask the user some questions via a textbox in a form, calculate coordinates based on their answers, and then do simple openGL functions to plot the data. The only thing that seems tricky to me would be putting an openGL widget inside a VC++ form. Is this possible? I don't want openGL to run fullscreen, nor in a seperate window, but rather within a window I already have. The other tricky thing I forsee is writing the generated openGL image to file, specifically to GIF or JPG. And as mentioned earlier, I only have VS.NET, but I don't want to write a .NET app - thus "unmananged." With this description, what do you suggest?

Basically I want to create something like http://www.terptrader.com/graph.png in my Windows application.

 

[JonTheBaller]

^

 

[DAGTA]

A different approach that may help is to just write the program in .NET and then create a setup project inside of your project. This will allow you to easily create a single .msi install file that includes everything a user will need to run your program. The install file will automatically install the .NET framework on the user's computer if it's not already there.
-DAGTA