Microsoft Visual C++ Free Review
Download, Install, and Use the Express Edition and Runtime Libraries
May 15, 2007
Introduction
This article is intended both as a review of, and quickstart primer for the free edition of the Microsoft Visual C++ development environment, known as the Express Edition. We shall look at:
- Downloading & Installing the package;
- First start-up and use;
- Any extra downloads required;
- Pros & Cons;
The idea is to prepare those new to the world of Visual C++, and enable them to get started as quickly as possible.
Download & Installation
Having clicked the "download" button from the main page (see below), the user is presented with many download options, in a step-by-step process:
- Remove previous technical preview versions;
- Download the core package;
- Download components & libraries;
- Register to activate software.
We are going to assume that we are compiling for Windows, in particular the Win32 platform.
Step 1: Choosing an Environment.
The first step can be ignored by most users. The user will know if they have installed a technical preview of the .NET environment, or a beta version of the Visual C++ environment.
Step 2: The Download.
Here, the correct package and language need to be chosen from a raft of options including Web Developer, Visual C#, Visual Basic, and, the one we need - Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition. Luckily, the options are color-coded, and we need the yellow one.
The setup download is a 3 MB executable, and the setup program itself offers the usual standard options. For advanced users, the MSDN documentation can be downloaded - 250MB - as well as the Express Edition of SQL Server - 55MB - for those needing database support. Good options, and also available later, so it is best not to install them until time can be put aside for the lengthy downloads.
Before proceeding, also note that 500MB of free space is required, and there is an additional 90MB of downloads required to install the package. This takes some time, as does the installation itself.
Once installed, Visual C++ Express needs to be patched with the Service Pack. To build native Win32 applications, the Platform SDK for Win32 must be installed through a complex setup. For those learning, sticking with .NET framework development is probably the best option for now, even if it requires the target platform to be running .NET 2.0 (i.e. Windows XP and Vista).
Step #3: Extras and Registration.
Extras are listed in the 'Additional Components' section of the Microsoft download page. After the package has been installed, it must be registered, and the keys received used to activate the product.
Finally, after about an hour (depending on options) the environment should be ready to roll.
Visual C++ Express Edition Development Environment Pros
Microsoft have always taken pride in their Visual Development environments, and this is a classic example. Everything is in one set of tools, and works, as advertised, right out of the box. It is also free. That includes the development platform, IDE, debugger, and many tools for helping the development process.
Visual C++ Express Edition Development Environment Cons
It is big, compared with other platforms - a big download producing big executables by default. They can be streamlined, luckily, but this is slightly out of reach of users just starting out. For them, the main issue will be the lengthy download time and huge 500MB footprint.
Compiling native Win32 binaries is also tricky for beginners - there is an awful lot of setup required. It is well documented, easy to follow setup, but for those with no knowledge of compilers or C/C++, it can prove daunting.
However, the tools themselves cannot be faulted, as long as one has a good tutorial to hand.
Summary of the Microsoft Visual C++ Express Edition Development Environment
For those just getting started, and who only need to develop for the Win32, and .NET environments, this is a great option. However, Microsoft is famous for ignoring certain ANSI coding standards, and it can take some time to get certain Open Source and non-Windows based software applications to compile.
That said, as a starter package, if the download and executable sizes are not an issue, then it is a truly generous offering from one of the world's biggest software companies.
Links
We'll also link to our own tutorials, so check back often. Any questions, problems, or comments can be made in the Discussion thread associated with this article.
