[AGDev-newbies] microsoft visual C++ 2005 express

[Thomas Ward]

Hi, Richard.
See my answers below in the body of your message.


Richard Bennett wrote:
> Hey Tom, I am currently downloading the microsoft visuall C++ 2005 
> express edition, since you suggested it.

That is cool. It is one of my favorite C++ compilers  for Windows.

> The question I have is this: Is it alot better than the bloodshed 
> DevCpp IDE that I was using?

For Windows programming absolutely. Visual C++ 2005 is able to let you 
do Win32 Console applications, Win32 Windows applications, MFC 
applications, as well as .net 2.0 applications. Allot of choices where 
to go with your code. Not only that you can link up with something like 
Directx 9.

> also will it work with jaws 4.51? since that is the version that I am 
> currently running?

Uh, I don't know for sure, but I strongly doubt it. I wouldn't honestly 
say you will get much support if you don't Have Jaws 6 or higher and 
Jaws 7 recommended. I am using Window Eyes 5.5 and I have noticed Window 
Eyes 5.5 support is superior to that of Jaws 7. I'd hate to see how bad 
4.5.1 would do.


> I mean when I begin to write games for retail, I want the game play to 
> be totally awesome and want to make one of the best games out there 
> possible.

Well, Visual C++ has the best opertunities on the Windows platform. 
However, if you are thinking multiplatform probably not the compiler of 
choice.

> I know that allegro was a decent library and that is what I learned 
> with. How much harder is it to get sounds and all to play with 
> microsoft's Visual C++?

Well, it isn't teribly hard. You will have to learn how to program with 
the Microsoft DirectX 9 sdk to get sound and keyboard input for games.

> One more question that I can think of right now, would I really need 
> to download a game library to go with this since it is capable of 
> playing sounds,

Absolutely. Microsoft's DirectX libraries and sdk is the official 
multimedia portion of MS Windows. The Win32 api does support sound 
playing, keyboard event handling, mouse event handling,  etc, but 
frankly it is not capable of doing the same level of stuff you can get 
from DirectX. There is just no comparison.

> I wouldn't think that I would need to download a game library now 
> since this will play sounds since I wouldn't need graphics and such 
> other things like that.

Guess again. Smile.
Now, you are using the same stuff the real pros use. Visual C++ and MS 
DirectX is the real pro grade stuff. The only difference is you are 
using the Express addition, and not Pro, but you can do just as good a job.