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Foundations of C++/CLI: The Visual C++ Language for .NET 3.5 introduces C++/CLI, Microsoft's extensions to the C++ syntax that allow you to target the common language runtime, the key to the heart of the .NET Framework 3.5. This book gives you a small, fast-paced primer that will kick-start your journey into the world of C++/CLI. In 13 no-fluff chapters, Microsoft insiders take readers into the core of the C++/CLI language and explain both how the language elements work and how Microsoft intends them to be used.
This book is a beginner's guide, but it assumes a familiarity with programming basics. And it concentrates on explaining the aspects of C++/CLI that make it the most powerful and fun language of the .NET Framework. As such, this book is ideal if you're thinking of migrating to C++/CLI from another language. By the end of this book, you'll have a thorough grounding in the core language elements together with the confidence to explore further that comes from a solid understanding of a language's syntax and grammar.
List of contents
Introducing C++/CLI.- A Quick Tour of the C++/CLI Language Features.- Building C++/CLI Programs for the Common Language Runtime with Visual C++.- Object Semantics in C++/CLI.- Fundamental Types: Strings, Arrays, and Enums.- Classes and Structs.- Features of a .NET Class.- Inheritance.- Interfaces.- Exceptions, Attributes, and Reflection.- Parameterized Functions and Types.- An Introduction to the STL/CLR Library.- Interoperability.
About the author
Gordon Hogenson is the manager responsible for the Visual C++ documentation, has worked as a technical writer and testing engineer for Visual C++, C# and other Microsoft products for nine years. He has avid interests in many diverse fields, including botany and organic gardening, chemistry, physics, metaphysics and philosophy.
Summary
C++/CLI is arguably the most powerful language on the .NET 3.5 platform, as it is the only one that gives developers the option to directly access their computer’s hardware from within the .NET managed code environment. As such it is ideal for the kind of processor- and memory-intensive tasks for which C++ has always traditionally been used.
