Microsoft Visual C++ facts for kids
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Developer(s) | Microsoft |
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Initial release | February 1993 |
Stable release |
14.44 (Build 35211.0) / 17 June 2025
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Written in | C++ |
Operating system | Windows |
Platform | IA-32, x86-64 and ARM |
Available in | English, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Turkish |
Type | Compiler |
License | Trialware and freeware |
Microsoft Visual C++ (often called MSVC) is a special computer program made by Microsoft. It helps turn code written in C, C++, and other related languages into programs that computers can understand and run. Think of it like a translator for computer languages!
MSVC used to be a separate product, but now it's a big part of Visual Studio, which is a complete set of tools for making software. It helps developers create and fix C++ programs, especially those designed for Windows computers, games (using DirectX), and other Microsoft technologies.
Many apps you use need special parts of Visual C++ to work. These parts, called "runtime libraries," are often installed separately. This way, many different apps can share the same parts, saving space and making things run smoothly.
Contents
What is Visual C++?
Visual C++ is a powerful tool for computer programmers. It's mainly a compiler, which means it takes human-readable code (like C++ code) and changes it into machine code. Machine code is the language that a computer's processor can directly understand and execute.
This software also includes tools for developing and debugging programs. Debugging means finding and fixing mistakes (called "bugs") in the code. It's super important for making sure programs work correctly.
How Visual C++ Started and Grew
Visual C++ has a long history, going back to the early days of computer programming. Before it was "Visual C++," Microsoft had other C and C++ tools.
Early Days: Microsoft C/C++
The first C product from Microsoft came out in 1983. Over the years, these tools got better, adding features like:
- Support for larger programs.
- Tools to help programmers find errors.
- The ability to create programs for different operating systems like OS/2 and Windows.
In 1992, Microsoft C/C++ version 7.0 was released. This version was important because it added built-in support for the C++ language and the MFC library. MFC made it easier to build programs for Windows.
Becoming "Visual": The First Visual C++ Versions
The first version named "Visual C++" came out in February 1993. It was called Visual C++ 1.0. The "Visual" part meant it had a graphical interface that made programming easier. Instead of just typing commands, programmers could see and click on things.
- Visual C++ 1.5 (1993) was the first version that came only on a CD-ROM. It added more features for connecting programs to databases and other applications. This version was very popular for making programs for older Windows 3.x systems.
Moving to 32-bit and Beyond
As computers became more powerful, software needed to keep up.
- Visual C++ 1.0 (32-bit Edition) (1993) was the first version made for 32-bit Windows systems like Windows NT. This allowed programs to use more memory and run faster.
- Visual C++ 2.0 (1994) was the first version that was only 32-bit. It was a bit ahead of its time, as Windows 95 wasn't out yet.
- Visual C++ 4.0 (1995) introduced the "Developer Studio" interface. This layout, with different panels for code, debugging, and output, is still used in Visual Studio today.
- Visual C++ 6.0 (1998) was very popular and is still used by some programmers to maintain older projects.
Modern Visual C++ Versions
Since the early 2000s, Visual C++ has been released as part of Visual Studio. Each new version brings improvements and support for the latest programming standards.
- Visual C++ .NET 2002 (2002) and Visual C++ .NET 2003 (2003) added support for the .NET Framework, another important Microsoft technology.
- Visual C++ 2005 (2005) introduced a new way to use C++ with .NET, called C++/CLI.
- Visual C++ 2008 (2007) and Visual C++ 2010 (2010) continued to improve C++ support and added features for parallel computing, which helps programs run faster on modern multi-core processors.
- Visual C++ 2012 (2012) and Visual C++ 2013 (2013) brought better support for the C++11 standard, which is a major update to the C++ language.
- Visual C++ 2015 (2015) further improved support for modern C++ standards.
- Visual C++ 2017 (2017), Visual C++ 2019 (2019), and Visual C++ 2022 (2021) are the most recent versions. They continue to add new features and improve how well the compiler follows the latest C++ standards. The latest release version is 14.44, which came out in June 2025.
Understanding Version Numbers
When you talk about Visual C++, there are a few different version numbers.
- Compiler Version: This is the version of the actual "translator" program. It has been increasing steadily since the very first Microsoft C compiler.
- Visual Studio Product Version: This number tells you which version of the larger Visual Studio package the compiler is part of. For example, Visual Studio 2022 includes a specific version of the Visual C++ compiler.
- Runtime Library Version: This refers to the version of the special parts (libraries) that programs need to run.
These different numbers help programmers know exactly which tools they are using.
How Programs Work Together
When you create a program using Visual C++, it often uses other pieces of code called "libraries." Sometimes, different parts of a big program might be built with different versions of Visual C++.
To make sure everything works correctly, it's usually best if all parts of a program use the same version of the C++ libraries. Microsoft suggests using a specific type of library (called "multithreaded, dynamic link library") to avoid problems.
C and C++ Standards
Computer languages like C and C++ have official rules, called "standards." These standards make sure that code written in one place can work everywhere. For a long time, Visual C++ followed an older C standard. However, in recent years, Microsoft has worked hard to update Visual C++ to fully support the newer C99, C11, and C17 standards for C. They have also made big improvements to how well it supports the latest C++11 and other C++ standards. This means programmers can use the newest features of these languages.
See also
In Spanish: Microsoft Visual C++ para niños