Windows Forms Apps in C++ with Visual Studio 2022

Extend Visual Studio 2022 by Windows Forms projects written in C++. Applications created by such projects have a graphical user interface. They are based on .NET Framework. You can use all common Windows controls like Buttons, Menues, TextBoxes etc.

Click here for a tutorial for Windows Forms Projects in English.
Klicken Sie hier für eine Anleitung für Windows Forms Projekte in Deutsch.

Use Standard C++ (including most of C++11, C++14, C++17) for your business logic. To access GUI controls use C++/CLI (an easy to use C++ dialect). The main difference between a traditional C++ program is, that instead of using the console for user interaction

cout << "Hello world" << endl;

you can use Windows controls, e.g. a TextBox

textBox1->AppendText("Hello World");

C++ Windows forms projects are an easy way to create programs with a graphical user interface in C++.

• Use Windows Forms Projects to enhance your C++ programs with a graphical user interface. You can write serious C++ applications with Windows Forms projects.
• Windows Forms Projects are great for learning C++. I used them in my introductory C++ lectures for years. Since the programs are not restricted to the console for user interaction, they are more attractive, more flexible and much easier to use for the students.

Based on this extension I created another extension that is a very simple Windows Forms Project with a graphical user interace (GUI) written in C++. The form contains a button and textboxes for input and output, but you can easily extend it by adding more controls and functions.

My textbook (in German) teaches C++ from the scratch, using C++ Windows forms. It focuses on standard C++ at the C++17 level, not C++/CLI.