Once developers invest in MFC, their investment is completely protected from version to version and platform to platform. Existing applications based on C and the Windows API can be migrated to C++ and MFC. For that reason, the MFC architecture is built around the Windows API to utilise existing knowledge. It is essential to preserve customers’ knowledge base and their investments in code into the future. MFC and the tool set support all the latest features of the Windows operating system so that developers can take advantage of these features in their applications. Tools are provided for all the platforms supported by the Windows family. We have tuned MFC so that developers incur very little overhead in developing applications using C++ and MFC compared to using C and the Windows SDK. Microsoft continues to lead the industry in C and C++ optimisations to help create the smallest and fastest executables possible. Visual programming tools, integration and task orientation are the key areas of focus for achieving this objective with Visual C++.

Improvements in the development environment and build throughput provide the next level of productivity gains. In addition, we have designed the Visual C++ development environment so that developers can easily exploit the full power of MFC. A key element of Visual C++ is the MFC architecture, which not only provides the fundamentals for developing Windows-based applications but also provides significant amounts of reusable code that developers can use in their applications. We believe that the greatest gains in productivity can be achieved through the use of a well-written class library. However, in order to reduce the complexity that C++ brings with its power, we will implement a subset of the language in our class library and minimise the work involved in creating Windows-based applications in C++. We will implement new features in the language as standards emerge. In order to deliver on these promises, we have chosen to focus our development efforts as follows:Ĭ++ is the language we will focus on for the long term. These fundamental principles have guided the development of Visual C++ and will continue to do so in the future. With the Visual C++ development system family of products, Microsoft’s strategy is to provide the shortest path for developers to access the full power of Windows, the smallest and fastest executables, and the safest investment for the future. It also protects existing investments in the Microsoft Foundation Class Library (MFC) and the Windows API and establishes a clear path to developing 32-bit applications for Windows that run on multiple software and hardware platforms. The Microsoft Visual C++ development system family of products meets the need of developers to develop sophisticated Windows-based applications quickly. A History of Innovation, a Path to the Future

Microsoft foundation classes for c++