How To Use Visual C++ (version 6.0)

 

How to create a new project in Visual C++ 6.0:
  1. Start Visual C++ from the "Start Menu" (Start Menu -> Programs -> Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 -> Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0)
  2. Once the IDE is up and running, from the main menu, select "File -> New…"
  3. The "New" dialog will appear. Click on the "Projects" tab and do the following in this order:
  1. Select the "Win32 Console Application" item.
  2. In the "Location" field, enter the directory where you want to create the project (e.g., "c:\cwork").
  3. Give your project a name in the "Project name" field.
  4. Click on the "OK" button.
  1. The next dialog that appears allows you to specify the type of console application you wish to create; click on "An empty project" and then click on the "Finish" button.
  2. You will see a verification dialog confirming what will be created for your project. Just click on the "OK" button. This will create an empty project in the directory you specified. Next you would insert files into the project.

How to add/insert files into a project in Visual C++ 6.0:
  1. From the menu at the top, select "Project -> Add To Project -> Files…". This will bring up a dialog that will prompt you for the filename. Enter the name of your file with a ".cpp" extension (for example, "MyProg.cpp"). Then click the "OK" button. If the file doesn’t already exist, you will be asked if you wish to create the file; click on the "Yes" button.
  2. Click on the "File View" tab in the workspace pane on the left. Expand the "Source Files" branch by clicking on the plus sign. Then double-click on the source file you added to the project (for example, "MyProg.cpp"). You will be asked one more time if you wish to create the file; click on the "Yes" button. This will take you to the text editor where you can type in your source code.

How to save your C++ source code and project files to your floppy disk:
  1. Exit the Visual C++ IDE ("File -> Exit").
  2. Double-click on "My Computer" (this is in the upper left corner of the monitor’s desktop). This will open a window. Locate the "C:" drive and double-click on the icon. This will open a window containing all the folders on drive "C".
  3. Locate the "cwork" folder and double-click on it. You should find a folder named after your project there. Double-click on your project folder. A window will appear containing all your files. This is your source window.
  4. Double-click on "My Computer" again to open another window. Make sure your floppy disk is in the drive. Locate "3 ½ Floppy (A:)" and double-click on the icon. This will open another window, which displays the contents of your floppy disk. Open the folder named after your current project by double-clicking on it. This is your destination window. (Note: if you don’t have a folder on your floppy disk for your current project, create one by following the "How to create a new folder on your floppy disk" instructions below.)
  5. You want to save all your header and source files (e.g., "proj1.h" and "proj1.cpp"), your project file ("Proj1.dsp") and your workspace file ("Proj1.dsw"). Locate these files and copy them to the window representing your floppy disk by dragging them from the source window to the destination window.
  6. After you have saved your files to the floppy disk, you need to cleanup the "cwork" directory. Select all the files in the "cwork" folder and delete its entire contents (either drag them to the Recycle Bin or simply press the Delete key).

How to open an existing project in Visual C++ 6.0:

  1. Insert your floppy disk into the floppy disk drive.
  2. Double-click on "My Computer" to open a window. Locate "3 ½ Floppy (A:)" and double-click on the icon. This will open another window, which displays the contents of your floppy disk. You should see a folder named after your current project. This is your source window.
  3. Double-click on "My Computer" (this is in the upper left corner of the monitor’s desktop) to open another window. Locate the "cwork" folder and double-click on it. (If there are any folders or files in this folder, go ahead and delete them.) Copy the project folder from your source window to this destination window.
  4. In the destination window (i.e., "c:\cwork"), double-click on the folder you just copied over. This will open a window displaying the contents of your folder.
  5. Double-click on the .dsw file (e.g., "proj1.dsw"); this will launch Visual C++ and open your project.

How to create a new folder on your floppy disk:
  1. Insert your floppy disk into the floppy drive.
  2. Double-click on "My Computer" (this is in the upper left corner of the monitor’s desktop). This will open a window. Locate "3 ½ Floppy (A:)" and double-click on the icon. This will open another window.
  3. From the menu of this second window, select "File -> New -> Folder". This will create a new folder on your floppy disk; you can enter the name of the folder and press the "Enter" key. (Note: the name of your new folder should typically be the name of the project you are working on.)

Remember to always clean up after yourself -- delete all contents of the "C:\Cwork" folder when you have finished!