Introduction

This Class Libraries User's Guide introduction discusses C++ class libraries in general terms and then summarizes the the two class libraries that are included with MicrosoftĂ’ C/C++ Version 7.0. These libraries include:

The Microsoft Foundation Class Library

This library contains a full-featured set of C++ classes for Microsoft WindowsĂ”. It includes not only Windows classes but also general-purpose classes for collections, files, persistent storage, exceptions, diagnostics, memory management, strings, and time.

The Microsoft iostream Class Library

The iostream classes can be used for most input/output, but they are particularly useful for text-mode output. These classes are popular because they have a programming interface that is compatible with C++.

Following the class library summary is a section that tells you how to use the library documention.

To start using this guide, you will need a basic knowledge of the C++ programming language. To use the Windows Foundation classes, you should be familiar with the C-language application programming interface to Microsoft Windows.