Overview of the Visual C++ Tutorials

Visual C++ includes the following tutorials:

Scribble

The Scribble Tutorial introduces the basics of creating MFC applications and demonstrates how to use the class library’s main features. Among the features covered in the Scribble tutorial are the following:

• Using AppWizard to Create the Starter Application upon which to build your program.
  
  
• Implementing a document class to manage your application’s data and to write to and read from files.
  
  
• Implementing a “view” class to display your document and manage all user interaction with it.
  
  
• Using the resource editors to create and edit your application’s resources.
  
  
• Using WizardBar to connect user-interface objects, such as menu items, buttons, and accelerator keys, to handler functions in your source code.
  
  
• Using the dialog editor to create a dialog resource, and ClassWizard to encapsulate the dialog resource in a dialog class. Also, using WizardBar to declare handler functions for a dialog box control, map the dialog box controls to member variables of the dialog class, and define validation rules.
  
  
• Implementing scrolling and splitter windows; enhancing the default printing capabilities, including Print Preview; and adding context-sensitive Help to your application.

Scribble OLE Server

The OLE Server Tutorial is Scribble Step 7, which demonstrates adding OLE in-place editing server support to an existing application.

Container

Container, the OLE Container Tutorial, introduces the MFC OLE classes and teaches you to use their main features. Among the features this tutorial describes are the following:

• Creating a starter OLE container by using AppWizard
  
  
• Implementing the client item rectangle
  
  
• Implementing hit testing and selection
  
  
• Implementing activation with the mouse click
  
  
• Implementing special cursors for resizing and moving objects
  
  
• Drawing embedded objects
  
  
• Deleting embedded objects

Autoclik

Autoclik, the Automation Server Tutorial, describes how to create and test a simple Automation server application, starting with AppWizard’s built-in support for Automation. Among the tutorial topics are:

• Analyzing the dispatch interface name
  
  
• Analyzing AppWizard-provided code
  
  
• ODL file for creating a type library
  
  
• Implementing properties of a dispatch interface
  
  
• Implementing methods of a dispatch interface
  
  
• Creating a new CCmdTarget class with a dispatch interface
  
  
• Referring to one dispatch interface from another

Circle Control

The Circle Control Tutorial introduces the ActiveX control classes. Among the topics discussed are:

• Building an ActiveX control
  
  
• Implementing background painting behavior
  
  
• Adding a custom property
  
  
• Implementing Get/Set methods for a custom property
  
  
• Adding special effects
  
  
• Adding custom events
  
  
• Handling text and fonts
  
  
• Working with property pages
  
  
• Simple data binding
  
  
• Versions and serialization of ActiveX controls

Enroll and DAOEnrol

The database tutorials introduce the database classes and describe how to use their main features, demonstrating both ODBC and DAO support. Among the features these tutorials describe are:

• Selecting and registering a database with ODBC, or using the DAO database classes to read the data source directly (if applicable).
  
  
• Examining the classes AppWizard generates for your database application.
  
  
• Using ClassWizard to bind controls on your form to the member variables of a “recordset” object. A recordset represents a set of records selected from a data source. The framework takes care of moving data between the controls and the data source.
  
  
• Using a database form based on two or more recordsets. Each recordset represents a different table or query.
  
  
• Controlling the data selected by a recordset. You can filter a recordset, parameterize it at run time, and sort it.
  
  
• Adding, editing, and deleting records and implementing commands for these actions.