Visual C++ Samples

The Visual C++ samples illustrate a wide variety of functionality across multiple technologies.

Security Note
This sample code is intended to illustrate a concept, and it shows only the code that is relevant to that concept. It may not meet the security requirements for a specific environment, and it should not be used exactly as shown. We recommend that you add security and error-handling code to make your projects more secure and robust. Microsoft provides this sample code "AS IS" with no warranties.

Warning

Some samples have not been modified to reflect the changes in the Visual C++ wizards, libraries, and compiler. However, they still demonstrate how to complete the task.

To find samples online

1. In the Visual Studio menu bar, choose Help, Samples.

2. In the left pane of the Samples dialog box, select Samples, then Visual C++, then Windows Runtime for samples that run in Windows 8, or one of the other categories for desktop samples that run in Windows 8 or earlier versions of Windows.

You can also visit the MSDN Code Gallery from any browser.

To build and run a sample

1. Open the solution in Visual Studio.

2. On the Build menu, choose Build.

3. On the Debug menu, choose Start Without Debugging.

For the most recent versions of the Visual C++ desktop samples, see one of the following pages on the MSDN Web site. If you open a project from an earlier version of Visual Studio in Visual C++ in Microsoft Visual Studio 2012, the project will be upgraded for you. Code Gallery may also contain C++ samples that are not listed here.

All Visual C++ Samples

ATL Samples

ATL Samples (using attributes)

CLR Samples

Compiler Samples

ComTypeLibfor7 Samples

CRT Samples

Debugging Samples

Event Handling Samples

Extensibility Samples

Fusion Samples

International Samples

Language Samples

MFC Samples

OS Samples

STL Samples

Unix Samples

Descriptions of the Samples

ATL Samples - Advanced

Sample Name	Description
ActiveDoc	Demonstrates how to implement an Active Document Server.
Async	Downloads data asynchronously from a URL.
ATLButton	Creates a button that displays itself with three different bitmaps depending on its state.
ATLDuck	Demonstrates using connection points with ATL controls.
ATLSecurity	Shows how to use the ATL security classes to examine security settings.
ATLTraceTool	Displays the output generated by the ATLTRACE2 macro.
Connect	Illustrates the implementation and use of connection points (the IConnectionPointContainer and IConnectionPoint interfaces) in a multithreaded environment.
CThreadPool	Shows how to use a thread pool in an application and how implementing a thread pool can improve the application's performance.
DCOM	Demonstrates how to call a COM object implemented in a Windows service from multiple clients running on different machines.
MFCATL	Illustrates how ATL COM objects can be used in an MFC server EXE.

ATL Samples - Controls

Sample Name	Description
ATLFire	Demonstrates how to build a windowed control using ATL.
CDInfo	Plays CD audio tracks and displays information about the tracks in tooltips and a piechart display.
Circ	Creates a control that demonstrates property pages and draws a circle.
Polygon	Builds a control that implements custom properties, events, property pages, and object safety.
SubEdit	Creates a superclassed Windows control.

ATL Samples - General

Sample Name	Description
ATLCollections	Demonstrates the use of ICollectionOnSTLImpl and CComEnumOnSTL, and the implementation of custom copy policy classes.
ATLCon	Demonstrates a simple control container.
ATLSafeArray	Shows how to create and maintain SAFEARRAYs using CComSafeArray; also how to pass SAFEARRAYs from a component to script.
AutoThread	Demonstrates using CComAutoThreadModule Class.
Beeper	Implements a tearoff interface — a collection/enumeration of BSTRs.
CircColl	Implements a collection/enumeration of objects using ATL and the Standard C++ Library.
COMMap	Demonstrates COM interface map entry macros with compiler COM support.
CustomString	Shows how to use a custom memory allocator for CStringT to improve performance in a multithreaded application.
DispSink	Demonstrates using a connection point on dispatch interfaces.

ATL Samples - OLEDB - Consumer

Sample Name	Description
CatDB	Displays the schema information, such as tables and columns, of OLE DB providers.
DBViewer	Demonstrates a mid-level application that relies on the CManualAccessor class to take full control of data bindings for your applications.
DynamicConsumer	Demonstrates using dynamic accessor and schema rowset classes to read metadata from a database.
MultiRead	Reads through a table in a database using multiple threads.

ATL Samples - OLEDB - Provider

Sample Name	Description
AdvancedPV	Implements an updateable OLE DB Provider. Demonstrates some advanced techniques.
UpdatePV	Implements an updateable (read/write) OLE DB provider.

CLR Samples - Windows Forms

Sample Name	Description
Scribble (MFC)	An MFC implementation of the Scribble sample, updated and extended to include new .NET functionality.
Scribble (Windows Forms)	A Windows Forms implementation of the Scribble sample, updated and extended to include new .NET functionality.
STLCLR	Demonstrates some of the capabilities available when using the STL/CLR Library.

ComTypeLibfor7 Samples

Sample Name	Description
ACDual	Adds dual interfaces to an Automation application.
ADOSamp	Implements a three-tier client/server application.
AllInOne	Implements a server using ATL, exposing STL collections, and controlled by compiler COM support in an MFC application.
COMMap	Demonstrates COM interface map entry macros with compiler COM support.
Connect	Illustrates the use and implementation of connection points (the IConnectionPointContainer and IConnectionPoint interfaces) in a multithreaded environment.
DCOM	Demonstrates how to call a COM object implemented in a Windows service from multiple clients running on different computers.
FreeThrd	Demonstrates a multithreaded client and free-threaded server with compiler COM support.
InProc	Demonstrates an in-process Automation server application with compiler COM support.
Labrador	Implements an EXE server that does not have any user interface.
MFCCalc	Demonstrates an Automation server application with compiler COM support.

Compiler Samples - General

Sample Name	Description
ccWrapper	Demonstrates how to map C/C++ compiler flags from other compilers to the Visual C++ compiler (cl.exe).

Compiler Samples - MASM

Sample Name	Description
EuclidStep1	A pure C project that demonstrates Euclid's algorithm for finding the greatest common divisor.
EuclidStep2	An extension of EuclidStep1 that is a mixed C and ASM project. The core of Euclid's algorithm is moved from the .c file to an .asm file, with the .c file calling into the .asm file.
PrimesStep1	A pure C project that demonstrates the sieve of Eratosthenes to find prime numbers.
PrimesStep2	An extension of PrimesStep1 that is a mixed C and ASM project that moves the core algorithm to the .asm file.
PrimesStep3	An extension of PrimesStep2 that adds a separate C header file and an .asm include file to declare the extern function and global data structure.

CRT Samples

Sample Name	Description
CPUID	Determines the capabilities of the CPU being run.
CRT_Dbg1	Illustrates the basic debugging features of the C run-time libraries.
CRT_Dbg2	Demonstrates the C run-time debugging hook functions.
DFACObjs	Shows how to use the _CrtDoForAllClientObjects C run-time function to iterate through a linked list of client objects.
Report	Illustrates the C run-time debugging report functions.
RTC	Demonstrates the run-time error checks feature.
SecureCRT	This sample demonstrates how to upgrade code that used deprecated CRT functions to increase code security.

Debugging Samples

Sample Name	Description
EEAddIn	Uses the Expression Evaluator Add-In API to extend the native debugger expression evaluator.

Events Samples

Sample Name	Description
COMEvents	Demonstrates event handling using COM.

Extensibility Samples

Sample Name	Description
VCProjEngine_CPP	Programmatically modifies a Visual C++ project using C++.
VCProjEngine_CS	Programmatically modifies a Visual C++ project using C#.
VCProjEngine_VB7	Programmatically modifies a Visual C++ project using Visual Basic.

Fusion Samples

Sample Name	Description
TraceMan	Provides information about application-dependent assemblies and the state of the assemblies in the native fusion cache in human readable form.

International Samples

Sample Name	Description
IME	Demonstrates how to control the Input Method Editor mode and how to implement IME level 3.
SatDLL	Demonstrates a recommended way to implement multilingual resources in a Win32 application.
UniRes	Demonstrates the use of Unicode resource files.

Language Samples

Sample Name	Description
BirthdayPicker	Shows how the .NET Framework resource mechanism can be used in C++ applications. It also demonstrates some common Window Forms components.
C++ Language Samples	Demonstrates key concepts of features in C++ that support .NET and expose capabilities of the CLR.
Calculator	Implements a simple pocket calculator using C++ and the .NET Framework Windows Forms classes.
Data	Demonstrates simple access to a SQL Database.
MEDriver	Illustrates the use of COM events (fired from an unmanaged COM server) through a .NET Framework wrapper, automatically generated from the COM server's type library.
Nile	Demonstrates ASP.NET Web Forms and ASP.Net Web Services.
QStat	Shows how to create a DLL that wraps access to a COM object and exposes its functionality to .NET Framework clients.
Scribble	Demonstrates how to develop a Windows Forms MDI application using C++/CLI and the .NET Framework classes.
TilePuzzle	Demonstrates interoperability between managed components (written with C++ and C#) and native components (written with C++ using COM attributes).

MFC Samples - Advanced

Sample Name	Description
Collect	Demonstrates MFC C++ template-based collection classes and standard prebuilt collection classes.
Cube	OpenGL application using MFC device contexts along with OpenGL's resource contexts.
DLLHusk	Sharing the DLL version of the Foundation class library with an application and custom DLL.
DLLScreenCap	A regular DLL that can be statically or dynamically linked to the Microsoft Foundation Class Library.
MTGDI	Demonstration of sharing GDI resources among multiple threads using the framework's single document interface (SDI) support for documents and views.
MTMDI	Multithread illustration, where user-interface events are processed in a separate user-interface thread.
MTRecalc	Multithread illustration, where recalculations are performed in a worker thread.
Mutexes	Dialog-based application that creates two CWinThread objects and uses them to perform a simple task under the user's control.
Speakn	Demonstrates Multimedia Sound Using User-Defined Resources.

MFC Samples - Controls

Sample Name	Description
Button	Demonstrates use of an in-place active menu, a stock property page, and the About box control option.
Circ	Demonstrates ActiveX control basics, including control painting, stock and custom properties, stock and custom events, use of colors and fonts, the stock Font property page, the default property page, and versioning.
CmnCtrl	Demonstrates some of the new controls available with MFC on wiprlhext, including the command link button (CButton), the pager control (CPagerCtrl), the split button (CSplitButton), and the network address control (CNetAddressCtrl).
Contain	Demonstrates a Visual Editing Container Application.
Image	Demonstrates how to use MFC to build an ActiveX control that is capable of downloading data asynchronously.
Licensed	A control that enforces use of a design-time and run-time license.
Localize	A control with a localized user interface that demonstrates use of separate type libraries and resource dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) for localization.
NetAddr	Demonstrates use of the Windows Vista "Net Address Verifier" control.
Pal	Control that displays the colors of a palette. It demonstrates read-only properties, persistent Get/Set properties, persistent parameterized properties, and picture properties.
Push	Control subclassed from a Windows owner-drawn button control. It demonstrates stock properties, custom events, and picture holders.
RegSvr	Demonstrates the invocation of Self-Registration Code.
SpinDial	A control with the visual appearance of a spin-dial that demonstrates property page data validation.
TestHelp	An ActiveX control that has its own help file and tooltips.
Time	A control that is invisible at run time and fires a timer event at set intervals. Demonstrates notification functions and ambient properties.
XList	A control, subclassed from a Windows list box, that displays text or bitmap items.

MFC Samples - General

Sample Name	Description
ClipArt	The CLIPART directory contains sample resources that you can use to customize the appearance of your application.
CmnCtrl1	Demonstrates how to create and change the styles of Windows Common Controls using MFC classes (Part 1).
CmnCtrl2	Demonstrates how to create and change the styles of Windows Common Controls using MFC classes (Part 2).
CTaskDialog	Demonstrates various features of the CTaskDialog class.
CtrlBars	Custom toolbar and status bar, dialog bar, and floating palette.
CtrlTest	Owner-draw list box and menu, custom control, bitmap button, spin control.
DBVList	Uses the CListView and CDaoRecordset classes to implement the virtual list view functionality that is available for the list view common control.
DIBLook	Demonstrates the Use of DIBs and Color Palettes.
DlgCbr32	Adding a toolbar and a status bar to a dialog-based application.
DlgTempl	Demonstrates the dynamic creation of dialog templates.
DockTool	Dragging and floating toolbars that are "dockable".
Dynamenu	Dynamically modifying list of items in menus; handling commands not known at compile time; and updating the status bar command prompt for such commands.
FileDlgWatcher	Creates a custom dialog box that illustrates what events are generated when you create a CFileDialog.
Hello	Illustrates a single application window with a menu and About box.
HelloApp	Minimal MFC sample that illustrates that few lines of code are required to get a window to appear on the screen.
ListHdr	Demonstrates how to use the common control MFC classes CListCtrl and CHeaderCtrl.
MDI	MDI application that does not use documents and views.
MDIDocVw	Updated version of the MDI sample that uses the document/view architecture.
MMXSwarm	Demonstrates how to use CImage, the __m64 data type, and device-independent bitmaps (DIBs).
Modeless	Demonstrates the use of an MFC CDialog object as a modeless dialog box.
Multipad	Simple text editor that lets the user open and edit multiple text files at one time.
Npp	Demonstrates how to implement an interface (SDI) application similar to Notepad that allows you to edit text messages and send them to other users or other systems through the Windows messaging API, or MAPI.
PropDlg	Property sheets (dialogs).
RowList	Illustrates full row selection in a list-view common control.
Scribble	Provides simple illustrations of a wide breadth of MFC features.
SimpleImage	Demonstrates loading, resizing, conversion, and saving images.
SnapVw	Shows how to use property pages in a MDI child frame window.
Spiro	A game that shows to use CImageList and how to use memory display contexts in applications requiring animation effects.
Tracker	Demonstrates various CRectTracker styles and options.
VariantUse	Demonstrates the use of the variant data type.
ViewEx	Multiple views, scroll view, splitter windows.

MFC Samples - Internet

Sample Name	Description
DHTMLExplore	Demonstrates handling DHTML events and using DHTML DDX.
HTMLEdit	Wraps the Internet Explorer MSHTML editing control.
MFCIE	Demonstrates the MFC CHtmlView and CReBar Classes.
Scheduler	Demonstrates how to create an HTML-based dialog box using the Visual C++ libraries classes.

MFC Samples - OLE

Sample Name	Description
ACDual	Demonstrates how to add dual interface support to an MFC-based Automation server.
AutoClik	Illustrates Automation features. Includes AUTODRIV, a simple Automation client application that drives the AUTOCLIK sample application.
CalcDriv	Automation client.
DrawCli	Full-featured object-oriented drawing application that is also an ActiveX Visual Editing container.
HierSvr	Demonstrates a Server Application with OLE Drag and Drop.
InProc	An in-process Automation server that can be loaded as a DLL in the client's address space.
IPDrive	A simple Automation client application that drives the INPROC sample application.
MFCBind	Shows how to create an Active document (formerly known as a DocObject) container.
MFCCalc	An Automation server that implements a simple calculator.
OClient	ActiveX Visual Editing container application, with drag and drop.
OLEView	Implementing an OLE object browser through custom OLE interfaces.
SuperPad	Demonstrates a Visual Editing Server That Edits Text Using CEditView.
TstCon	Implements an ActiveX control container using MFC's support for OLE embedding. You can use TSTCON to test ActiveX controls, change their properties, and invoke their methods.
WordPad	Uses MFC's support for rich edit controls to create a basic word processor.

MFC Samples - Utility

Sample Name	Description
GUIDGen	A simple dialog-based MFC application that generates globally-unique identifiers.
Makehm	A console application that produces a mapping between resource identifications and Help contexts.

MFC Samples - Visual C++ 2008 Feature Pack

Sample Name	Description
CustomPages	Demonstrates how to add a custom page to the Toolbar Customization dialog box.
DesktopAlertDemo	Demonstrates how to implement a desktop alert dialog box (similar to the dialog box that an instant messaging application displays).
DlgToolTips	Demonstrates how to implement advanced tooltips for controls on a dialog box.
DrawClient	Demonstrates how to integrate support for a ribbon into an object-oriented drawing application with visual editing container support.
DynamicMenu	Demonstrates how to dynamically update a menu on the menu bar and a popup menu at run-time.
Explorer	Demonstrates how to implement a file system explorer that resembles File Explorer, with similar user interface elements and capabilities.
IEDemo	Demonstrates how to implement an application similar to Internet Explorer, with similar user interface elements and capabilities.
MDITabsDemo	Demonstrates how to create an application that uses the new tabbed MDI documents interface instead of the traditional MDI child windows.
MenuSubSet	Demonstrates how to dynamically remove specific menu items and submenus at application startup.
MSMoneyDemo	Demonstrates how to use MFC to create a user interface similar to Microsoft Money.
MSOffice2007Demo	Demonstrates how to implement an editor application similar to an Office 2007 application, with similar user interface elements and limited similar capabilities. The MSOffice2007Demo sample implements a very full ribbon user interface much like an Office 2007 application, and some (but not all) of the ribbon elements are connected to capabilities in the application.
NewControls	Demonstrates the capabilities of many of the controls implemented in MFC, including customizable buttons, color picker controls and palettes, a font chooser, an image editor, a property grid, a masked edit control, and shell list and tree controls.
OutlookDemo	Demonstrates how to create an application similar to Outlook 2003/2007.
OutlookMultiViews	Demonstrates how to switch between multiple views on a single document in an SDI application. The sample uses the Outlook bar control to list the available views and switch between them.
OwnerDrawMenu	Illustrates how to draw popup menu items dynamically.
PaletteDemo	Illustrates how to create a multi-column toolbar with an owner-draw information area. Click 2, 3 or 4 buttons on the Standard toolbar in order to change at the runtime the number of columns of the custom toolbar.
PropSheetDemo	Illustrates the following types of Property Sheet control: simple, with tabs at the left side, with tree control at the left side, OneNote-style tabs, list of items at the left side.
RebarTest	Demonstrates a customizable Rebar control which hosts a toolbar.
RibbonGadgets	Illustrates various controls that can be hosted in the Ribbon Control. At the bottom of the main frame you can find the Source Code window with source code text, which outlines how to create a particular gadget.
RibbonMDI	Demonstrates usage of Ribbon Control with Multi Document Interface.
RollupPane	Demonstrates a floating "information" pane, which automatically rolls up. You can press the pin button on the caption of floating pane to turn rolling on and off.
SetPaneSize	Demonstrates how to set docking pane size programmatically.
Slider	Demonstrates how to implement a toolbar button that hosts an external control.
StateCollection	Demonstrates how to implement an application that saves and loads different states for the menu bar, toolbars, and docking windows.
StatusBarDemo	Demonstrates how to add various advanced controls to a status bar.
TabbedView	Demonstrates how to create a view that contains multiple tabbed views, such as the tabs in an Excel workbook.
TabControl	Demonstrates the MFC Tab Control and the different appearances it has using different properties and visual managers.
TasksPane	Demonstrates the MFC Task Pane classes and their different appearances using various properties and visual managers.
ToolbarDateTimePicker	Demonstrates how to integrate a date/time picker control with the toolbar
ToolTipDemo	Demonstrates how to use advanced MFC tooltip features.
TrayMenu	Illustrates the ability to use MFC Control Bar menus with the system tray icon (such as the notification icons in the lower-right corner of the display).
VisualStudioDemo	Demonstrates how to implement an application with many of the same user interface features and some of the capabilities of Visual Studio. Many of the Visual Studio user interface elements, including customizable docking menubar and toolbars, and docking windows, are demonstrated.
WordPad	Demonstrates how to implement an application that imitates the functionality of WordPad, including the user interface elements and some of the capabilities.
WorkSpaceToolBar	Demonstrates how to add a toolbar to a docking pane. This resembles the toolbar in Solution Explorer in Visual Studio.

MFC Samples - Windows Touch

Sample Name	Description
GestureDemo	Demonstrates the Windows Touch support in MFC (requires touch hardware).
TouchDemo	Demonstrates the Windows Touch support in MFC (requires touch hardware).

OS Samples

Sample Name	Description
GetImage	Demonstrates the Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) application programming interfaces (APIs).

Unix Samples

Sample Name	Description
Unix - ccWrapper	Demonstrates a wrapper that maps flags from the Sun Forte and gcc compilers to the Microsoft Visual C++ compiler (cl.exe).

See Also

Other Resources

Visual C++ Reference