C++ new standard, technologies and more

Question

I'm developing in C++ mainly.

i used to develop using VS 2005 with libraries like MFC , sometimes using COM. only on WIN platform.

as i took a break from programming for a year, I want to be able now to get acquainted with all the new features and technologies being used today with C++.

Is MFC still worth something today ? Are there any new GUI libraries developed by Microsoft to replace MFC ? is it worth studying the new C++Ox standard even though it was not released yet ?

basically , my question is which libraries/technologies should i learn that are worthwhile today in the competitive job market and at the same time aren't deprecated. (and i mean using C++, learning new programming language is def not my main focus at the moment)

thanks

Answer 1

MFC is still used by a wide variety of companies in the industry and is a good wrapper for many windows API's. However since .net and interpreted languages are all the rage you may want to take a look at c++ cli. here is a good starting point. While I have no exposer with it myself I know that the boost library is very popular especially out side of the Microsfot world.

Answer 2

1) If you want to build apps for windows, MFC is still very used, that said, a lot of developers are moving to C# and .net because it's easier and faster.

2) Yes, the WPF is a new attempt to make windows pretty.

3) The C++0x standard looks very good! I'd spend a few hours lerning the Boost libraries that were added even before it is released.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

There's a lot of MFC out there, and it isn't going away any time soon. It's still a quite viable way to get stuff done, and it's going to keep working for the foreseeable future.

That said, it's no longer the preferred framework from Microsoft, and third-party support (libraries and such) is dying off. If you are starting a new project, DON'T use MFC. Use whatever the current C# frameworks are, because that's what Microsoft is most interested in right now, and thus, it's what's getting the most support.

As for libraries, definitely learn about the Boost libraries if you are going to be doing more C++ - there's a LOT of great stuff in there, and you'll get a lot more done with them, than without them.