Knowing how and when to work in C++ is the key to building better, more efficient Windows applications. This book teaches you how to use C++ to enhance your Visual Basic application—swithout rewriting them from the ground up. In this book, you will learn to write DLLs that use the performance and capabilities of C++, which provide access to APIs not easily supported by VB. Using C++ and the ATL (Active Template Library), you can even write ActiveX components that dont require a huge runtime library. Writing from the perspective of an advanced VB programmer—and using his own learning process as the framework—author Jonathan Morrison teaches you how to harness the development power of C++. Beginning with an overview of the ways in which C++ complements VB, he moves on to cover the VC++ development environment that most VB programmers will turn to first (Visual Studio), exploring a wealth of topics including the differences between VB and C++ compilers, the C preprocessor, and the process of memory management in C++. In the second half of the book, Morrison discusses the basics of the C++ language, including data and variables, operators, loops, and control statements. He then covers pointers, classes, and templates. The book also contains comprehensive coverage of VB and C++ DLLs, how to use C++ DLLs with VB programs, the ATL, and COM objects.