visual studio 2012 - How do I create a C++/CLI Winforms app in VS2012?

Question

I just installed Visual Studio 2012 express for Desktop. I can't see any place to create a GUI application with C++ ! Where is this "Windows Form Application" used to exists in Visual C++ 2010 ? Where are these drag and drop controls? I installed this because I got details telling this supports GUI intellisense (Visual C++: Unable to invoke method from another class)

Answer 1

It is an unsubtle hint that they want you to stop creating C++/CLI Winforms applications. The plumbing is still in place however, at least for VS2012 and VS2013. This might not be the case in a future one.

You can turn a CLR console application into a Winforms application with these steps:

• Start with File + New + Project, CLR node, CLR Console Application
• Project + Add New Item, UI node, Windows Form
• Project + Properties, Linker, System, SubSystem = Windows
• Project + Properties, Linker, Advanced, Entry Point = main

Change the pre-generated .cpp file to look like this:

#include "stdafx.h"
#include "MyForm.h"

namespace ConsoleApplication45 {    // Change this!!
    using namespace System;
    using namespace System::Windows::Forms;

    [STAThread]
    int main(array<System::String ^> ^args)
    {
        Application::EnableVisualStyles();
        Application::SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false); 
        Application::Run(gcnew MyForm());
        return 0;
    }
}

Note that you'll need to change the namespace name to your project name. Press F5 to test. You can design the form as normal once everything checks out.

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NOTE, Visual Studio 2015 has a nasty static initialization order bug in the CRT that can cause the app to crash instantly with an AVE at startup if the project contains any native C++ code. As yet an unfixed bug, the somewhat inevitable hazard of having these project templates removed. A possible workaround is to change the Entry Point (4th bullet).

For a project that targets x86, copy paste this string:

?mainCRTStartupStrArray@@$$FYMHP$01AP$AAVString@System@@@Z

For a project that targets x64, copy paste:

?mainCRTStartupStrArray@@$$FYMHP$01EAPE$AAVString@System@@@Z

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Somewhere around VS2017 the designer fails to open a new form with a cryptic error message. Workaround is to build the project first, use Build > Build.