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.