Can't find Windows Forms Application for C++

Question

I'm really new to visual studio and programming in general. I'm using Visual Studio Community 2015 Desktop Version (from what I know). I can't find a Windows Forms Application from the C++ category, while there is one for C#.

Can anyone help, do I need to download another version, a plugin, or anything? Sorry if a stupid question, I just really can't figure it out!

Answer 1

There are no C++ Windows Form templates in Visual Studio 2015. As I see it, you have two choices:

• When creating a new project, You will see an online dropdown, click that and try to search for "C++ Windows Forms".

• Create an empty C++ CLR project and add a Windows Forms to it. This link puts it like this (credit to the onContentStop, the user who posted this):

  1. Make a "CLR Empty Project".
  2. Press Ctrl-Shift-A and create a Windows Form (under UI).

  3. Inside the CPP file that is created, paste this code, replacing anything in square brackets except [STAThread] with the appropriate names:

     #include "[FORM NAME].h"  using namespace System; using namespace System::Windows::Forms;  [STAThread]//leave this as is void main(array<String^>^ args) {     Application::EnableVisualStyles();     Application::SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);     Application::Run(gcnew [PROJECT NAME]::[FORM NAME]); } 

  4. Right click your project in the Solution Explorer and click Properties.

  5. Under Configuration Properties > Linker > Advanced, change Entry Point to "main" (without quotation marks).
  6. Under Configuration Properties > Linker > System, change SubSystem to "Windows (/SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS)" (without quotation marks).

Answer 2

Though this has already been answered, I feel like this might help those who stumble across this in the future. While creating a new project, directly above the text field for naming your project, there is a blue link that reads "Click here to go online and find templates" If you click that link it will direct you to templates that are available for you to download & use. Simply use the hierarchy on the left hand side and navigate to Visual C++ and you should be able to simply click "C++ Windows Forms" and it will create the new project, while also downloading and installing the template for future use. So, next time you go to create a C++ Winform you wont have to search for it again.