Native C/C++ Framework

Visual Studio 2005 provides C/C++ device developers with a complete development toolset, while supporting the same wizards and tools previously available through eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0. Visual Studio 2005 includes the familiar application wizards to create MFC, ATL, and Win32 projects. When developers add classes to projects, Visual Studio 2005 provides the complete suite of class wizards for ATL, MFC, and C++. It also includes other familiar tools such as the device cross-compilers, resource editor, debugger, and emulators. Visual Studio 2005 also fully integrates the device SDKs.

Mobile device C/C++ developers are not limited to developing Windows Mobile 5.0 applications with Visual Studio 2005. Visual Studio 2005 supports developing native mobile device applications for all Windows Mobile platforms from Windows Mobile 2003 and later. Developers targeting Pocket PC and Smartphone devices running Windows Mobile 2003, Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, and Windows Mobile 5.0 can also take advantage of Visual Studio 2005.

The .NET Compact Framework for C/C++ inherits the full .NET Framework architecture of the common language runtime, supports a subset of the .NET Framework class library, and contains classes designed exclusively for the .NET Compact Framework. Supported devices include personal data assistants (PDAs) (such as the Pocket PC), mobile phones, set-top boxes, automotive computing devices, and custom-designed embedded devices built with the Microsoft Windows CE.NET operating system.

This is excellent news for developers who work in both native and managed code on devices because they can now use a single tool. Developers needing to create both native and managed projects as part of a single application can even put the native and managed projects in a single Visual Studio 2005 solution.