Application Settings, Win 32 Project Wizard

  • Article

Use this page of the wizard to set options for the Win32 project.

  • Application type
    Creates the specified application type.

    Option

    Description

    Console application

    Creates a console application. Console programs are developed with Console Functions, which provide character-mode support in console windows. The Visual C++ run-time libraries also provide output and input from console windows with standard I/O functions, such as printf_s() and scanf_s(). A console application has no graphical user interface. It compiles into an .exe file and can be run as a stand-alone application from the command line.

    You can add MFC and ATL support to a console application.

    Windows application

    Creates a Win32 program. A Win32 program is an executable application (EXE) written in C or C++, using calls to the Win32 API to create a graphical user interface.

    You cannot add MFC or ATL support to a Windows application.

    DLL

    Creates a Win32 dynamic-link library (DLL). A Win32 DLL is a binary file, written in C or C++, that uses calls to the Win32 API rather than to MFC classes, and that acts as a shared library of functions that can be used simultaneously by multiple applications.

    You cannot add MFC or ATL support to a DLL application. You can indicate that the DLL exports symbols.

    Static library

    Creates a static library. A static library is a file containing objects and their functions and data that links into your program when the executable file is built. This topic explains how to create the starter files and project properties for a static library. A static library file provides the following benefits:

    • A Win32 static library is useful if the application you are working on makes calls to the Win32 API rather than to MFC classes.

    • The linking process is the same whether the rest of your Windows application is written in C or in C++.

    • You can link a static library to an MFC-based program or to a non-MFC program.

  • Additional options
    Defines the support and options for the application, depending on its type.

    Option

    Description

    Empty project

    Specifies that the project files are blank. If you have a set of source code files (such as .cpp files, header files, icons, toolbars, dialog boxes, and so on) and want to create a project in the Visual C++ development environment, you must first create a blank project, then add the files to the project.

    This selection is unavailable for static library projects.

    Export symbols

    Specifies that the DLL project exports symbols.

    Precompiled header

    Specifies that the static library project uses a pre-compiled header.

    Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) checks

    For more information about SDL, see Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) Process Guidance

  • Add support for
    Add support for one of the libraries supplied in Visual C++.

    Option

    Description

    ATL

    Builds into the project support for classes in the Active Template Library (ATL). For Win32 console applications only.

    Note   This option does not indicate support for adding ATL objects using the ATL code wizards. You can add ATL objects only to ATL projects or MFC projects with ATL support.

    MFC

    Builds into the project support for the Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) Library. For Win32 console applications and static libraries only.

See Also

Tasks

Creating a Win32 Windows Application

Reference

Win32 Application Wizard