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Windows 11, VS Professional 2019, Version 16.11.44, C++
I want to create a project that starts up with a GUI.
Select project template: Windows Desktop Application. The text states: A project for an application with a graphical user interface that runs on Windows. The options are: C++, Windows, Desktop.
Create that project, do an immediate build and run. It opens what looks like a console window. It does not open a GUI.
I suspect the basic looping function to service a GUI is not present.
Look in Solution Explorer -> Header Files, Resource files, Source Files and there is nothing that looks like a blank GUI to edit.
Look in Resource view -> Dialog and the only item there is only IDD_ABOUTBOX
Looking through all the template options does not reveal anything that looks like I need.
What are the steps to create an application with a GUI? A GUI that can be edited with the “Toolbox” and drag and drop tools?
I attempted to post this question a minute ago. After the puzzle displayed a verification complete message, the web page then proclaimed 404 - page not found. This has been common for me. Do others get this often?
And it did this a second time. And a third. Fourth.
The URL is: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2157098/create-c-gui-project
Fifth time: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2157099/create-c-gui-project
I saved those URLs and tried to visit them, 404 for each
Sixth: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2157100/create-c-gui-project
I have also experienced the frustrating situation that you have described. The tag to use when you post your complaint and ask for resolution is Microsoft Q&A
Several years ago, I very distinctly remember using VS C++ such that it created a default and simple Windows / GUI project. Without writing any code or adding any extensions, the selected project template opened up a GUI ready to use. I then opened the "Toolbox," dragged some controls on the GUI, compiled, ran, and there they were. All the support software to monitor for things such as button clicks was already present. Where do I find such a project in VS 2019? Do I need to upgrade to something later?
Following the guidance from RLWA32 on 15 Feb
Open the Visual Studio Installer and click Modify …
Action: Start VS -> Create a new Project -> Scroll down to the bottom of the templates -> click on “Install more tools and features”
Guidance: Under the "Installation Details" pane expand the node for "Desktop Development with C++".
Action: The first item was already checked. Enabled “C++ MFC for …”. Enabled “C++CLI support…” Because it was enabled in your image and not mine. Enable all the C++ Modules and tools, just to improve the odds of success. Enable: MSVC V140 – vs 2015 C++ build tools (v14.00) and build tools.
Enable five options for Windows SDK, I presume Software Development Kit, just to improve the odds of success.
Click “Install while downloading”
Waited to install to complete, paused this task for a few days
Now the system has three MFC options. Tried three times and within a few seconds of creating the Create button, received two dialogs with errors. Those will be posted.
Create a new directory: D:\VS and put the new project in there with a never before used name.
Options taken: template MFC Application, Application type changed to Dialog, in Advanced Features disable ActiveX controls.
Same results.
And to make it easy: VS Professional 2019, Version 16.11.44
Microsoft .NET Framework Version 4.8.09032
Suggestions please.
Second attempt to post this.
Following the guidance from RLWA32 on 15 Feb
Open the Visual Studio Installer and click Modify …
Action: Start VS -> Create a new Project -> Scroll down to the bottom of the templates -> click on “Install more tools and features”
Guidance: Under the "Installation Details" pane expand the node for "Desktop Development with C++".
Action: The first item was already checked. Enabled “C++ MFC for …”. Enabled “C++CLI support…” Because it was enabled in your image and not mine. Enable all the C++ Modules and tools, just to improve the odds of success. Enable: MSVC V140 – vs 2015 C++ build tools (v14.00) and build tools.
Enable five options for Windows SDK, I presume Software Development Kit, just to improve the odds of success.
Click “Install while downloading”
Waited to install to complete, paused this task for a few days
Now the system has three MFC options. Tried three times and within a few seconds of creating the Create button, received two dialogs with errors. Those will be posted.
Create a new directory: D:\VS and put the new project in there with a never before used name.
Options taken: template MFC Application, Application type changed to Dialog, in Advanced Features disable ActiveX controls.
Same results.
And to make it easy: VS Professional 2019, Version 16.11.44
Microsoft .NET Framework Version 4.8.09032
Suggestions please.
I give up. You did things that I did not tell you to do.
Third attempt to post. Cleared browsing history and restarted MS Edge
Following the guidance from RLWA32 on 15 Feb
Open the Visual Studio Installer and click Modify …
Action: Start VS -> Create a new Project -> Scroll down to the bottom of the templates -> click on “Install more tools and features”
Guidance: Under the "Installation Details" pane expand the node for "Desktop Development with C++".
Action: The first item was already checked. Enabled “C++ MFC for …”. Enabled “C++CLI support…” Because it was enabled in your image and not mine. Enable all the C++ Modules and tools, just to improve the odds of success. Enable: MSVC V140 – vs 2015 C++ build tools (v14.00) and build tools.
Enable five options for Windows SDK, I presume Software Development Kit, just to improve the odds of success.
Click “Install while downloading”
Waited to install to complete, paused this task for a few days
Now the system has three MFC options. Tried three times and within a few seconds of creating the Create button, received two dialogs with errors. Those will be posted.
Create a new directory: D:\VS and put the new project in there with a never before used name.
Options taken: template MFC Application, Application type changed to Dialog, in Advanced Features disable ActiveX controls.
Same results.
And to make it easy: VS Professional 2019, Version 16.11.44
Microsoft .NET Framework Version 4.8.09032
Suggestions please.
Fourth attempt to post here.
I followed the instructions and added the MFC components.
The first item was already checked. Enabled “C++ MFC for …”.
Enabled “C++CLI support…” Because it was enabled in your image and not mine. Enable all the C++ Modules and tools, just to improve the odds of success. Enable: MSVC V140 – vs 2015 C++ build tools (v14.00) and build tools.
Enable five options for Windows SDK, I presume Software Development Kit, just to improve the odds of success.
Click “Install while downloading”
Waited to install to complete, paused this task for a few days.
Started a new project using template: MFC App, where the description is: Builds apps with complex user interfaces the run on Windows.
Left almost all the options unchanged, but disabled ActiveX.
The build failed complaining about: Error HRESULT E_FAIL. Did a few searches then created a completely new directory for my projects and tried again. Same error. I will post the two error dialogs.
Have you any suggestions?
Oops, after I post, I now see my previous post.
My apologies.
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Something in VS (such as VS configuration files) may be corrupted, or this is a potential issue in previous versions of Visual Studio. Delete the .vs and .suo files, then reopen the project.
With no further answers posted I gave up and uninstalled VS 2019 then discovered I cannot find the install app for it. Searches for 2019 produced results that said load one of several older versions, but always went to version 2022.
So found I had kept a 2017 install app and re-installed that. Now am working on any path to create an app with a dialog. Template Windows Desktop Application C++ appears to do that and provides no options. Build the initial project, it appears to open a dialog.
BUT, I cannot find the dialog to edit.
Well, keep searching and see what I can find.
You can use CreateDialogA in Win32 to display a dialog as the main window manually.
ATL project is different from MFC.
@Bryan Kelly, Please create a new MFC dialog-based project. Do NOT add ATL support.When the project has been created you should be able to build it and run it immediately and a dialog should appear as the main window as before. Close the application and return to the VS2017 IDE tht has the open MFC dialog-based project.
In the solution explorer pane select the project. Right click and pick Add New Item. In the next dialog under Visual C++ select MFC and pick "MFC Class" as seen here -
Add the new class to your project. You should now see
You need to make a few changes. First, change the Base class from CWnd to CDialogEx or CDialog -
After making that change you need to assign a Dialog ID -
Now accept the changes and click the OK button. MFC will create the header file (.h) for the new dialog, its implementation code (.cpp) and will create the dialog resource. If you go to the resource view you should be able to now see the new dialog and add controls to it from the toolbox.
Now it is up to you to add the code in your application to invoke the dialog by instantiating an instance of the new MFC class and calling its DoModal function.
@Bryan Kelly, Did you try my instructions to add another dialog to your VS2017 MFC dialog-based application?