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Best blog comment ever

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Just had to share this.  We received this message via the feedback form on the VC++ team blog:

My text book says to make a simple program.

None of the new files have the option(simple program).

 

What would be the correct file?

A File|New|Simple Program wizard would indeed be handy! Probably second in usefulness only to the Project|Simplify wizard.  :)

Comments

  • Anonymous
    April 17, 2007
    In all fairness though, I've often observed the choice from File->New->Project confuse new VC++ users. In the general sense there are 4 things you might want to build:  1. A console app  2. A detached/windowed app  3. A static library  4. A dynamic library Who would have guessed that #3 and #4 are hiding under #1 and #2 headings, and that among the long list these are the "Win32" project types?  These are essentially your "simple" projects, shouldn't they be the most prominent and labeled as such?  ;^)

  • Anonymous
    April 17, 2007
    VC++6 made it a bit easier for novices to notice that there were a ton of options that could be set when creating simple projects.  Of course some were less simple than others.  VS2005 makes it too easy not to notice that the options are still available.  Of course one can get used to either version, and then one is used to either version. I'm a bit more troubled by the fact that the simple projects still have simple bugs, which experienced users have grown used to correcting, but which novice users are still learning to perpetuate.  The wizards shouldn't have been resolved as "won't fix".

  • Anonymous
    April 19, 2007
    Indeed, not to take away from the fact that it really should be simple to create a simple project, but I did find the message amuzing. At any rate, to provide a little more serious insight into our thinking here, we're not optimizing Visual C++ as it exists within the Visual Studio suite for entry-level developers.  We're optimizing for the pro market in VS.  However, we are optimizing for entry level developers in VC++ Express, and I fully agree that there is a lot more we could do there to better support typical C/C++ textbook-style projects.

  • Anonymous
    April 23, 2007
    For learners, the VS wizard should maybe ask whether the project is part of an existing solution or a new one, but then it should definitely ask explicitly whether it is managed or native code (many learners are totally unaware that things in MS C++ are no longer as their ANSI C++ textbook says!), whether it is a console or GUI app (or Web, library, etc.), and if a console app (las is likely for learners) then whether to pre-populate it with template code or create an empty .cpp file.  It's too intimidating to try to learn C++ and VS at one swoop!   The novice's first app likely won't link due to his failure to specify to VS that this is indeed a simple program, and he will give up (or turn to gcc instead). Anyway, let's feel some sympathy for his failure to understand how to get started.  How many help desk calls every day ask something like, "The message on the screen says "Hit any key", but I can find the 'any' key on my keyboard!"

  • Anonymous
    April 23, 2007
    Wil... you pretty much had me until the "turn to gcc" part.  I have a hard time seeing someone being quickly productive with gcc if he or she can't figure out the VS IDE.