Windows SDK Documentation

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Visual Studio: The recommended IDE for Windows development. Download the latest version from the Visual Studio website. During installation, make sure to select the "Desktop development with C++" workload.
• Windows SDK: This is typically installed as part of the "Desktop development with C++" workload in Visual Studio. If not, you can install it separately via the Visual Studio Installer.

Creating the Project

1. Launch Visual Studio.
2. Click on "Create a new project".
3. In the search bar, type Console App and select the template for C++.
4. Click "Next".
5. Configure your project:
   • Project name: Enter HelloWorldCPP.
   • Location: Choose a directory where you want to save your project.
   • Solution name: It will typically default to the project name.
6. Click "Create".

Writing the Code

Visual Studio will generate a basic .cpp file for you. Replace the default content with the following code:

#include <iostream>
#include <windows.h> // Required for Windows-specific functions if needed later

int main() {
    std::cout << "Hello, World!" << std::endl;

    // Keep the console window open until a key is pressed
    std::cout << std::endl << "Press any key to exit..." << std::endl;
    std::cin.get(); 

    return 0;
}

Explanation:

• #include <iostream>: This line includes the standard input/output stream library, which provides functionalities like std::cout for output.
• #include <windows.h>: This header file contains declarations for most Windows API functions. While not strictly necessary for this simple "Hello, World!", it's good practice to include it for Windows development.
• int main() { ... }: This is the entry point of your C++ application.
• std::cout << "Hello, World!" << std::endl;: This line prints the string "Hello, World!" to the console, followed by a newline character (std::endl).
• std::cin.get();: This pauses the program execution, waiting for the user to press any key. This is useful in console applications to prevent the window from closing immediately after displaying output.

Building and Running the Application

1. Build the project: Press F7 or go to Build > Build Solution.
2. Run the application: Press Ctrl+F5 (Start Without Debugging) or go to Debug > Start Without Debugging. This will compile your code and launch the executable.

You should see a console window appear with the text:

Hello, World!

Press any key to exit...