The .NET Framework creates a level playing field upon which all languages are equal, so using C++ to develop your Windows applications is no guarantee of high performance. However, Visual C++ .NET is the only language that"s capable of mixing managed and unmanaged code, offering ways to integrate your existing code base with new .NET development that no other language can match. Additionally, the expansion of ATL into web application programming brings with it the possibility of writing web services that outperform anything developed in ASP.NET. In this book, we provide you with a guide to both paths. In the first half, we explore the .NET Framework and examine its properties in C++ terms. In the second, we see that traditional C++ programming still has a big part to play on the stage of distributed computing. What does the book cover? Changes and improvements to the Visual C++ IDE Complete introduction to using the Managed Extensions for C++ The role of attributes in .NET and COM programming Assemblies, and their support for strong naming and versioning Interoperation between managed and unmanaged code The RCW mechanism for COM and .NET interoperability ATL 7.0, ATL Server, and ATL Server web services The .NET Framework as a Windows class library