How about Visual Studio Express?

"Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows Desktop enables the creation of
desktop apps in C#, Visual Basic, and C++, and supports Windows Presentatio=
n
Foundation (WPF), Windows Forms, and Win32."

http://www.visualstudio.com/downloads/download-visual-studio-vs

Allen

> -----Original Message-----
> From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf
Of
> William Couture
> Sent: Monday, January 20, 2014 10:16 AM
> To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> Subject: [OT] Where to start with simple Windows programming?
>=20
> Sorry if this is too off-topic, but this is a problem I can't ignore
> anymore.
>=20
> I've been using the same C compiler since the mid-1980's to write whateve=
r
> little utilities I need.  Needless to say, it produces 16-bit DOS code.
>=20
> Well, Windows XP support is coming to an end, and the "current" Windows 7
/
> Windows 8.x don't support old 16-bit DOS applications.
>=20
> So, what can I use as an easy-to-learn replacement?
>=20
> I usually write something that does serial I/O (write to serial port, get
> reply,
> format to screen, repeat as necessary), file format filtering (read line
of
> file,
> parse/format as necessary, write to STDOUT and redirect to file on the
> command line), and"glue" for stringing together multiple executables in
> batch files (get user options, call executable, display return code in
> human readable format, repeat as necessary).
>=20
> C-like syntax definitely preferred.
>=20
> And I'm sure the option of a virtual machine under Win7/Win8.x will come
> up, which would be perfectly fine, but I haven't heard of one what will
> interact with the actual "live" Windows file system.  If you know of one,
> please let me know.
>=20
> Thanks!
>    Bill
>=20
>=20
> --
> Psst...  Hey, you... Buddy...  Want a kitten?  straycatblues.petfinder.or=
g
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