The WRL project template to download

Just update your Visual Studio to download the WRL Project template here. It allows to target WinRT component.

Be careful, you have to update your project with Linker -> Windows Metadata -> Generate Windows Metadata to TRUE.

This project template allows to build WinRT components using the real C++. Not the C++/CX compiler extensions.

Building WinRT or COM Components with C++ and WRL

When you want to make Windows 8.x applications using C++, there are few possibilities:

• using C++/CX which are C++ compiler extensions
• using WRL in standard C++ project

C++/CX is a complete change for writting C++ classes. The pointer and references symbols have changed. You have to pass only Windows Runtime types in your methods. Objects need to be constructed using ref new instead of new. Example:

// h file
namespace WindowsRuntimeComponent1
{
public ref class Logger sealed
{
public:
Logger();

public:
void LogInfo(String^ message);
};
}

// cpp file
using namespace WindowsRuntimeComponent1;

Logger::Logger()
{
}

void Logger::LogInfo(String^ message)
{
std::wstring str = message->Data();
String^ str2 = ref new String();
str2 = L"hello String^";
}

C++/CX is easy but your code is completely stucked with thoses ugly C++/CX extensions. There is another way to make WinRT components. This is the Microsoft way of doing things. It is called WRL, Windows Runtime Library. It is like ATL, the new ATL. Here is an example of a WinRT component using WRL:

// idl file
import "inspectable.idl";
import "Windows.Foundation.idl";

#define COMPONENT_VERSION 1.0

namespace Library1
{
interface ILogger;
runtimeclass Logger;

[uuid(3EC4B4D6-14A6-4D0D-BB96-31DA25224A15), version(COMPONENT_VERSION), exclusiveto(Logger)]
interface ILogger : IInspectable
{
HRESULT LogInfo([in] HSTRING value);
HRESULT GetInt32([out] int * pValue);
}

[version(COMPONENT_VERSION), activatable(COMPONENT_VERSION)]
runtimeclass Logger
{
[default] interface ILogger;
}
}

// h file
namespace ABI
{
namespace Library1
{
class Logger : public RuntimeClass<ILogger>
{
InspectableClass(L"Library1.Logger", BaseTrust)

public:
Logger();

public:
STDMETHOD(LogInfo)(HSTRING value);
STDMETHOD(GetInt32)(int * pValue);
};

ActivatableClass(Logger);
}
}

// cpp file
namespace ABI
{
namespace Library1
{
Logger::Logger()
{
}

STDMETHODIMP Logger::LogInfo(HSTRING value)
{
HString str;
str.Set(value);
std::wstring ws = str.GetRawBuffer(nullptr);
return S_OK;
}

STDMETHODIMP Logger::GetInt32(int * pValue)
{
*pValue = 10;
return S_OK;
}
}
}

With this kind of code, you stay with the real C++ and you use the built-in Windows type.
For string handling, there is a new handle or pointer called HSTRING and the WRL class that handles it is HString.

With WRL you can also create standard COM components. You just have to change the header or your classes to use a different RuntimeClass template and adjust your IDL file to use COM built-in types:

// idl file
import "oaidl.idl";
import "ocidl.idl";

#define COMPONENT_VERSION 1.0

[uuid(3AAF07AA-A699-4E7C-8F01-BFF237D22B1B), version(COMPONENT_VERSION)]
interface ILogger : IUnknown
{
HRESULT LogInfo([in] BSTR bstrMessage);
}

[uuid(F15D3912-E8B8-40C8-8CF3-354F0B8B93CC), version(COMPONENT_VERSION)]
library WRLCOMLibrary1
{
[uuid(75DB8F5A-F13F-4E16-A487-9CD26A874654), version(COMPONENT_VERSION)]
coclass Logger
{
[default] interface ILogger;
}
}

// h file
class Logger : public RuntimeClass<RuntimeClassFlags<ClassicCom>, ILogger>
{
public:
Logger();

public:
STDMETHOD(LogInfo)(BSTR bstrMessage);
};

CoCreatableClass(Logger);

This kind of construction works if you build a standard Win32 dll and add runtimeobject.lib to your linker input.

New Web site and new blog with a Microsoft Hosting for $1 per month

I have a domain name, christophep.com, registered at godaddy.com. This domain name is now pointing to a web hosting provider named ASPHostPortal. I have chosen the simple Windows Shared Hosting plan with a 3 year pay for just $1 per month. It is cheap. I have an IIS Web site configured with ASP.NET 4.0. I can can create multiple subdomains and virtual directories.

To test the main virtual directory, I have installed some aspx pages that I have made previously with OfficeLive Small Business site with some minor modifications. It works well.

For the blog, I have created a sub domain name myblog.christophep.com. I have downloaded DasBlog at codeplex.com. The current version is 2.3.1. The web application is made for ASP.NET 2.0 but the web.config file contains a comment for including a directive specific for ASP.NET 4.0.

I have uploaded the entire directory with pages and binary assemblies (compiled for .NET 2.0). It just works.

Building Boost 1.55 with Visual Studio 2012 and msvc-11

To build Boost last version 1.55, you need Visual Studio 2012 and its native tools command prompt. Just run the bootstrap.bat file and then:

bjam toolset=msvc-11.0 variant=debug,release threading=multi link=shared

It is done.