Beginner question about differences between VS 6.0 and VS .NET 2005

[dstrain]

I'm a complete beginner to programming and have started taking an intro to programming course at the local college. The language used for the class is C++, and in the computer lab Visual Studio 6 is used. However, I was able to get a copy of Visual Studio .NET 2005 from work to use at home. Right off the bat I noticed that in VS 2005 I couldn't just open up an existing .cpp file from the lab book's CD and compile/build, like I could in VS 6.

I asked the instructor about this and she said that I can't use VS 2005, and that VS 6 is the version I need.

Can someone explain why this is? Am I overlooking something?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[cpjust]

Visual Studio 6 uses .dsp & .dsw files for Projects & Workspaces. Visual Studio .NET uses .vcproj & .sln for Projects & Solutions. They aren't compatible.
You can easily create your own project and import the .cpp & .h files from your class though.

 

[dstrain]

Thanks for the tip, but I'm still confused as to the which steps to take to get my existing .cpp file imported. All I want to do is open a single .cpp file from the lab CD and compile it. In VS 6 that's only about 2 steps, open file, then compile. In 2005 it's like a maze of solutions and projects and I still can't seem to get it working.

I think I'm going to have to track down a copy of VS 6 somehow because I'm spending more time trying to figure how to do this one step than I am on studying.

Thanks.

 

[ArkM]

A file copied from CD has read-only attribute, off it.
VS 6 creates temporary project when you try to compile a single file. I think, VS 2005 does the same op.
There is a wonderful thing in VS 2005 (and others: on-line help...