GUI applications

[againtry]

You don't need to learn C# but it could help, and it's not bad anyway - bit like Java.
If you can handle Qt/Qt Creator you can handle VStudio, but signals and slots are not VStudio

[deleted account xyzzy]

Creating Windows GUI apps, using Visual Studio with the MS libraries only (Win32 API):
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/walkthrough-creating-windows-desktop-applications-cpp?view=vs-2019

AFAIK there are design tools available only when creating a Windows Form app. It is possible to create a WinForm app with C++:
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/a9529502-6304-4aa6-90ee-0757ab258d87/create-c-windows-forms-application-in-visual-studio-2017

Not standard C++, MS bastardized C++.

[seeplus]

Not standard C++, MS bastardized C++.

Yeah - called C++/CLI. Herb Sutter's baby. It's C++ on top of .net and so produces a .net application and not 'standard' .exe. It 'extends' the C++ language to include topics such as 'boxing' etc for managed .net objects. IMO if you want to use .net you'd be better off learning/using c# which is designed for .net.

There's also now C++/WINRT for Windows 10 (any platform). See:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/cpp-and-winrt-apis/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/cpp-and-winrt-apis/get-started

[deleted account xyzzy]

I try to avoid using the 'Universal Windows Platform" dreck. Mostly from lack of desire to learn the API. Keeping up with the changes to standard C++ is a bit daunting when doing the self-taught routine.

I prefer the Petzold Win32 API approach. As clunky as that can be. MS changed the Win32 API in enough places that code from his 5th edition requires some updating/rewriting.

Windows apps are complicated enough, compared to C++ console apps. I am not planning on developing apps for Windows devices other than a regular Windows PC desktop.