Prestwood IT Newsletter Aug 2011 Issue - C++ Edition

C++/CLI supports the const and static const keywords of standard C++ as well as the new literal keyword. A literal is equivalent to static const in standard C++ and Microsoft's documentation recommends to replace static const with the new literal keyword because a leteral is available in metadata; a static const variable is not available in metadata to other compilers.

You can use static const within the class declaration or locally within a method. However, literal is only valid in the class declaration section and const is only valid within a method.

//some method {

const String^ MyName = "John";


static const Int32 MyAge = 27;

//}

// public class SomeClass : public Object {


public:


  literal double Pi = 3.14159;


  literal String^ MyName = "Mike";


  static const Int32 MyAge = 35;

//...

Use two forward slashes to represent a single line comment:

// This is a C++ style single line comment.

You can also use multiple line comments:

/*
This is a mutliple line comment. This
syntax is borrowed from C.
*/