It is an unsubtle hint that they want you to stop creating C++/CLI Winforms applications. The plumbing is still in place however, at least for VS2012 and VS2013. This might not be the case in a future one. You can turn a CLR console application into a Winforms application with these steps: Start with File … Read more
This is C++/CLI and the caret is the managed equivalent of a * (pointer) which in C++/CLI terminology is called a ‘handle’ to a ‘reference type’ (since you can still have unmanaged pointers). (Thanks to Aardvark for pointing out the better terminology.)
Standard ‘learning the language’ warning: This isn’t C++ you’re writing, it’s C++/CLI. C++/CLI is a language from Microsoft intended to allow C# or other .Net languages to interface with unmanaged C++. In that scenario, C++/CLI can provide the translation between the two. If you’re still learning C++, please do not start with C++/CLI. In order … Read more