11.27. Is MFC Dead?

I thought this would be a great time to address a VERY WRONG rumor/opinion that MFC is dead that I've been seeing on the newsgroups for the last several months. There have been so many rumors that I thought it would be fun to take a look at the top ten rumors behind MFC's ill reported demise:

They are:

10.  Microsoft will replace MFC with ATL.

  9.   I read that MFC is in "maintenance mode" in a magazine (it's true that Windows Tech Journal did incorrectly report this. The irony is that Oakley actually "died" and MFC is really alive.)

  8.  VC++ 5.0 didn't have a major release of MFC, so it is dead.

  7.  There are just no more features that could be added to MFC.

  6.  Java will kill C++, thus killing MFC.

  5.  There is nobody on the MFC team anymore - they have all moved to different areas of Microsoft.

  4.  Microsoft stopped the Visual C++ subscription program, so MFC is dead.

  3.  I read a posting on a newsgroup from this guy in Portugal that heard from a friend at Microsoft that MFC is dead.

  2.  Stingray has done such a great job filling the holes in MFC that Microsoft decided they couldn't keep up.

 

And finally, the number one reason that people think MFC is dead….

 

  1.  Aliens have abducted the MFC team and they are now hiding behind a Comet touring the Universe, instead of working on MFC.

The truth of the matter is that MFC is NOT DEAD! Don't believe me? Well maybe you will believe it from the horses mouth, here is an MFC FAQ submission from Mike Blaszczak, who is the current MFC Team Lead, on the subject of MFC's incorrectly rumored demise:

Q: Is MFC dead?

A: No. MFC continues to grow and change as the operating system grows and changes, and as the needs of our users continue to grow and mature. During the summer of 1997, some MFC team members will provide presentations under strict non-disclosure agreements that explain some of the planning that's happening for the next version of the product. But the caveat in the above question still strongly applies: the development of the product might change directions to fill an unforeseen pressing need, but the product is by no means dead.

-Mike Blaszczak (mikeblas@microsoft.com)

So there you have it folks, those of you that were genuinely concerned (like me!) that MFC was in maintenance mode, or never going to see another major revision, you can sleep again. For those of you that continue to spread the incorrect rumor that MFC is dead - stop it! If you see anyone posting to newsgroups that MFC is dead, please help set the record straight and feel free to copy this portion of the MFC FAQ and paste it right into a reply.

I think that this was a big conspiracy by the old Borland OWL team (or maybe JavaSoft) to scare people away from MFC.

Together we can stop the madness! LONG LIVE MFC!!! (Wow - I'm glad I finally was able to get that off my chest <g>)

Another piece of exciting news is that one of the old-time MFC team members is back on the MFC Team! After a tour through one of Microsoft's Java teams, Dean has rejoined the ranks of the MFC Team. FYI, Dean wrote large chunks of the OLE support in MFC, etc.. Rumor also has it that Dean has a girlfriend now, so he probably won't be pulling too many all-nighters, at least on MFC <g>

scot@stingray.com