h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've just started to play with C++ programming in VS.NET, and thought I'd start off with a quick MFC application.
My problem is that when I create a new MFC app via the wizard, selecting an SDI version but leaving all default options untouched, I can't find a way to get the main window up in some kind of design view so I can place objects on it, etc.
There doesn't seem to be any resource generated which relates to the main window, even though the help files seem to suggest there should be (as a dialog in Resource View?).

I'm sure I'm missing something really obvious, but I've been poking around for hours without any success. Any ideas?

OK, forget the above.
I'd *assumed* that MFC was similar to the Borland way of building apps visually, (get an automatic main form to put components on, double-click on menu items to bring up the relevant code, etc) which appears to be the way VB and C# do things, but it seems to be rather more complicated than that.
I've found a more-relevant part of the MS helpfiles, and will try to work my way through that.

Trying to make a new C++ Win32 app gives the same 'where's the main form' problem, so I'm wondering if I have a wider problem. Maybe I'll try reinstallation before doing anything else.

.Net Studio isn't the easiest of SDKs to install, in often takes me three or four times to get it installed properly.

It's worth it though.

I think there was a site called asp.net or something similar that had some good tutorials/tips for .Net on it, not just for asp.net but the lot of it. Mind you, that was almost a year ago before most people were using .Net so there's bound to be something better around now.

Remove/reinstall didn't work.
As far as I can tell from reading the helpfiles there should be some accessible main form for SDI MFC apps, but I'm bu&&ered if I can find it.

A *Dialog* MFC app does have a main window I can do things with, but then I'd have to build all the menus manually (though I'd also have to in Borland C++ Bulder), and also delete the dialog buttons etc that I didn't want.
There doesn't seem to be the equivalent of a blank Borland app with an empty main form, though there is in C# and VB.

Maybe I should just buy a C# book? I looked at VB for a while but it's just too horrible.

There were definatley some really good only help forums a while ago, unfotunatley I can't remember where they were as my current job has me coding in php/mysql and not .Net. I'll try and remember to have a look though, although if you search Google I'm sure you'll find them.

As for the books, the only books I'd advocate are Wrox, who's parent company went bankrupt and the rescuing company are only releasing a limited number of the previous range.

Or, if you can somehow foot the bill, try the 'Safari . oreilly . com' library - it's like subscribing to an array of books.

I've found it very useful - not as much for programming (yet) but for web and print design programme books.

(I'll follow the conversation if you don't mind - I probably have to give up VBA and switch to VS.NET at some time... )