Many talented C++ programmers still think that calling Web services from C++ is difficult. Tom Archer illustrates that using the .NET XmlTextReader and XmlDocument classes make this task a snap.

Tom Archer explains the low-level details of why the ShellExecute function isn't dependable in a mixed-mode application. He then offers a couple of workarounds to this limitation.

Converting between types is frequently a sticking point for coders new to mixing MFC and .NET. Tom Archer illustrates some basic conversions that will help you should you get stuck in a painful series of compiler error messages about type mismatches.

Tom Archer illustrates the basics of defining functions with Managed Extensions C++ that receive and return arrays. He also provides a helpful set of macros and typedefs that make this task much more intuitive and error-free.

Sometimes the answer to a common problem is very easy once you know where to look. In this week's installment of the ".NET Tips & Techniques" column, learn how the Globalization classes can make validating any date format a snap.

Allowing users to enter formatted text is a great addition to any user interface. In this article, Tom Archer shows you how to save the user's formatted text to a SQL Server database.