User interface development with C++ for Windows applications can be a challenging experience. When Visual Basic first appeared all those years ago, developers flocked to it because building a user interface in it was so much more productive than building the equivalent UI using C++, and C++ has never really caught up since.

Over recent years, with Microsoft moving away from WinForms, and the rise of declarative interface design with XAML, building a flexible yet powerful user interface has never been easier. The functionality offered by XAML-based UI technologies is impressive, with data binding in particular being a genuine productivity enhancement.

Meanwhile, C++ developers have seemingly been left further and further behind. The most common source of user interface development is typically found in game studios. Starting with Visual Studio 2012, the power and flexibility of the XAML-based user interface design is now available for C++ developers, making C++ a legitimate...