# CodeGuru Technical FAQs > CodeGuru Individual FAQs >  C++ String: How to use 'CString' in non-MFC applications?

## Gabriel Fleseriu

*Users of Visual Studio 2003 and newer may directly go to the next post#2 and skip this one.

- - -

Q:* How to use 'CString' in non-MFC applications?

*A:* In most cases, you don't need to do that. In order to use 'CString' you have to statically or dynamically link your application to the _entire_ MFC. This would not only increase the size of your executable file, the number of its dependencies, but also makes your program non-portable (especially if it is a Console application).

The recommended solution is to use the Standard C++ Class 'std::string'. It is as powerful as 'CString', is portable, using it does not imply adding a huge amount of things you don't need to your project and last, but not least, it is _part of the programming language_.

This being said, if you still want to use 'CString' in your non-MFC application, here it is whar you have to do:
Include 'afx.h' in one of your main headersOpen the menu 'Project -> Settings'. On the 'General' register of the settings dialog box choose 'Use MFC in a Shared DLL' or 'Use MFC in a Static Library' from the dropdown box called 'Microsoft Foundation Classes'.Rebuild your project.A simple sample of a console application using 'CString' looks like this:



```
#include <afx.h>
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
  CString s("Hello");
  std::cout << s.GetBuffer(0) << std::endl;
  return 0;
}
```

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## Siddhartha

Starting VS 2003, you can use CString in non-MFC applications by including header atlstr.h:


```
#include <atlstr.h>
```

A sample console application with CString:


```
#include <atlstr.h>
#include <iostream>

int main ()
{
CString strTest (_T("This is a CString in a console application!"));
 
#ifdef UNICODE
   std::wcout << (LPCTSTR)strTest;
#else
   std::cout << (LPCTSTR)strTest;
#endif
 
return 0;
}
```

You can also use CStringA as a ANSI string class, and CStringW as a wide-character string class.

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