[sdeming]

I'm not likely to ever use VC++ 6 again since I've started using the .NET version. As for learning, I am not sure there is a better environment out there than what you get with Visual C++. I do all of my C++ development in VC++, even the stuff that is targetted for Solaris. Building the makefile to build C++ code on Solaris is fairly simple from the VC++ project files.

I've never looked at the MySQL C++ API, simply because I hate using proprietary software. We started out using a crude Informix C++ API, I hated it. So I spent long nights rebuilding the Java JDBC API in C++ using ODBC/CLI and never looked back.

One thing though, if you use VS.NET and MC++ (managed) you'll have no troubles talking with any database since the ADODB stuff is exposed automatically. .NET is incredible. Depending on your goals as a software developer, you may want to stick with just that. Maybe learn C# as well.

C++, all told, takes about 2 years of 40 hour weeks and fairly constant development to fully understand.