# Porting from Microsoft* Visual C++* to the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic

This section describes a basic approach to porting applications from Microsoft* Visual C++* for Windows* to the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic for Windows.

If you build your applications from the Windows command line, you can port applications from Microsoft Visual C++ to the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic by modifying your makefile to invoke the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic instead of Microsoft Visual C++.

The Intel® C++ Compiler Classic integration with Microsoft Visual Studio provides a conversion path to the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic that allows you to build your Visual C++ projects with the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic. This version of the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic supports:

- Microsoft Visual Studio 2019

- Microsoft Visual Studio 2017

See the appropriate section in this documentation for details on using the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic with Microsoft Visual Studio.

The Intel® C++ Compiler Classic also supports many of the same compiler options, macros, and environment variables you already use in your Microsoft work.

One challenge in porting applications from one compiler to another is making sure there is support for the compiler options you use to build your application. The Compiler Options reference lists compiler options that are supported by both the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic and Microsoft C++.

Parent topic: Portability

- Modifying Your makefile
- Other Considerations

## See Also

Other Considerations
Modifying Your Makefile