[zerr]

(Not so) funny that there was nothing "visual" in Visual C++. The dialog resource editor was a joke. I remember how I was relieved when I discovered Borland C++Builder, so I didn't have to switch to Delphi for Windows software development.

[pjmlp]

Even worse, to this day, Microsoft has completely failed to produce anything comparable to C++ Builder due to the internal feuds around C++ and COM.

C++/CLI could have been it (after the Managed C++ reboot), but its integration with Windows Forms has always been clunky, nevermind WPF.

Then C++/CX could have been it, but then there was this rebellion replacing it with C++/WinRT, nowadays in maintenance, only getting bug fixes, being good enough for WinUI 2.0 and WinAppSDK low level stuff and that is about it.

I was big into Borland from their early MS-DOS compilers, all the way into 1999.

Embarcadero might not be Borland, but still manages to put out great GUI RAD tooling, whereas Microsoft lost sight of what means a great developer experience for native applications.