For a simple C++ program you should be able to do it even when Visual Studio is not installed in the other machine. Since you have mentioned it as simple C++ program, I assume it is a console program and that you have forgotten to include a cin statement at the end of the program. This makes the output window to close immediately after it finished its operation.

you can also use statement before the return statement to make the program pause till you press a key.

I thought Ive read on several occasions that this should be avoided since it is bad programming

If that is true, accept my appologies. Why is it bad?

system() function takes a lot of time to execute. There are better ways to do that which do not use cmd.com (or command.com).

Thanks a lot.

Or simply have the user go to a dos prompt before executing the program.

So?

system("cls") is non-standard and doesn't work across operating systems -- for examp unix uses system("clear"), and I suppose apple uses something else. If you want to write ANSI C or C++ then you must stay clear of system() function. But you can ignore that little detail when writing small example programs for yourself that you never indend for anyone else to see.

its not a win32 console app. with simple empty application...no not that...
i actually started this prog by selecting a C++ source filefrom files section in the wizard...later compiled the prog it asked tocreatethe workspace sodid taht... prog worked fine its in debug mode... as its a c++ source file the moment i created and built the prog its in debug mode...
wheni deploy it in another sys which doesn't have VS or any other .net or VC++ or vB installed.. its giving problemit just closes doen't give the o/p even i hve set the puse aslobut no luck plz help