Overview of C++ Programming

Overview of C++

• C++ is a general-purpose programming language that is widely used for system programming, game development, and other applications.
• It is an extension of the C programming language, adding object-oriented programming features.
• C++ is known for its performance, flexibility, and control over hardware resources.
• It is a structured, imperative programming language, supporting different programming paradigms, including procedural, object-oriented, and generic programming.
• C++ is compiled rather than interpreted.

Key Features

• Compiled Language: C++ code is compiled into machine code, resulting in fast execution speed.
• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): C++ supports OOP concepts like classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation, allowing for modular and reusable code.
• Memory Management: C++ provides both automatic and manual memory management, with fine-grained control over memory allocations and de-allocations. This allows for efficient memory use in some applications. Manually managing memory is considered more challenging and prone to errors but gives the programmer greater control.
• Low-Level Access: C++ allows direct interaction with hardware, making it suitable for embedded systems and other applications requiring hardware control.
• Standard Template Library (STL): This extensive library provides pre-built data structures and algorithms, improving development efficiency.
• Pointers and References: C++ uses pointers and references extensively to manipulate memory directly and to pass data efficiently between functions. While powerful, they can also increase the difficulty of debugging if not used correctly.
• Generics: C++ supports generic programming, enabling the creation of reusable code for various data types.

Data Types

• C++ provides a variety of built-in data types, including:
  • Integer types (e.g., int, short, long)
  • Floating-point types (e.g., float, double)
  • Character types (e.g., char)
  • Boolean type (bool)
• Users can also define custom data types using structures and classes.

Control Flow

• The language provides standard control flow structures, like:
  • Conditional statements (if, else if, else)
  • Loops (for, while, do-while)
  • Switch statements

Functions

• C++ uses functions to modularize code, dividing the program into smaller, manageable blocks of code.
• Functions can perform specific tasks and return values.

Classes and Objects

• C++ classes are fundamental to object-oriented programming.
• Classes define a blueprint for creating objects, which are instances of the class.
• Classes contain data members (variables) and member functions (methods) that operate on the data.

Memory Management

• Static Allocation: Memory allocated at compile time has a fixed size and location, often part of the program's global area.
• Dynamic Allocation: Memory allocated during program execution using new and delete operators, allowing for flexible management of the program's memory during run time.
• Stack vs. Heap: Memory is allocated to variables on the stack or on the heap depending on how the programmer defines them.
  • Stack memory is typically faster but has limited size and automatically manages allocation.
  • Heap memory is flexible but requires manual management.

Input/Output (I/O)

• C++ provides standard input/output functionalities using streams (like cin, cout).
• I/O libraries offer functions for interacting with files and other input streams

Standard Template Library (STL)

• The STL provides container classes (e.g., vectors, lists, maps) and algorithms, reducing coding time.
• STL components offer convenient ways to build data structures and perform calculations and searches.

Modern C++ Features

• Lambda expressions: Allow creating anonymous functions directly within code.
• Smart Pointers: Automate memory management within classes.
• Move Semantics: Improve memory efficiency by moving resources rather than copying them.
• Ranges: Provide a powerful way to interact with data sequences.