This module introduces you to some basic differences between C and C++ and gives you the skills you need to start writing C++ programs.
You will learn:
- How simple input and output are handled
- How the structure of C and C++ programs differ
- About the use of
bool expressions
- How C++ handles strings
- How C++ makes casts safer
- How declarations of enumerated types are handled in C++
- How C++ handles the scope of a declaration
- How to write comments in the single-line style
At the end of the module, you will be given the opportunity to take a quiz covering these topics.
Modern C++ is programming using the features of the latest incarnation of C++. This is the C++ language defined by the C++ 11 standard, which is being modestly extended and improved by the latest standard, C++ 14.
This course relates to C++ as defined by C++14. There is no doubt that C++ is the most widely used and most powerful programming language in the world today, especially for microprocessors and embedded systems.
If you were just going to learn one programing language, C++ is the ideal choice. It is effective for developing applications across an enormous range of computing devices and environments: for
- personal computers,
- workstations,
- mainframe computers,
- tablets, and
- mobile phones.
Just about any kind of program can be written in C++ from device drivers to operating systems, from payroll and administrative programs to games. C++ compilers come in a large variety and there are up-to-date compilers that run on PCs, workstations, and mainframes, often with cross-compiling capabilities, where you can develop the code in one environment and compile it to execute in another.
C++ comes with a very extensive Standard Library. This is a huge collection of routines and definitions that provide functionality that is required by many programs.
Examples are
- numerical calculations,
- string processing,
- sorting and searching,
- organizing and managing data, and
- input and output.
The Standard Library is so vast that I will only scratch the surface of what is available. Beginning STL is a companion book that is a tutorial on using the Standard Template Library, which is the subset of the C++ Standard Library for managing and processing data in various ways.
Given the scope of the language and the extent of the library, it is not unusual for a beginner to find C++ somewhat daunting. It is too extensive to learn in its entirety from a single book.
However, you do not need to learn all of C++ to be able to write substantial programs. You can approach the language step by step, in which case it really is not difficult. An analogy might be learning to drive a car.
You can certainly become a very competent and safe driver without necessarily having the knowledge and experience to drive in the Indy 500. With this course you can learn everything you need to program effectively in C++.