Introduction to C++
This article aims to providing a deep understanding of multiple concepts of C++ to a beginner. For better performance, it is systematically classified into proper subheadings.
C++ is a powerful and versatile programming language that is widely used for software development. It is an extension of the C programming language and provides additional features such as object-oriented programming (OOP) and template metaprogramming. C++ is known for its efficiency, performance, and ability to create low-level system software as well as high-level applications.
C++ was first developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in the 1980s as an extension of the C language. It was initially called "C with Classes" and later renamed to C++ to reflect its enhanced capabilities. C++ has since become one of the most popular programming languages, widely used in areas such as game development, embedded systems, desktop applications, server-side software, and more.
One of the key features of C++ is its support for object-oriented programming (OOP), which allows developers to create classes and objects to encapsulate data and behavior into reusable code modules. C++ also supports other programming paradigms such as procedural programming, generic programming, and metaprogramming, making it a versatile language for a wide range of applications.
C++ has a rich syntax includes features such as pointers, references, operator overloading, templates namespaces, and exception handling, among other topics. It also has a large standard library that provides a wide range of functionality for tasks such as input/output, data manipulation, contain classes, algorithms, and more.
C++ is a compiled language, which means that it needs to be translated into machine code before it can be executed. It uses a static type system, which requires developers to specify data types explicitly, and provides low-level memory manipulation capabilities, giving programmers fine-grained control over system resources.
However, C++ also has a steeper learning curve compared to some other programming languages due to its complex syntax and concepts. It requires careful memory management to avoid issues such as memory leaks and dangling pointers. Nonetheless, C++ remains a popular choice for performance-critical applications where efficiency and control over system resources are paramount.
Overall, C++ is a powerful and flexible programming language that is widely used in a variety of applications. Its features such as object-oriented programming, template metaprogramming, and low-level memory manipulation make it a popular choice for performance-critical software development.
Before going further, have a quick rundown of all C++ Basics topics:
- Why Learn C++?
- C++ History
- Why Choose C++ over Any Other Languages?
- Features of C++
- Application of C++
- Advantages of C++
- Disadvantage of C++
There are several compelling reasons to learn C++:
1. Performance: C++ is known for its efficiency and performance, making it well-suited for applications where speed and resource utilization are critical, such as game development, embedded systems, and high-performance computing. C++ allows for fine-grained control over memory and system resources, making it possible to optimize code for performance.
2. Versatility: C++ supports multiple programming paradigms, including object-oriented programming (OOP), procedural programming, generic programming, and metaprogramming. This makes it a versatile language that can be used in a wide range of applications, from desktop applications to system-level software.
3. Compatibility: C++ is backward-compatible with C, which means that C++ code can be easily integrated with existing C codebases. C++ also has robust support for hardware-level programming, making it a preferred choice for developing software that interacts with hardware devices and systems.
4. Industry demand: C++ remains a popular choice in industries such as game development, embedded systems, and finance, among others. Job opportunities for C++ developers can be lucrative, with demand for skilled C++ programmers often being high in the job market.
5. Standard Library: C++ has a large and mature standard library that provides a wealth of functionality for tasks such as input/output, string manipulation, data structures, algorithms, and more. This can save developers time and effort by leveraging pre-built code modules for common tasks.
6. Learning other languages: Learning C++ can provide a solid foundation for learning other programming languages. Since C++ is a powerful and complex language, mastering it can make learning other languages relatively easier, as many concepts in C++ are applicable to other languages as well.
7. Personal growth: Learning C++ can challenge and enhance your programming skills. It requires a good understanding of memory management, pointers, and other low-level concepts, which can improve your overall programming proficiency and broaden your skill set.
8. C++ in Databases: There are many modern-day databases such as MySQL, MongoDB, MemSQL, etc. That are written in C++. This is because C++ is quite modern and it supports features like exceptions, lambda expressions, etc. Many of the almost all of the in-use applications such as YouTube, WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
9. C++ in Operating Systems: All the major operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Android, Ubuntu, iOS, etc. are written in a combination of C and C++. The Windows applications are written in Java along with C/C++ with non-default run-times for C++ support. Also, C++ can be used to develop the core of the applications in iOS. In general, C or C++ are used in operating systems because of the speed and strongly types nature of these languages.
10. C++ in Graphics: Applications requiring graphics such as digital image processing, computer vision, screen recording programs, etc. use C++ due to its high speed. This can also include different games that have graphics as a a big part of their structure.
C++ History
The history of C++ can be traced back to the 1970s when it was developed as an extension of the C programming language. Here is a brief overview of the key milestones in the history of C++:
C++ was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup at AT & T Bell Laboratories in Muarry Hill, New Jersy (USA) in 1983. C++ is an OOP i.e. Object Oriented Programming, which allows programmers to develop large and complex applications. The OOP languages existed before C++ were slow and inefficient.
1. First C++ Compiler (1983): In 1983, Stroustrup released the first C++ compiler, known as Cfront, which was a C++ to C translator. It allowed C++ code to be compiled into executable programs and marked the beginning of C++ as a standalone programming language.
2. Standardization (1985-1998): In the mid-198s, efforts were made to standardize C++ to ensure its portability across different platforms and compilers. The first official C++ standard, known as C++ 98 or C++ 03, was published in 1998 by the International Organization for Standardizations (ISO). It provided a standardized specification for the C++ language, including its syntax, semantics, and library.
3. Evolution and Updates (2003-2017): Following the C++98 standard, several updates were made to the C++ language to add new features, improve performance, and enhance usability. These updates included C++11 (released in 2011), C++14 (released in 2014), and C++17 (released in 2017). These standards introduced features such as lambada expressions, smart pointers, range-based for loops, and improved support for concurrency and parallelism.
4. Modern C++ (2011 onwards): C++11 marked the beginning of a new era known as "modern C++", which emphasized modern programming practices, improved code safety, and increased productivity. Modern C++ has seen significant adoption in the C++ community, with subsequent standards building on its principles.
5 Ongoing Development (2017 onwards): C++ continues to evolve with ongoing efforts to further improve the langue. C++20 was released in 2020 and introduced features such as concepts, coroutines, and improved modules support. Future standards, including C++23 and beyond, are under active development and are expected to bring enhancement to the language.
Throughout its history, C++ has become one of the most widely used and influential programming languages, used in various domains such as game development, embedded systems, high-performance computing, finance, and more. Its evolution has been driven by the needs of the programming community and the desire to provide a powerful and versatile language for modern software development.
Why Choose C++ over Any Other Languages?
While the choice of programming language depends on various factors, such as the specific requirements of a project, the experience and expertise of the development team, and the nature of the application being developed, there are several reasons why one might choose C++ over other programming languages:
1. Performance: C++ is known for its efficiency and performance, making it a popular choice for applications where speed and resource utilization are critical, such as game development, embedded systems, and high-performance computing. C++ allows for fine-grained control over memory and system resources, which for fine-grained control over memory and system resources, which allows for optimizing code for performance.
2. Systems Programming: C++ provides low-level programming tasks, such as developing operating systems, device drivers, and firmware. C++ allows for direct memory manipulation and hardware-level programming, which is essential for developing software that interacts with hardware devices and systems.
3. Compatibility: C++ is backward-compatible with C, which means that C++ code can be easily integrated with existing C codebases. This makes it a preferred choice for projects that require interaction with legacy C code for existing systems written in C.
4. Libraries and Ecosystem: C++ has a mature and extensive standard library, as well as a vast ecosystem of third-party libraries, frameworks, and tools. These libraries provide a wealth of functionality for tasks such as input/output, string manipulation, data structure, algorithms, and more, which can save development time and effort.
5. Flexibility: C++ supports multiple programming paradigms, including object-oriented programming (OOP), procedural programming, generic programming, and metaprogramming. This makes it a versatile language that can be used for a wide range of applications, from desktop application to system-level software.
6. Control and Memory Management: C++ allows for manual memory management, giving developers precise control over how memory is allocated and deallocated. This can be beneficial in performance-critical applications where fine-grained control over memory is required, and can also help in avoiding memory leaks for other memory-related issues.
7. Industry Demand: C++ remains a popular choice in industries such as game development, embedded systems, and finance, among other. Job opportunities for C++ developers can be lucrative, with demand for skilled C++ programmers often being high in the job market.
8. Learning Other Languages: Learning C++ can provide a solid foundation for learning other programming languages. Since C++ is a powerful and complex language, mastering it can make learning other languages relatively easier, as many concepts in C++ are applicable to other languages as well.
It's important to note that the choice of programming language depends on the specific requirements and constraints of a project, and other languages may be more suitable for certain scenarios. It's essential to carefully consider on the specific needs of your project before making a decision.
Features of C++
C++ is a powerful and versatile programming language that comes with a rich set of features. Some of the key features of C++ are:
1. Object-Oriented Programming: C++ is an Object-Oriented Programming Languages, unlike C which is a procedural programming languages. This is the most important features of C++. It can create/destroy objects while programming. Also, It can create blueprints with which objects can be created. We have discussed the Object-Orient Programming Concepts in C++ in this article.
Concepts of Object-Oriented programming Language:
- Class
- Objects
- Encapsulation
- Polymorphism
- Inheritance
- Abstraction
3. Machine Independent: A C++ executable is not platform-independent (compiled programs on Linux won't run on Windows), however, they are machine-independent. Let us understand this feature of C++ with the help of an example. Suppose you have written a piece of code that can run on Linux/Windows/Mac OSx which makes the C++ Machine Independent but the executable file of the C++ cannot run on different operating systems.
4. Strong Typing: C++ is s strongly typed language, which means that the type of a variable is checked during compilation, providing better type safety and preventing type-related errors at runtime.
5. Low-level Memory Manipulation: C++ allows for direct manipulation of memory through pointers, references, and raw memory operations, giving developers fine-grained control over memory allocation, deallocation, and management. This makes C++ suitable for systems programming and performance-critical applications.
6. Powerful and Fast: C++ execution time and compiling time are faster than any other programming language. In addition, it supports a wide range of data types, functions, and operators. As a result, operating systems, browsers, games, and so forth, can be developed. C++ is an advanced language that supports a wide range of programming techniques, like procedural, object-oriented, functional, etc. Due to this, C++ is very powerful and flexible.
7. Mid-level programming language: C++ has the ability to do both low-level & high-level programming. This is the reason why C++ is known as a mid-level programming language. When we talk about low-level programming, C++ is used to develop system applications such as the kernel, driver, etc.
8. Rich Library: Developers have access to lots of in-built functions provided by C++ language. This saves time & makes development fast. Let's look at some of the C++ header files & functionalities provided by it.
• <iostream>: Contains C++ standard input and output functions.
• <iomanip>: Contains stream manipulators that format streams of data.
• <cmath>: Contains math library functions.
• <cstdlib>: Contains function for conversions of numbers to text and vise versa, memory allocation, random numbers and various other utility functions.
• <ctime>: Contains function for manipulating the time and date.
• <fstream>: Contains function for functions that performs input from files on disk and output to files on disk.
• <memory>: Contains classes and functions used by the C++ Standard Library to allocate memory to the C++ Standard Library containers.
• <iterator>: Contains classes for accessing data in the C++ Standard Library containers.
• <algorithm>: Contains functions for manipulating data in C++ Standard Library containers.
9. Compiler-Based: C++ has been designed to be a compiled language. This means that it is generally translated into machine language that the system can directly understand. The resultant generated program is thus highly efficient and relatively much faster than PYTHON or JAVA, which is interpreter-based.
10. Simple: We expect to understand a new programming language thoroughly when we start using it. However, C++ is one of the most simple programming languages. As long as you are familiar with the C language, moving to C++ will be very easy. Unlike other programming languages, C++ provides a structured approach (a programming paradigm that facilities the creation of programs with readable code and reusable components.) and allows you to design a modular solution by dividing the problem into parts. In addition, you have access to a variety of library function and data types that can be used when implementing the solution. For any type of project development, C++ uses the bottom-up approach, which helps break large tasks down into small pieces.
Applications of C++
Almost all the program and system that you use or a part of their codebase is written wither in C or C++. Be it Windows, a web browser, your favorite game, or a video editing software, the uses of C++ can be found in almost all applications today. Here are some interesting areas where C++ is popularly used.
1. Systems Software: C++ is often used for developing systems software, such as operating systems, device drivers, and firmware. Its low-level memory manipulation capabilities and close-to hardware programming make it well-suited for building software that interfaces with hardware devices and systems.
2. Game Development: C++ is widely used in the game development industry duo to its performance and efficiency. Many game engines, such as Unreal Engine and Unity, are built using C++ as their primary programming language. C++ is used to develop game logic, physics engines, rendering pipelines, and other performance-critical components in games.
3. Embedded Systems: C++ is commonly used for developing embedded systems, which are computer systems integrated into other devices or products. Examples of embedded systems include automotive systems, aerospace systems, IoT (Internet of Things) devices, and consumer electronics. C++ is preferred in these application due to its low-level programming capabilities, performance, and memory efficiency.
4. Network and Telecommunications: C++ is often used in networking and telecommunications applications, such as routers, switches, and communication protocols. C++ provides fine-grained control over memory and system resources, making it suitable for building high-performance network applications that require low latency and high throughout.
5. Financial Software: C++ is widely used in the financial industry for developing high-performance trading systems, risk management software, and other financial applications that requires fast processing of large amounts of data. C++'s performance, memory management, and ability to interface with low-level APIs make it popular in this domain.
6. Graphics and Computer Vision: C++ is commonly used in graphics and computer vision applications, such as computer-aided design (CAD), image processing, and computer vision algorithm's. C++'s performance, ability to interface with hardware acceleration APIs (such as CUDA for GPU computing), and support for low-level memory manipulation make it suitable for these applications.
7. Database Systems: C++ is used in the development of high-performance database systems and data processing engines. C++'s performance and ability to fine-tune memory management make it a preferred choice for building efficient and scalable database systems.
8. Scientific Computing: C++ is used in scientific computing applications for tasks such as numerical simulations, data analysis, and modeling. C++'s performance and ability to interface with low-level libraries and hardware acceleration APIs make it suitable for these computationally intensive tasks.
These are just some of the many application of C++ across various domains. C++'s versatility, performance, and low-level programming capabilities make it a popular choice for a wide range of software development tasks where efficiency, performance, and fine-grained control over system resources are critical requirements.
Advantages and Disadvantages of C++
|
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|
Performance |
Complexity |
|
Portability |
Platform-Specific |
|
Flexibility |
Lack
of Garbage Collection |
|
Low-Level Control |
Risk of Undefined |
|
Interoperability |
Compile-time
Overhead |
|
Efficiency |
Unsafe |
|
|
Lack
of Support for Multiple |
|
|
Code Maintenance |
Advantages of C++:
1. Performance: C++ is known for its high performance and efficiency due to its low-level memory manipulation capabilities, inline assembly support, and ability to optimize code for performance-critical applications. It allows for fine-grained control over system resources, making it suitable for applications that require high-speed processing and low latency.
2. Portability: Programs written in C++ can often be executed on other platforms without any further a do. This is especially the case when the C++ code follows a compiler-independent standard. Be aware, however, that there are limitations to C++'s portability, which you can find discussed in the section on disadvantages below.
3. Flexibility: C++ is a versatile language that supports both as generic programming with templates. It provides a wide range of features, such as operator overloading, multiple inheritance, and low-level memory manipulation, which gives developers flexibility in designing and implementing complex software systems.
4. Low-Level Control, High-Level Features: C++ is considered a middle-level language because of its combination of low-level and high-level features. C++ gives developers low-level control for things like memory manipulation. At the same time, C++ enables high-level abstractions and comes with high-level features for convenient program design.
5. Interoperability: C++ is backward-compatible with C, which means that C++ code can be easily integrated with existing C codebases. it also allows for interfacing with other languages, such as C, Python, and Java, through language bindings, making it suitable for building mixed-language applications and leveraging existing code libraries.
6. Efficiency: C++ runs close to metal, meaning that it runs close to hardware limits. This makes C++ programs capable of running faster and lighter than programs in many other languages. It also makes C++ ideal for developing programs under heavy hardware limitations, as id often the case for things like systems programming and game development.
Disadvantages of C++:
1. Complexity: C++ is a complex language with a steep learning curve. It has a vast set of features, syntax rules, and memory management concepts, which can make it challenging for beginners to learn and master. Writing efficient and reliable C++ code requires a good understanding of the languages and its nuances.
2. Platform-Specific: While C++ is considered portable, this is often practically not the case for more complicated programs. Any program that needs to interface with graphical displays, for instance, is likely to use a platform-specific library. So, the C++ code for these programs actually ends up needing to be written to work on other platforms.
3. Lack of Garbage Collection: This is also tied with C++'s complexity. Languages with garbage collection essentially manage memory allocation for you, tracking variables and disregarding what is not longer in use automatically. But garbage collection often comes with a high performance impact, and it removes a degree of low-level control. C++ opts to keep the performance and control, which leaves developers the task of carefully, conscientiously, and manually managing memory usage.
4. Risk of Undefined Behavior: C++ allows for undefined behavior, which means that certain code constructs may not have a defined outcome, and the program may produce unexpected results. This requires careful programming practices to avoid undefined behavior, which can be challenging, especially for inexperienced developers.
5. Compile-time Overhead: C++ code requires compilation, which can result in longer development cycles compared to interpreted languages. Compilation can also be complex and time-consuming, especially for large codebases for complex build systems.
6. Unsafe: Because of the low-level memory management mentioned above, C++ programs tend to be considered unsafe from a memory perspective. C++'s use of pointers and its potential for incorrect typing of variables can lead to memory leaks.
7. Lack of Support for Multiple Threads: So far, C++ still does not have any built-in support for multi-threaded applications. Although C++ is adding support for threads, it is severely lacking when compared to languages like Java.
8. Code Maintenance: C++ code can be debug, especially in large and complex projects. Proper coding practices, documentation, and tea, collaboration are crucial for maintaining C++ codebases efficiently.
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