A little bit of history
C++ is an expansion of the C programming language. It’s main addition was the ability to create and use objects. That makes it an Object Oriented Programming (OOP) based language. You do not have to start with objects however, as it retains all of the C procedural language constructs and ideas.
C evolved from a language called B, which itself evolved from a language called BCPL (Basic Combined Programming Language). Both B and BCPL languages were typeless.
C added data types, and was hardware independent, although some of the libraries we use may be dependent of certain hardware configurations and/or operating systems.
C# and Java both evolved from C++ in their own way. Because of this, many languages appear like other languages, and if you learn a few languages, you will find it easier to learn new languages because you can see how they are related.
Basic Constructs
The basic constructs you learned in CISC 105, with input/output, conditions, loops, and functions – are all relevant in C/C++. There will be some variances in how they are called/used, but they exist in almost all programming languages. So look for the similarities, but also note the differences.
C++ is considered a general purpose language as it can work on a wide variety of problem sets. C++ is generally considered high performance, as it is very efficient out of the box, and any slowness is generally from poor programing practices.
C++, like with C, C#, and Java, requires a function called main. This function automatically gets called when you run your program. This is unlike Python which allows you to just place code and when it is found it runs.
You will also find that you are required to handle a little more of your environment in C++. While it seems like a lot of extra work, once you start doing it, it will be very simple for you.
C/C++ doesn’t care about white space. You can use spaces, tabs, or new lines to organize your code. However, organizing your code by indenting blocks for conditions, loops, and functions, makes good sense and will make it easier to manage in the future.
An Introduction to C++ was originally found on Access 2 Learn
