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Getting Started with C++

C++:

  • C++ blends the C language with support for object-oriented programming and generic programming.

  • encapsulation, data hiding, polymorphism and inheritance; these are the key concepts of OOP.

  • C++ joins three separate programming categories: the procedural language, represented by C; the object-oriented language, represented by the class enhancements C++ adds to C;and generic programming, supported by C++ templates.

  • If you don’t know C, you have to master the C components, the OOP components,and the generic components to learn C++.

  • Special programs called compilers translate a high-level language to the internal language of a particular computer.

C Programming Philosophy:

  • computer languages deal with two concepts data and algorithms.
  • The data constitutes the information a program uses and processes.
  • The algorithms are the methods the program uses.

C Programming Philosophy:

  • C is a procedural language.That means it emphasizes the algorithm side of programming.
  • data + algorithm = program watch this photo
  • With C, the idea is to break a large program into smaller, more manageable tasks.
  • C’s design facilitates this approach, encouraging you to develop program units called functions to represent individual task modules.

The C++ Shift Object-Oriented Programming:

  • Although the principles of structured programming improved the clarity, reliability,and ease of maintenance of programs, large-scale programming still remains a challenge. OOP brings a new approach to that challenge.
  • Unlike procedural programming, which emphasizes algorithms, OOP emphasizes the data.
  • The idea is to design data forms that correspond to the essential features of a problem.
  • In C++,a class is a specification describing such a new data form,and an object is a particular data structure constructed according to that plan.
  • In general,a class defines what data is used to represent an object and the operations that can be performed on that data.

  • The process of going from a lower level of organization, such as classes, to a higher level, such as program design, is called bottom-up programming.

  • OOP facilitates:

  • Information hiding(encapsulation) safeguards data from improper access

  • Polymorphism lets you create multiple definitions for operators and functions,with the programming context determining which definition is used.

  • Inheritance lets you derive new classes from old ones.

  • C++ and Generic Programming:

  • whereas OOP emphasizes the data aspect of programming, generic programming emphasizes independence from a particular data type.

  • OOP is a tool for managing large projects, whereas generic programming provides tools for performing common tasks, such as sorting data or merging lists.

  • The term generic refers to code that is type independent.

  • Portability and Standards:

  • If you can recompile the program without making changes and it runs without a hitch, we say the program is portable.

  • Linking combines your object code with object code for the functions you use and with some standard startup code to pro-duce a runtime version of your program.The file containing this final product is called the executable code

  • Compilation and Linking:

  • Originally, Stroustrup implemented C++ with a C++-to-C compiler program instead of developing a direct C++-to-object code compiler.This program, called cfront (for C front end), translated C++ source code to C source code, which could then be compiled by a standard C compile.

  • As C++ has developed and grown in popularity, more and more implementers have turned to creating C++ compilers that generate object code directly from C++ source code.

  • Linux Compiling and Linking:

  • Linux systems most commonly use g++, the GNU C++ compiler from the Free Software Foundation.
    • g++ spiffy.cxx
  • Some versions might require that you link in the C++ library:
    • g++ spiffy.cxx -lg++
  • To compile multiple source files, you just list them all in the command line:
    • g++ my.cxx precious.cxx
  • compile with custom object file name:
    • g++ my.cxx precious.o