What is C++?
C++ is general-purpose object-oriented programming (OOP) language developed by Bjarne Stroustrup.
Originally, C++ was called “C with classes,” as it had all the properties of the C language with the addition of user-defined data types called “classes.” It was renamed C++ in 1983.
C++ is considered an intermediate-level language, as it includes both high and low-level language features.
Some key benefits of C++ are outlined below:
Self memory management
Using pointers, C++ allows self-memory management, that enhances the execution speed of a program. But it is necessary to explicitly free up the reserved space later on.
Object-oriented support
C++ can be coded in C style or object-oriented style. In certain scenarios, it can be coded either way - making C++ a good example of a hybrid language.
High performance
Since C++ allows to manipulate the processor on a lower level, it is quite faster than advanced level languages like Python or C#.
Other essential concepts of C++ include:
- Polymorphism
- Virtual and friend Functions
- Templates
- Namespaces
- Pointers
Basic example
The following example shows how to print “Hello World” in C++.
#include <iostream>using namespace std;int main(){cout << "Hello World";return 0;}
