What is C++? C++ is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language. It was created by Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs circa 1980. C++ is very similar to C (invented by Dennis Ritchie in the early 1970s). C++ is so compatible with C that it will probably compile over 99% of C programs without changing a line of source code. Though C++ is a lot of well-structured and safer language than C as it OOPs based. Some computer languages are written for a specific purpose. Like, Java was initially devised to control toasters and some other electronics. C was developed for programming OS. Pascal was conceptualized to teach proper programming techniques. But C++ is a general-purpose language. It well deserves the widely acknowledged nickname "Swiss Pocket Knife of Languages." C++ is a cross-platform language that can be used to create high-performance applications. C++ was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup, as an extension to the C language. C++ gives programmers a high level of control over system resources and memory. The language was updated 3 major times in 2011, 2014, and 2017 to C++11, C++14, and C++17. About C++ Programming Multi-paradigm Language - C++ supports at least seven different styles of programming. Developers can choose any of the styles. General Purpose Language - You can use C++ to develop games, desktop apps, operating systems, and so on. Speed - Like C programming, the performance of optimized C++ code is exceptional. Object-oriented - C++ allows you to divide complex problems into smaller sets by using objects. Why Learn C++? C++ is used to develop games, desktop apps, operating systems, browsers, and so on because of its performance. After learning C++, it will be much easier to learn other programming languages like Java, Python, etc. C++ helps you to understand the internal architecture of a computer, how computer stores and retrieves information. How to learn C++? C++ tutorial from Programiz - We provide step by step C++ tutorials, examples, and references. Get started with C++. Official C++ documentation - Might be hard to follow and understand for beginners. Visit official C++ documentation. Write a lot of C++ programming code- The only way you can learn programming is by writing a lot of code. Read C++ code- Join Github's open-source projects and read other people's code. C++ best programming language? The answer depends on perspective and requirements. Some tasks can be done in C++, though not very quickly. For example, designing GUI screens for applications. Other languages like Visual Basic, Python have GUI design elements built into them. Therefore, they are better suited for GUI type of task. Some of the scripting languages that provide extra programmability to applications. Such as MS Word and even photoshop tend to be variants of Basic, not C++. C++ is still used widely, and the most famous software have their backbone in C++. This tutorial will help you learn C++ basic and the advanced concepts. Who uses C++? Some of today's most visible used systems have their critical parts written in C++. Examples are Amadeus (airline ticketing) Bloomberg (financial formation), Amazon (Web commerce), Google (Web search) Facebook (social media) Many programming languages depend on C++'s performance and reliability in their implementation. Examples include: Java Virtual Machines JavaScript interpreters (e.g., Google's V8) Browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox, Apple's Safari, and Google's Chrome) Application and Web frameworks (e.g., Microsoft's .NET Web services framework). Applications that involve local and wide area networks, user interaction, numeric, graphics, and database access highly depend on C++ language. Why Use C++ C++ is one of the world's most popular programming languages. C++ can be found in today's operating systems, Graphical User Interfaces, and embedded systems. C++ is an object-oriented programming language which gives a clear structure to programs and allows code to be reused, lowering development costs. C++ is portable and can be used to develop applications that can be adapted to multiple platforms. C++ is fun and easy to learn! As C++ is close to C# and Java, it makes it easy for programmers to switch to C++ or vice versa Definition - What does C++ Programming Language mean? C++ is an object oriented computer language created by notable computer scientist Bjorne Stroustrop as part of the evolution of the C family of languages. Some call C++ “C with classes” because it introduces object oriented programming principles, including the use of defined classes, to the C programming language framework. C++ is pronounced "see-plus-plus." C++ Variables Variables are the backbone of any programming language. A variable is merely a way to store some information for later use. We can retrieve this value or data by referring to a "word" that will describe this information. Once declared and defined they may be used many times within the scope in which they were declared. C++ Control Structures When a program runs, the code is read by the compiler line by line (from top to bottom, and for the most part left to right). This is known as "code flow." When the code is being read from top to bottom, it may encounter a point where it needs to make a decision. Based on the decision, the program may jump to a different part of the code. It may even make the compiler re-run a specific piece again, or just skip a bunch of code. You could think of this process like if you were to choose from different courses from Guru99. You decide, click a link and skip a few pages. In the same way, a computer program has a set of strict rules to decide the flow of program execution. C++ Syntax The syntax is a layout of words, expression, and symbols. Well, it's because an email address has its well-defined syntax. You need some combination of letters, numbers, potentially with underscores (_) or periods (.) in between, followed by an at the rate (@) symbol, followed by some website domain (company.com). So, syntax in a programming language is much the same. They are some well-defined set of rules that allow you to create some piece of well-functioning software. But, if you don't abide by the rules of a programming language or syntax, you'll get errors. C++ Tools In the real world, a tool is something (usually a physical object) that helps you to get a certain job done promptly. Well, this holds true with the programming world too. A tool in programming is some piece of software which when used with the code allows you to program faster. There are probably tens of thousands, if not millions of different tools across all the programming languages. Most crucial tool, considered by many, is an IDE, an Integrated Development Environment. An IDE is a software which will make your coding life so much easier. IDEs ensure that your files and folders are organized and give you a nice and clean way to view them. Types of C++ Errors Another way to look at C++ in a practical sense is to start enumerating different kinds of errors that occur as the written code makes its way to final execution. First, there are syntax errors where the code is actually written in an illegible way. This can be a misuse of punctuation, or the misspelling of a function command or anything else that compromises the integrity of the syntax as it is written. Another fundamental type of error is a compiler error that simply tells the programmer the compiler was not able to do its work effectively. As a compiler language, C++ relies on the compiler to make the source code into machine readable code and optimize it in various ways. A third type of error happens after the program has been successfully compiled. Runtime errors are not uncommon in C++ executables. What they represent is some lack of designated resource or non-working command in the executable program. In other words, the syntax is right, and the program was compiled successfully, but as the program is doing its work, it encounters a problem, whether that has to do with interdependencies, operating system requirements or anything else in the general environment in which the program is trying to work. Over time, C++ has remained a very useful language not only in computer programming itself, but in teaching new programmers about how object oriented programming works.