Welcome to the first module of our C++ programming course! In this section, we will introduce you to the C++ programming language, its history, and its key features. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of what C++ is and why it is widely used in the software development industry.

C++ is a general-purpose programming language created by Bjarne Stroustrup as an extension of the C programming language. It was designed to provide high-level abstractions while maintaining the efficiency and control of low-level programming. C++ supports both procedural and object-oriented programming paradigms, making it a versatile language for various types of software development.

1. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP):

   • Supports classes and objects.
   • Facilitates code reuse through inheritance.
   • Promotes encapsulation and abstraction.

2. Low-Level Manipulation:

   • Allows direct manipulation of hardware and memory.
   • Provides pointers and references for efficient memory management.

3. Standard Template Library (STL):

   • Offers a rich set of template classes and functions.
   • Includes data structures like vectors, lists, and maps.
   • Provides algorithms for sorting, searching, and manipulating data.

4. Performance:

   • Compiled language, resulting in fast execution.
   • Fine-grained control over system resources.

5. Portability:

   • Code can be compiled and run on various platforms with minimal changes.

6. Rich Library Support:

   • Extensive standard libraries for handling I/O, strings, and more.
   • Third-party libraries for specialized tasks.

• 1979: Bjarne Stroustrup begins work on "C with Classes," the precursor to C++.
• 1983: The name "C++" is officially adopted.
• 1985: The first edition of "The C++ Programming Language" is published.
• 1998: The first ISO/IEC standard for C++ (C++98) is released.
• 2011: C++11 standard introduces significant new features.
• 2014: C++14 standard provides minor improvements and bug fixes.
• 2017: C++17 standard introduces new libraries and language features.
• 2020: C++20 standard brings major enhancements, including concepts and ranges.

1. Industry Demand:

   • Widely used in system/software development, game development, and real-time simulations.
   • Essential for performance-critical applications.

2. Foundation for Other Languages:

   • Understanding C++ provides a strong foundation for learning other languages like C, Java, and C#.

3. Community and Resources:

   • Large community of developers.
   • Abundant learning resources, including books, tutorials, and forums.

Let's start with a simple "Hello, World!" program to get a feel for C++ syntax and structure.

• #include <iostream>: This line includes the standard input-output stream library, which is necessary for using std::cout.
• int main() { ... }: This is the main function where the execution of the program begins.
• std::cout << "Hello, World!" << std::endl;: This line prints "Hello, World!" to the console. std::cout is the standard output stream, and std::endl inserts a newline character.
• return 0;: This line returns 0 to the operating system, indicating that the program executed successfully.

1. Modify the "Hello, World!" program to print your name instead.
2. Compile and run the program to see the output.

Solution

Replace [Your Name] with your actual name.

1. Write a program that declares two integer variables, assigns them values, and prints their sum.

Solution

In this lesson, we introduced the C++ programming language, its history, and its key features. We also wrote and explained a simple "Hello, World!" program and provided practical exercises to reinforce the concepts. In the next lesson, we will set up the development environment to start writing and running C++ programs.

Continue to Setting Up the Development Environment.