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DR. (MRS) T-S.M.A. ADJAIDOO

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C++ Programming
COE 351: Object-Oriented Prgramming

Basics
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Today’s Lesson

Basic
Input and Data Types Library
Program Comments
Construction Output & Variables Functions
COE 351: Object-Oriented Prgramming
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Learning Outcomes

• Introduce learners to
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• Equip learners with basic

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COE 351: Object-Oriented Prgramming

knowledge of C++ syntax

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C++ Programming Basics
COE 351: Object-Oriented Prgramming

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

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Basic Program Construction

§ This program is called helloworld,

so its source file is helloworld.cpp.
It simply prints a sentence on the
screen.

§ Despite its small size, this

program demonstrates a great
deal about the construction of C++
programs.
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Output Using cout

§ The identifier cout (pronounced “C out”) is actually an object predefined in

C++ to correspond to the standard output stream.

§ A stream is an abstraction that refers to a flow of data.

§ The standard output stream normally flows to the screen display—although

it can be redirected to other output devices.

§ The operator << is called the insertion or put to operator.

§ It directs the contents of the variable on its right to the object on its left.
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Output Using cout
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The using Directive

§ A C++ program can be divided into different namespaces.

§ A namespace is a part of the program in which certain names are

recognized; outside of the namespace they’re unknown.

§ The directive using namespace std; says that all the program statements
that follow are within the std namespace.

§ Various program components such as cout are declared within this

namespace.
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The using Directive

§ If we didn’t use the using directive, we would need to add the std name to many program
elements.

§ For example, in the FIRST program we’d need to say

std::cout << “Every age has a language of its own.”;

§ To avoid adding std:: dozens of times in programs we use the using directive instead.
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Comments

§ Comments are an important part of any program.

§ They help the person writing a program, and anyone else who
must read the source file, understand what is going on.

§ The compiler ignores comments, so they do not add to the file

size or execution time of the executable program.
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Comments

There are two ways to

comment:

The line comment and the

block comment
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Integer Variables

§ Variables are the most fundamental part of any language.

§ A variable has a symbolic name and can be given a variety of values.

§ Variables are located in particular places in the computer’s memory.

§ When a variable is given a value, that value is actually placed in the

memory space assigned to the variable.

§ Integer variables represent integer numbers like 1, 30,000, and –27. Such
numbers are used for counting discrete numbers of objects.
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Integer Variables

§ Integer variables exist in several sizes, but the most commonly

used is type int.

§ The amount of memory occupied by the integer types is

system dependent.

§ On a 32-bit system such as Windows, an int occupies 4 bytes

(which is 32 bits) of memory.

§ This allows an int to hold numbers in the range from –

2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.
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Integer Variables

int total = 1639;

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Integer Variables

Here’s a program that

defines and uses several
variables of type int
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The endl Manipulator

§ This causes a linefeed to be inserted into the stream, so that subsequent

text is displayed on the next line.

§ It has the same effect as sending the ‘\n’ character.

§ It’s an example of a manipulator.

§ Manipulators are instructions to the output stream that modify the

input/output stream in various ways.
§ Eg: setbase, ws, ends, flush etc.
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Character Variables

§ Type char stores integers that range in value from –128 to 127.

§ Variables of this type occupy only 1 byte (eight bits) of memory.

§ Character variables are sometimes used to store numbers that confine

themselves to this limited range, but they are much more commonly used to
store ASCII characters.

§ The ASCII character set is a way of representing characters such as ‘a’, ‘B’,
‘$’, ‘3’, and so on, as numbers. These numbers range from 0 to 127.
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Character Constants

§ Character constants use single quotation marks around a

character, like ‘a’ and ‘b’.

§ When the C++ compiler encounters such a character constant,

it translates it into the corresponding ASCII code.

§ The constant ‘a’ appearing in a program, for example, will be

translated into 97, as shown.
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Character
Variables

char chvar = ‘a’;

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Character
Variables
Character variables can be
assigned character
constants as values.

The following program

shows some examples of
character constants and
variables.
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Input with cin

§ The keyword cin (pronounced “C in”) is an object, predefined in C++ to

correspond to the standard input stream.

§ This stream represents data coming from the keyboard (unless it has been
redirected).

§ The >> is the extraction or get from operator.

§ It takes the value from the stream object on its left and places it in the
variable on its right.
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Input with cin
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Input with cin
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Floating Point Types

§ Floating-point variables represent numbers with a decimal place—like

3.1415927, 0.0000625, and –10.2.

§ They have both an integer part, to the left of the decimal point, and a
fractional part, to the right.

§ Floating-point variables represent what mathematicians call real numbers,

which are used for measurable quantities such as distance, area, and
temperature.

§ There are three kinds of floating-point variables in C++:

§ type float, type double, and type long double.
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Floating Point Types

Float

§ Type float stores

numbers in the range of
about 3.4x10–8 to
3.4x108, with a precision
of seven digits.
§ It occupies 4 bytes (32
bits) in memory.
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Floating Point Types
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Floating Point Types
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Floating Point Types

§ The larger floating point types,

double and long double, are similar
to float except that they require
more memory space and provide a
wider range of values and more
precision.

§ Type double requires 8 with a

precision of 15 digits.

§ Type long double is compiler-

dependent but is often the same as
double.
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The const Qualifier

§ The keyword const (for constant) precedes the data

type of a variable.
§ It specifies that the value of a variable will not change
throughout the program.
§ Any attempt to alter the value of a variable defined
with this qualifier will elicit an error message from the
compiler.
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Type bool

§ Variables of type bool can have only two possible values:

§ true and false.

§ In theory a bool type requires only one bit (not byte) of storage.

§ In practice compilers often store them as bytes because a byte can be

quickly accessed, while an individual bit must be extracted from a byte,
which requires additional time.
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The setw Manipulator

§ setw changes the field width of output.

§ You can think of each value displayed by cout as occupying a field: an

imaginary box with a certain width.

§ The default field is just wide enough to hold the value.

§ However, in certain situations this may not lead to optimal results.

§ The setw manipulator causes the number (or string) that follows it in the stream
to be printed within a field n characters wide, where n is the argument to
setw(n).

§ The value is right justified within the field.

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The setw Manipulator
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Library Functions

§ Many activities in C++ are carried out by library

functions.

§ These functions perform file access, mathematical

computations, and data conversion, among other
things.
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Library Functions
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Header Files

§ As with cout and other such objects, you must #include a header file that
contains the declaration of any library functions you use.

§ In the documentation for the sqrt() function, you’ll see that the specified
header file is CMATH.

§ In SQRT the preprocessor directive #include <cmath> takes care of

incorporating this header file into our source file.

§ If you don’t include the appropriate header file when you use a library
function, you’ll get an error message like this from the compiler: ‘sqrt’
unidentified identifier.
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Library Files

§ Various files containing library functions and objects link to your program to
create an executable file.

§ These files contain the actual machine-executable code for the functions.

§ Such library files often have the extension .LIB.

§ The sqrt() function is found in such a file. It is automatically extracted from the
file by the linker, and the proper connections are made so that it can be called
(that is, invoked or accessed) from the SQRT program.

§ Your compiler takes care of all these details for you, so ordinarily you don’t
need to worry about the process.
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Header Files and Library Files

§ To use a library function like sqrt(), you must link the library file that contains it
to your program.

§ The appropriate functions from the library file are then connected to your
program by the linker.

§ The functions in your source file need to know the names and types of the
functions and other elements in the library file. They are given this information
in a header file.

§ Each header file contains information for a particular group of functions.

§ The functions themselves are grouped together in a library file, but the
information about them is scattered throughout a number of header files.
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Header Files and Library Files
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Two Ways to Use #include

You can use #include in two ways:

§ The angle brackets < > indicate that the compiler should begin searching for files in the
standard INCLUDE directory. This directory holds the header files supplied by the compiler
manufacturer for the system.

§ Instead of angle brackets around the filename, you can also use quotation marks, as in
#include “myheader.h”

§ Quotation marks instruct the compiler to begin its search for the header file in the current
directory; this is usually the directory that contains the source file.

§ You normally use quotation marks for header files you write yourself.

§ Quotation marks or angle brackets work in any case, but making the appropriate choice
speeds up the compilation process slightly by giving the compiler a hint about where to find
the file.
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Exercises

§ Assuming there are 7.481 gallons in a cubic foot, write a program that asks
the user to enter a number of gallons, and then displays the equivalent in
cubic feet.

§ Write a program that allows the user to enter a floating-point number

representing degrees Celsius, and then displays the corresponding degrees
Fahrenheit.
§ You can convert temperature from degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit by
multiplying by 9/5 and adding 32.
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Any Questions?
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The End
Contact: tsadjaidoo@knust.edu.gh

Office: Caesar Building, Room 413

COE 351: Object-Oriented Prgramming