C++ Tutorial

About the Tutorial

This C++ tutorial has been written by experienced C++ programmers. The tutorial helps
beginners to advanced programmers in learning C++ in simple and easy steps. This
tutorial uses a simple and practical approach to describe the concepts of C++ to software
engineers.

What is C++?
C++ is a middle-level programming language developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in
1979 at Bell Labs. C++ runs on a variety of platforms, such as Windows, Mac OS, and the
various versions of UNIX. C++ is an extension of the C programming language with object-
oriented programming concepts. Or, we can say, "C++ is a superset of C programming
with additional implementation of object-oriented concepts".

Why to Learn C++?

C++ is an important programming language for students and working professionals to
become great software developers. Here are some of the key advantages of learning C++:
 C++ is very close to hardware, so you get a chance to work at a low level, which
gives you a lot of control in terms of memory management, better performance,
and finally, robust software development.
 C++ programming gives you a clear understanding of object-oriented
programming. You will understand low level implementation of polymorphism when
you implement virtual tables and virtual table pointers, or dynamic type
identification.
 C++ is one of the evergreen programming languages and is loved by millions of
software developers. If you are a great C++ programmer, then you will never sit
without work, and more importantly, you will get highly paid for your work.
 C++ is the most widely used programming language in application and system
programming. So you can choose your area of interest in software development.
 C++ really teaches you the difference between compiler, linker, and loader,
different data types, storage classes, variable types, their scopes, etc.
There are 1000s of good reasons to learn C++ programming. But one thing is for sure: to
learn any programming language, not only C++, you just need to code and code and
finally code until you become an expert.

Hello, World! Program Using C++

Just to give you a little excitement about C++ programming, I'm going to give you a
small conventional C++ Hello World program. You can try it by clicking on "Edit & Run".
Below is the code to print "Hello World" on the screen −

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

// main() is where program execution begins.

int main() {

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cout << "Hello, World!"; // prints Hello, World!

return 0;
}

C++ Online Compiler

We have provided an easy, user-friendly, and fast C++ online compiler, where you can
write, save, run, and share your C++ programs. Click on this link to open it: C++ Online
Compiler.
Try to click the icon to run the following C++ code to print conventional "Hello, World!"
using C++ programming.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
cout << "Hello, World!"; // prints Hello, World!
return 0;
}

There are many C++ compilers available that you can use to compile and run the above-
mentioned program:
 Apple C++. Xcode
 Bloodshed Dev-C++
 Clang C++
 Cygwin (GNU C++)
 Mentor Graphics
 MINGW - "Minimalist GNU for Windows"
 GNU CC source
 IBM C++
 Intel C++
 Microsoft Visual C++
 Oracle C++
 HP C++

Features of C++
The following are the features of C++ programming language −
 C language compatibility: C++ provides backward compatibility with C; it
supports all features of C language.

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 Object-oriented programming: C++ supports the concepts of OOPs such

as objects & classes, encapsulation, data binding, inheritance, and polymorphism.
 Compiled language: C++ is a compiler language where the complete code is
converted into machine language, which makes it a faster programming language.
 Standard template library: C++ provides many data structures and algorithms-
related library collections, such as template libraries for contains, iterators,
algorithms, etc.
 Dynamic memory management: C++ provides two
operators new and delete that help to allocate and deallocate memory blocks
dynamically.
 Exception handling: C++ provides try, catch, and throw blocks for exception
handling, which were not available in C programming.

Applications of C++ Programming

As mentioned before, C++ is one of the most widely used programming languages. It has
its presence in almost every area of software development. I'm going to list a few of them
here:
 Application Software Development - C++ programming has been used in
developing almost all the major Operating Systems like Windows, Mac OSX and
Linux. Apart from the operating systems, the core part of many browsers, like
Mozilla Firefox and Chrome have been written using C++. C++ also has been used
in developing the most popular database system called MySQL.
 Programming Languages Development - C++ has been used extensively in
developing new programming languages like C#, Java, JavaScript, Perl, UNIX's C
Shell, PHP, Python, and Verilog, etc.
 Computation Programming - C++ is the best friend of scientists because of its
fast speed and computational efficiencies.
 Games Development - C++ is extremely fast, which allows programmers to do
procedural programming for CPU-intensive functions and provides greater control
over hardware, because of which it has been widely used in the development of
gaming engines.
 Embedded System - C++ is being heavily used in developing medical and
engineering applications like software for MRI machines, high-end CAD/CAM
systems, etc.
This list goes on. There are various areas where software developers are happily using
C++ to provide great software. I highly recommend you learn C++ and contribute great
software to the community.

Learn C++ By Examples

Practicing C++ examples is the best way to learn C++ programming. All chapters of our
C++ tutorial have the related examples with explanation. You can simply go through those
examples to understand the concept better.

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Jobs or Careers in C++

C++ is a versatile and widely used programming language. Here is the list of some job
roles that you can get after learning C++ programming:
 Software Engineer
 Game Developer
 Systems Programmer
 Embedded System Developer
 Robotics Engineer
 Database Developer
 Graphics Programmer
Here is the list of the companies hiring C++ developers:
 Microsoft
 Amazon
 Facebook
 IBM
 Adobe
 Apple
 Google

Target Audience - Who should Learn C++?

This C++ tutorial has been prepared for the beginners to help them understand the
basics to advanced concepts of the C++ programming language. This tutorial is useful for
software and game developers, embedded system developers, system programmers,
students, and educators/trainers. After completing this tutorial, you will have a great level
of expertise in Python programming, from which you can take yourself to the next level.

Prerequisites to Learn C++

Before you start practicing with various types of examples given in this C++ tutorial, we
are making the assumption that you are already aware of the basics of computer
programming and computer programming language. You should also be familiar with −
 C++ Compiler
 IDE
 Text Editor

C++ Practice
After completing the C++ tutorial, you can go through these sections to practice the
concepts that you have learned:
 C++ Interview Questions
 C++ Online Quiz

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 C++ Online Test

 C++ Mock Test

C++ Library Reference

The following list has the complete reference of C++ header files −
 C++ <fstream>
 C++ <iomanip>
 C++ <ios>
 C++ <iosfwd>
 C++ <iostream>
 C++ <istream>
 C++ <ostream>
 C++ <sstream>
 C++ <streambuf>
 C++ <atomic>
 C++ <complex>
 C++ <exception>
 C++ <functional>
 C++ <limits>
 C++ <locale>
 C++ <memory>
 C++ <new>
 C++ <numeric>
 C++ <regex>
 C++ <stdexcept>
 C++ <string>
 C++ <thread>
 C++ <tuple>
 C++ <typeinfo>
 C++ <utility>
 C++ <valarray>

C++ STL Library Reference

The following list has the complete reference of C++ STL libraries −
 C++ <array>
 C++ <bitset>
 C++ <deque>

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 C++ <forward_list>
 C++ <list>
 C++ <map>
 C++ <multimap>
 C++ <queue>
 C++ <priority_queue>
 C++ <set>
 C++ <stack>
 C++ <unordered_map>
 C++ <unordered_set>
 C++ <vector>
 C++ <algorithm>
 C++ <iterator>

C++ Revision
For a quick revision of C++ programming, go through these links −
 C++ Quick Guide
 C++ Cheat Sheet
 C++ STL Cheat Sheet

C++ Questions & Answers

Explore the latest C++ questions and answers at C++ questions and answers

FAQs on C++ Tutorial

1. What is the easiest way to learn C++ programming?

You can learn C++ programming by following the chapters of TutorialsPoints's C++ tutorial
along with the set of examples. All chapters of this C++ tutorial are detailed and explained
with the appropriate examples. You have to be regular while learning C++ and practice
the examples on a daily basis.

2. Is prior knowledge of any programming is required to learn C++?

No. You can start learning C++ without having knowledge of any programming language.
The C++ tutorial provides the knowledge from scratch.

3. What are the important concepts of C++ programming?

Some of the important concepts of C++ programming are:
 Conditional statements
 Looping
 Arrays

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 Structures
 Class and objects
 Inheritance
 Polymorphism
 C++ Standard Template Library

4. How much time is required to learn C++ programming?

It depends on your learning skills; on average, a student can easily learn C++
programming within 2-3 months by doing regular practice.

5. Who developed C++ programming language?

Bjarne Stroustrup developed C++ programming as an extension to the C language. C++
can be considered an advanced version of the C language with object-oriented concepts.

6. What was the original name of C++?

The original name of C++ programming was "C with Classes" because C++ consists of all
features of the C language along with the classes.

Copyright & Disclaimer

 Copyright 2025 by Tutorials Point (I) Pvt. Ltd.
All the content and graphics published in this e-book are the property of Tutorials Point (I)
Pvt. Ltd. The user of this e-book is prohibited to reuse, retain, copy, distribute or republish
any contents or a part of contents of this e-book in any manner without written consent
of the publisher.
We strive to update the contents of our website and tutorials as timely and as precisely as
possible, however, the contents may contain inaccuracies or errors. Tutorials Point (I) Pvt.
Ltd. provides no guarantee regarding the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of our
website or its contents including this tutorial. If you discover any errors on our website or
in this tutorial, please notify us at contact@tutorialspoint.com

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Table of Contents
About the Tutorial .......................................................................................................................................... i

Target Audience - Who should Learn C++? .................................................................................................. iv

Prerequisites to Learn C++ ............................................................................................................................ iv

Copyright & Disclaimer ................................................................................................................................ vii

Table of Contents........................................................................................................................................ viii

C++ BASICS............................................................................................................................... XIII

1. C++ Overview: Introduction to C++ Programming Language .................................................................. 14

2. C++ Environment Setup ......................................................................................................................... 18

3. C++ Basic Syntax .................................................................................................................................... 20

4. Comments in C++ .................................................................................................................................. 28

5. C++ "Hello, World!" Program ................................................................................................................ 32

6. Omitting Namespace in C++ ........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

7. C++ Constants/Literals ................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

8. C++ Keywords.............................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

9. C++ Identifiers ............................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

10. C++ Data Types ............................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

11. C++ Numeric Data Types ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

12. C++ Character (char) Data Type ................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

13. C++ Boolean (bool) Data Type ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

14. C++ Variables and Types .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

15. Variable Scope in C++ .................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

16. C++ Declare Multiple Variables ................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

17. C++ Basic Input/Output ............................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

18. C++ Modifier Types ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

19. Storage Classes in C++ ................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

20. Operators in C++ ......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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21. Numbers in C++ ........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

22. C++ - Enumeration (Enum) .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

23. enum Class in C++........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

24. C++ References ............................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

25. C++ Date and Time ...................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ CONTROL STATEMENTS ................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

26. C++ decision making statements ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

27. C++ if statement .......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

28. C++ if...else statement................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

29. C++ nested if statements ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

30. C++ switch statement .................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

31. C++ nested switch statements ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

32. C++ Loop Types ........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

33. C++ while loop............................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

34. C++ for loop ................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

35. C++ do...while loop ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

36. Foreach Loop in C++ .................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

37. C++ Nested Loops ........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

38. C++ break statement ................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

39. C++ continue Statement .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

40. C++ goto Statement..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ STRINGS ........................................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

41. C++ Strings .................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

42. C++ Loop Through a String........................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

43. C++ String Length ........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

44. C++ String Concatenation ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

45. C++ String Comparison ................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

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C++ FUNCTIONS ................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

46. C++ Functions .............................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

47. Multiple Function Parameters in C++ .......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

48. C++ Recursion (Recursive Function) ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

49. Return Statement in C++ ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

50. Function Overloading in C++ ....................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

51. Function Overriding in C++ .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ ARRAYS ......................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

52. C++ Arrays ................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

53. C++ Multi-dimensional Arrays ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

54. C++ Pointer to an Array ............................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

55. C++ Passing Arrays to Functions .................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

56. Return Array from Functions in C++ ............................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ STRUCTURE & UNION ................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

57. C++ Structures (struct)................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

58. Unions in C++ .............................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ POINTERS ...................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

59. C++ Pointers ................................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

60. C++ Dereferencing ....................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

61. C++ Modify Pointers .................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ CLASS AND OBJECTS...................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

62. C++ Object Oriented .................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

63. C++ Classes and Objects .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

64. C++ Class Member Functions ....................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

65. C++ Class Access Modifiers .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

66. Static Members of a C++ Class ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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67. Static Data Members in C++ ........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

68. C++ - Static Member Function ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

69. C++ Inline Functions .................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

70. C++ this Pointer ........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

71. C++ Friend Functions ................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

72. Pointer to C++ Classes ................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ CONSTRUCTORS ............................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

73. C++ Class Constructor and Destructor ......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

74. C++ - Default Constructors .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

75. C++ - Parameterized Constructors ............................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

76. C++ Copy Constructor .................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

77. C++ - Constructor Overloading .................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

78. C++ - Constructor with Default Arguments .................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

79. C++ - Delegating Constructors ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

80. C++ - Constructor Initialization List .............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

81. Dynamic Initialization Using Constructors in C++......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ INHERITANCE ................................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

82. C++ Inheritance ........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

83. Multiple Inheritance in C++ ......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

84. Multilevel Inheritance in C++ ...................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ OBJECT-ORIENTED ........................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

85. C++ Overloading (Operator and Function) ................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

86. Polymorphism in C++ .................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

87. Data Abstraction in C++ ............................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

88. Data Encapsulation in C++ ........................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

89. Interfaces in C++ (Abstract Classes) ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ FILE HANDLING ............................................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

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90. C++ Files and Streams .................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

91. C++ Reading From File ................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

C++ ADVANCED .................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

92. C++ Exception Handling ............................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

93. C++ Dynamic Memory ................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

94. Namespaces in C++ ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

95. C++ Templates ............................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

96. C++ Preprocessor ........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

97. C++ Signal Handling ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

98. C++ Multithreading ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

99. C++ Web Programming................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

100. C++ Socket Programming ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

101. C++ Concurrency ......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

102. Advanced C++ Concepts .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

103. C++ unordered_multiset ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

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C++ Basics

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1. C++ Overview: Introduction to C++ Programming
C++ Tutorial

Language

C++ is a statically typed, compiled, general-purpose, case-sensitive, free-form

programming language that supports procedural, object-oriented, and generic
programming.
C++ is regarded as a middle-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-
level and low-level language features.
C++ was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New
Jersey, as an enhancement to the C language and originally named C with Classes but
later it was renamed C++ in 1983.
C++ is a superset of C, and that virtually any legal C program is a legal C++ program.
Note − A programming language is said to use static typing when type checking is
performed during compile-time as opposed to run-time.

Object-Oriented Programming
C++ fully supports object-oriented programming, including the five pillars of object-
oriented development −
 Classes and Objects
 Encapsulation
 Data hiding
 Inheritance
 Polymorphism

Standard Libraries
Standard C++ consists of three important parts −
 The core language giving all the building blocks including variables, data types, and
literals, etc.
 The C++ Standard Library giving a rich set of functions manipulating files, strings,
etc.
 The Standard Template Library (STL) giving a rich set of methods manipulating
data structures, etc.

The ANSI Standard

The ANSI standard is an attempt to ensure that C++ is portable; that code you write for
Microsoft's compiler will compile without errors, using a compiler on a Mac, UNIX, a
Windows box, or an Alpha.
The ANSI standard has been stable for a while, and all the major C++
compiler manufacturers support the ANSI standard.

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Learning C++
The most important thing while learning C++ is to focus on concepts.
The purpose of learning a programming language is to become a better programmer; that
is, to become more effective at designing and implementing new systems and at
maintaining old ones.
C++ supports a variety of programming styles. You can write in the style of Fortran, C,
Smalltalk, etc., in any language. Each style can achieve its aims effectively while
maintaining runtime and space efficiency.

Uses of C++
The uses of C++ are as follows:
 C++ is used by hundreds of thousands of programmers in essentially every
application domain.
 C++ is being highly used to write device drivers and other software that rely on
direct manipulation of hardware under realtime constraints.
 C++ is widely used for teaching and research because it is clean enough for
successful teaching of basic concepts.
 Anyone who has used either an Apple Macintosh or a PC running Windows has
indirectly used C++ because the primary user interfaces of these systems are
written in C++.

C++ Hello World

Get started learning C++ with the first program by printing "Hello World" on the console
−

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
cout << "Hello, World!"; // prints Hello, World!
return 0;
}

Output of the above code is:

Hello, World!

Advantages of C++
C++ programming language has many advantages over other languages. Some of these
advantages are listed as follows −
 Rich Standard Library: C++ language provides the users with a rich and useful
Standard Template Library (STL). This library has a lot of in-built methods and data
structure templates to make coding in this language efficient and quick.
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 OOPS Concepts: C++ language provides users with Object-Oriented

Programming concepts like class, object, abstraction, polymorphism and much
more. Hence, it acts as a modified and better version of C programming language.
 Faster Performance: C++ language is faster in comparison to other languages
like Python, Go, C#, and many more. This makes it very useful in embedded
systems and gaming processors.
 Efficient Compiler: C++ is a compiled language. C++ compiler is very versatile,
and it can accept both procedural programs as well as object oriented programs.
 Hardware Independent: C++ language is independent of any hardware or
system design. C++ programs work on any system on which a C++/GCC compiler
installed and enabled.
 Large Support Base: C++ is one of the most widely used programming languages
across the globe. It has a vast community of developers and programmers. This
can be explored on platforms like Github, Reddit, Discord, DEV, Stack Overflow,
and many more.

Disadvantages of C++
C++ programming language also has some disadvantages, which are listed below:
 Error Detection: C++ provides the facility of low-level design and is very close to
the hardware of the system. Hence, this may lead the user to carry out small errors
that are difficult to observe and detect.
 Large Syntax: C++ has a very lengthy code base, and many programmers find it
difficult to write such a lengthy syntax. This has drawn backlash from the user-
base of languages like Python, Go, etc., which are easier to code and simpler to
execute.
 Learning Curve: As compared to Python and Go, C++ has a very steep learning
curve. Users feel that the initial building phase is very tough to learn, and there
are many concepts that beginners find difficult to understand.

Facts about C++

Here are some interesting and lesser-known facts about the C++ programming language
−
 C++ language was invented at the AT&T Bell Labs, the same place where C
language was invented.
 C++ language is heavily used in NASA, where it finds applications in flight software
and command design.
 C++ is the successor of the C language. The name C++ has been taken from C
only, and the increment operator ('++') signifies that this language is the next
version of C.
 C++ is widely used in areas like game development, server-side networking,
TCP/IP connections, low-level design, and many more.
 C++ programs begin by executing the main() function, and other functions are
redirected using the main() function only.
 C++ has inherited almost all features of C, and it has incorporated OOPS concepts
from Simula68 programming language.

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 C++ does not support pure object-oriented programming. Programs can be

executed without the use of classes and objects, just like in procedural languages.
 There are many languages that are conceptualized using C++, and some of those
are C#, Java, JavaScript, and many more.

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 2. C++ Environment Setup C++ Tutorial

Local Environment Setup

If you are still willing to set up your environment for C++, you need to have the following
two software applications on your computer.

Text Editor
This will be used to type your program. Examples of few editors include Windows Notepad,
OS Edit Command, Brief, Epsilon, EMACS, and vim or vi.
Name and version of text editor can vary on different operating systems. For example,
Notepad will be used on Windows and vim or vi can be used on windows as well as Linux,
or UNIX.
The files you create with your editor are called source files and for C++, they typically
are named with the extension .cpp, .cp, or .c.
A text editor should be in place to start your C++ programming.

C++ Compiler
This is an actual C++ compiler, which will be used to compile your source code into final
executable program.
Most C++ compilers don't care what extension you give to your source code, but if you
don't specify otherwise, many will use .cpp by default.
Most frequently used and free available compiler is GNU C/C++ compiler, otherwise you
can have compilers either from HP or Solaris if you have the respective Operating Systems.

Installing GNU C/C++ Compiler

Here we will discuss the steps of installing GNU C/C++ Compiler on different operating
systems.

UNIX/Linux Installation
If you are using Linux or UNIX then check whether GCC is installed on your system by
entering the following command from the command line −

$ g++ -v

If you have installed GCC, then it should print a message such as the following −

Using built-in specs.

Target: i386-redhat-linux
Configured with: ../configure --prefix=/usr .......
Thread model: posix

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gcc version 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-46)

If GCC is not installed, then you will have to install it yourself using the detailed instructions
available at https://gcc.gnu.org/install/

Mac OS X Installation
If you use Mac OS X, the easiest way to obtain GCC is to download the Xcode development
environment from Apple's website and follow the simple installation instructions.
Xcode is currently available at developer.apple.com/technologies/tools/.

Windows Installation
To install GCC at Windows, you need to install MinGW. To install MinGW, go to the MinGW
homepage, www.mingw.org, and follow the link to the MinGW download page. Download
the latest version of the MinGW installation program which should be named MinGW-
<version>.exe.
While installing MinGW, at a minimum, you must install gcc-core, gcc-g++, binutils, and
the MinGW runtime, but you may wish to install more.
Add the bin subdirectory of your MinGW installation to your PATH environment variable
so that you can specify these tools on the command line by their simple names.
When the installation is complete, you will be able to run gcc, g++, ar, ranlib, dlltool, and
several other GNU tools from the Windows command line.

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 3. C++ Basic Syntax C++ Tutorial

When we consider a C++ program, it can be defined as a collection of objects that

communicate via invoking each other's methods. Let us now briefly look into what a class,
object, method, and instance variable mean:
 Object − Objects have states and behaviors. Example: A dog has states (color,
name, breed) as well as behaviors (wagging, barking, eating). An object is an
instance of a class.
 Class − A class can be defined as a template/blueprint that describes the behaviors
or states that object of its type supports.
 Methods − A method is basically a behavior. A class can contain many methods.
It is in methods where the logics are written, data is manipulated, and all the
actions are executed.
 Instance Variables − Each object has its own unique set of instance variables.
An object's state is created by the values assigned to these instance variables.

C++ Program Structure

The basic structure of a C++ program consists of the following parts:
 Header file inclusion section: This is the section where we include all required
header files whose functions we are going to use in the program.
 Namespace section: This is the section where we use the namespace.
 The main() section: In this section, we write our main code. The main() function
is an entry point of any C++ programming code from where the program's
execution starts.
To learn more about it, read: C++ Hello, World Program.

Example
Let us look at a simple code that would print the words Hello World.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

// main() is where program execution begins.

int main() {
cout << "Hello World"; // prints Hello World
return 0;
}

Example Explanation
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 C++ Tutorial

Let us look at the various parts of the above program −

 The C++ language defines several headers, which contain information that is either
necessary or useful to your program. For this program, the header <iostream> is
needed.
 The line using namespace std; tells the compiler to use the std namespace.
Namespaces are a relatively recent addition to C++.
 The next line '// main() is where program execution begins.' is a single-line
comment available in C++. Single-line comments begin with // and stop at the end
of the line.
 The line int main() is the main function where program execution begins.
 The next line cout << "Hello World"; causes the message "Hello World" to be
displayed on the screen.
 The next line return 0; terminates main() function and causes it to return the
value 0 to the calling process.

Compile and Execute C++ Program

Let's look at how to save the file, compile and run the program. Please follow the steps
given below −
 Open a text editor and add the code as above.
 Save the file as: hello.cpp
 Open a command prompt and go to the directory where you saved the file.
 Type 'g++ hello.cpp' and press enter to compile your code. If there are no errors
in your code the command prompt will take you to the next line and would generate
a.out executable file.
 Now, type 'a.out' to run your program.
 You will be able to see ' Hello World ' printed on the window.

$ g++ hello.cpp
$ ./a.out
Hello World

Make sure that g++ is in your path and that you are running it in the directory containing
file hello.cpp.
You can compile C/C++ programs using makefile. For more details, you can check
our 'Makefile Tutorial'.

Semicolons and Blocks in C++

In C++, the semicolon is a statement terminator. That is, each individual statement must
be ended with a semicolon. It indicates the end of one logical entity.
For example, following are three different statements −

x = y;
y = y + 1;

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 C++ Tutorial

add(x, y);

A block is a set of logically connected statements that are surrounded by opening and
closing braces. For example −

{
cout << "Hello World"; // prints Hello World
return 0;
}

C++ does not recognize the end of the line as a terminator. For this reason, it does not
matter where you put a statement in a line. For example −

x = y;
y = y + 1;
add(x, y);

is the same as

x = y; y = y + 1; add(x, y);

C++ Identifiers
A C++ identifier is a name used to identify a variable, function, class, module, or any other
user-defined item. An identifier starts with a letter A to Z or a to z or an underscore (_)
followed by zero or more letters, underscores, and digits (0 to 9).
C++ does not allow punctuation characters such as @, $, and % within identifiers. C++
is a case-sensitive programming language. Thus, Manpower and manpower are two
different identifiers in C++.
Here are some examples of acceptable identifiers −

mohd zara abc move_name a_123

myname50 _temp j a23b9 retVal

C++ Keywords
The following list shows the reserved words in C++. These reserved words may not be
used as constant or variable or any other identifier names.

asm Else new this

auto Enum operator throw

bool Explicit private true

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 C++ Tutorial

break Export protected try

case Extern public typedef

catch False register typeid

char Float reinterpret_cast typename

class For return union

const Friend short unsigned

const_cast Goto signed using

continue If sizeof virtual

default Inline static void

delete Int static_cast volatile

do Long struct wchar_t

double Mutable switch while

dynamic_cast namespace template

Trigraphs
A few characters have an alternative representation called a trigraph sequence. A trigraph
is a three-character sequence that represents a single character and the sequence always
starts with two question marks.
Trigraphs are expanded anywhere they appear, including within string literals and
character literals, in comments, and in preprocessor directives.
Following are most frequently used trigraph sequences −

Trigraph Replacement

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 C++ Tutorial

??= #

??/ \

??' ^

??( [

??) ]

??! |

??< {

??> }

??- ~

All the compilers do not support trigraphs and they are not advised to be used because of
their confusing nature.

Whitespace in C++
A line containing only whitespace, possibly with a comment, is known as a blank line, and
C++ compiler totally ignores it.
Whitespace is the term used in C++ to describe blanks, tabs, newline characters and
comments. Whitespace separates one part of a statement from another and enables the
compiler to identify where one element in a statement, such as int, ends and the next
element begins.

Statement 1
int age;

In the above statement, there must be at least one whitespace character (usually a space)
between int and age for the compiler to be able to distinguish them.

Statement 2
fruit = apples + oranges; // Get the total fruit

In the above statement 2, no whitespace characters are necessary between fruit and =,
or between = and apples, although you are free to include some if you wish for readability
purpose.

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 C++ Tutorial

C++ Program Structure with Object-oriented Approach

C++ also supports the object-oriented programming approach along with the procedural
programming approach.

Example
This example demonstrates the C++ program based on an object-oriented approach.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Numbers {
private:
int a;
int b;

public:
// Function to set values
void setValues(int x, int y) {
a = x;
b = y;
}

// Function to add these numbers

double addition() { return a + b; }

// Function to display values

void display() { cout << "a: " << a << ", b: " << b << endl; }
};

int main() {
// Create an object of Numbers class
Numbers num;

// Set values
num.setValues(10, 20);

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 C++ Tutorial

// Display the values

num.display();

// Find the addition

int sum = num.addition();
cout << "Sum of numbers: " << sum << endl;

return 0;
}

Parts of C++ Program Structure with Object-oriented Approach

The different parts of the C++ program structure with an object-oriented approach are as
follows:

1. Class Declaration
A class is a template for an object, or we can say a class is a factory to produce an object.
It is a kind of custom data type, where you construct a structure for an object.
A class declaration has the following parts:
 Access modifiers: C++ supports three types of access
modifiers: private, public, and protected. Accessibilities of the data members
and member functions are defined by the access modifiers.
 Data members and member functions: The variables used in the class
declaration are known as data members, and the member functions are those
functions that work on the data members.

Example
As per the above example, the following part of the declaration of a class –

class Numbers {
private:
int a;
int b;

public:
// Function to set values
void setValues(int x, int y) {
a = x;

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 C++ Tutorial

b = y;
}

// Function to add these numbers

double addition() { return a + b; }

// Function to display values

void display() { cout << "a: " << a << ", b: " << b << endl; }
};

The following are the data members which are defined under the private access modifier
i.e., these data members can be used by the member functions within the class –

private:
int a;
int b;

The following are the member functions used in the class –

void setValues(int x, int y);

double addition();
void display();

2. Object Creation
In the above example, the following statement is the object creation statement −

Numbers num;

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 4. Comments in C++ C++ Tutorial

C++ Comments
Program comments are explanatory statements that you can include in the C++ code.
These comments help anyone reading the source code. All programming languages allow
different forms of comments.

Types of C++ Comments

C++ supports two types of comments: single-line comments and multi-line
comments. All characters available inside any comment are ignored by the C++ compiler.
Here we will discuss these types −

1. C++ Single-line Comments

A single-line comment starts with //, extending to the end of the line. These comments
can last only till the end of the line, and the next line leads to a new comment.
Syntax
The following syntax shows how to use a single-line comment in C++ −

// Text to be commented

Example
In the following example, we are creating single-line comments −

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
// this is a single line comment
cout << "Hello world!" << endl;
// for a new line, we have to use new comment sections
cout << "This is second line.";

return 0;
}

Output
The output of the code is −

Hello world!

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 C++ Tutorial

This is second line.

2. C++ Multi-Line Comments

Multi-line comments start with /* and end with */. Any text in between these symbols is
treated as a comment only.
Syntax
The following syntax shows how to use a multi-line comment in C++ −

/* This is a comment */

/*
C++ comments can also
span multiple lines
*/

Example
In the following example, we are creating multi-line comments −

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
/* Printing hello world!*/
cout << "Hello World!" << endl;
/*
This is a multi-line comment
Printing another message
Using cout
*/
cout << "Tutorials Point";

return 0;
}

Output
The output of the code is −

Hello World!
Tutorials Point

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 C++ Tutorial

Comments within Statements

We can also comment-out specific statements within a code block inside a C++ program.
This is done using both types of comments.
Example
The following example explains the usage of multi-line comments within statements −

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
cout << "This line" /*what is this*/ << " contains a comment" << endl;
return 0;
}

Output
The output of the code is −

This line contains a comment

Example
The following example explains the usage of single-line comments within statements −

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
cout << "This line" // what is this
<< " contains a comment" << endl;
return 0;
}

Output
The output of the code is −

This line contains a comment

Nesting Comments
Within a /* and */ comment, // characters have no special meaning. Within
a // comment, /* and */ have no special meaning. Thus, you can "nest" one kind of
comment within the other kind.
Example

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 C++ Tutorial

The following example explains the usage of comments within comments using nesting −

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
/* Comment out printing of Hello World:

cout << "Hello World"; // prints Hello World

*/
cout << "New, Hello World!";
return 0;
}

Output
The output of the code is −

New, Hello World!

Single-line or Multi-Line Comments - When to Use?

Single-line comments are generally used for short lines of comments in general. This is
seen in cases where we have to mention a small hint for the algorithm in the code.
Multi-line comments are generally used for longer lines of comments, where the visibility
of the whole comment line is necessary. The longer the length of the comment, the more
number of statements are needed by the multi-line comments.

Purpose of Comments
Comments are used for various purposes in C++. Some of the main areas of application
of comments are as follows −
 To represent a short and concise step in the program for users to understand
better.
 To explain a step in a detailed way that is not expressed explicitly in the code.
 To leave different hints for users to grab in the code itself.
 To leave comments for fun or recreation.
 To temporarily disable part of the code for debugging purposes.
 To add metadata to the code for future purposes.
 To create documentation for the code, for example, in Github pages.

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 5. C++ "Hello, World!" Program C++ Tutorial

Printing "Hello, World!" is the first program in C++. Here, this prints "Hello, World" on
the console (output screen). To start learning C++, it is the first step to print sometime
on the screen.

C++ Program to print "Hello, World!"

Let us see the first C++ program that prints "Hello, World!" −

// First C++ program

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
cout << "Hello, World!";
return 0;
}

Output
This program will print "Hello, World!" on the output screen. The output will be −

Hello, World!

Parts of C++ "Hello, World!" Program

Here is the breakdown of the above code and all elements used in the above code −

1. Comment Section (// First C++ program)

Comments are used to specify a textual line that is not supposed to be executed when we
compile the code. The compiler ignores the line, and proceeds to the next line. These are
used for better readability and explanation of code in the comments section.
This is the comment −

// First C++ program

2. Preprocessor Directive (#include <iostream>)

The #include is known as a pre-processor directive in C++. It is used to include header
files with specific methods and elements. Multiple #include statements are used to apply
different header files in the program. The iostream is the header file that defines
functions and operations related to the input/output stream.
The statement is used in the program is −

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 C++ Tutorial

#include <iostream>

3. Namespace (using namespace std;)

Namespaces are used to differentiate code blocks with the same method names. In this
program, the using namespace std; is used to set the namespace as standard for users
to apply all standard methods in programs.
Here is the code statement used in the program −

using namespace std;

4. The main() Function (int main(){...})

The main() function is the default starting point of any C++ program. It is compulsory
for any C++ program to have a main function. The program logics are written inside the
main program. The main function body is enclosed inside parenthesis ({}).
The main() function part is −

int main() {
cout << "Hello, World!";
return 0;
}

5. Printing Statement (cout)

The print/output statement is cout followed by "<<" operator. This is used to print the
given parameters specified in the statement on the screen. We can also print multiple
elements in a single cout block.
The print statement is −

cout << "Hello, World!";

6. Return Statement (return 0;)

The return statement is also known as the exit statement. It is used to exit from the
corresponding function. The "return 0" is the default statement to exit from the main
program.
Here is the return statement used in the program −

return 0;

Compile and Run "Hello, World!" Program

The "Hello, World!" program can be compiled by using the Edit & Run button. You can
also open our online C++ compiler, write the program, and compile it there.
The standard way to compile and run the C++ program is explained here: Compile and
Run a C++ Program.

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 C++ Tutorial

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