C++ Basics

beginner

What You'll Learn

Theory

C++ is a high-performance, compiled programming language created by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1985 as an extension of C. It combines low-level memory control with high-level abstractions.

Compiled Language

C++ source code is compiled directly to machine code, making it one of the fastest languages available. The compilation process:

Source (.cpp) → Compiler (g++) → Object (.o) → Linker → Executable

Unlike interpreted languages, compiled C++ code runs directly on the hardware without an intermediate layer.

Performance and Use Cases

C++ is chosen when performance matters most:

Game engines (Unreal Engine, Unity)
Operating systems (Windows kernel, Linux parts)
Embedded systems and IoT devices
High-frequency trading systems
Web browsers (Chrome V8, Firefox SpiderMonkey)
Database engines (MySQL, MongoDB)
Machine learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch)

C++ Key Features

Manual memory management — full control over allocation/deallocation
Zero-cost abstractions — high-level features with no runtime overhead
Multi-paradigm — procedural, OOP, generic, functional
Backward compatible with C — most C code compiles as C++

Hello World in C++

cpp

Why this matters

C++ gives you the raw performance of C with high-level abstractions, making it the go-to choice for game engines, browsers, and financial systems. Understanding its compilation model and use cases helps you choose the right tool for performance-critical projects.

What's next

In the next lessons, you'll dive deeper into each topic with hands-on examples and exercises.

Exercises

Personal Profile Program

easy

Write a C++ program that asks the user for their name, favorite food, and age. Print a formatted message using cout.

Expected Output:

Name: Alice\nFavorite food: Pizza\nAge: 25\nHello Alice! You like Pizza and are 25 years old.