Introduction to C++ Programming Language

Back to: C++ Tutorials For Beginners and Professionals

Introduction to C++ Programming Language

In this article, I am going to give a brief introduction to C++ Programming Language. Please read our previous article, where we discussed the basics of computers, Programs, and how they work. The Topics Covered under this article are as follows:

1. What is C++?
2. History of C++
3. Why C++?
4. Advantages and Disadvantages of C++
5. Applications of C++

What is C++?

C++ is a high-level general-purpose programming language that is syntactically similar to English, popularly known as an extension of C. Using C++, we can Develop or Code OS (operating System), Games, applications, etc.

History of C++

C++ was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1979 later it was standardized in the year 1998. The whole intention of Bjarne Stroustrup is to add classes to the existing C language. Earlier C++ is named as ‘C with Classes’ later it was renamed by adding a ++ operator to C in 1983 hence C++ is known as an extension of C which has object-oriented capabilities/paradigm like classes, objects, inheritance, operator overloading, etc.

In 1985 Bjarne Stroustrup C++ programming language was released however in 1989 few more new features were added to C++ programming language like static and protected.

In 1990 C++ reference manual and Turbo C++ compiler got released which creates a Substantial Impact on C++ development.

In 1998 C++ customary advisory and standards committee published the first international standard for C++ ISO which is popularly known as C++98.

Later in 2011 C++ added some more features which include a new loop for each, Auto, variadic templates, new C++ time library, etc. which are popularly known as C++11 features.

Even though technologies changed and many new languages are in the market still C++ plays a Vital role in new technologies like AI, ML, Big Data, etc. In addition, remains one of the popular and go-to languages for developers.

Why C++?

C++ allows you to have a lot of control over computer resources and if rightly handled it gives a great performance in terms of speed. In fact, it is the fastest and growing programming language. Using C++ one can write a program that is memory efficient as there is no garbage collection.

Why I should go for C++?

If you are a graduate in E&C/CS/IS/E&E /Mechanical, there is a huge opportunity for C++ developers in areas Embedded/Robotics/IoT/AI/ML, etc.

C++ has a large online support community and stack overflow has an 80% answer rate for C++. C++ is close to hardware so if you are interested in system programming like designing compilers, hardware design, etc. c++ is the go-to language.

Since C++ offers great speed there is a huge opportunity in graphics design and game development.

Advantages of C++

1. C++ is a highly portable language.it is the language of choice when we are developing multiplatform applications.
2. C++ gives the user complete control over memory management and if you are developing an application, which needs memory-efficient coding then C++ is the go-to language of choice.
3. Compatibility with C acts as an advantage for legacy software to change it object-oriented.

Disadvantages of C++

1. Difficult to learn when compared to other high-level languages
2. C++ is not a secure language as it supports pointer, global variable moreover friend function.
3. Since it, do not have garbage collection mishandling of pointers leads to memory leak and program to crash.

Applications of C++

Using C++, we can develop System software like OS/device drivers.

Using C++, we can develop embedded applications, Virtual Reality games, etc.

In the next article, I am going to discuss how to set up the C++ development environment. Here, in this article, I try to give a brief introduction to C++ Programming Language and I hope you enjoy this introduction to the C++ Programming Language article.