{"id":916,"date":"2024-08-09T20:17:44","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T20:17:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/?page_id=916"},"modified":"2025-01-25T20:59:58","modified_gmt":"2025-01-25T20:59:58","slug":"c-overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/topics\/c-details\/beginnings\/c-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"An Overview of C++"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/span>Goals of C++<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • To make programming in C more pleasant, more productive, and less error-prone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To be as upward compatible with ANSI C as possible (but no more so).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To support data abstraction, information hiding, and encapsulation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To support object-oriented programming.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To provide performance comparable to C.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To be widely available, and widely accepted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    <\/span>Evolution of C++<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Developed by Bjarne Stroustrup at AT&T Bell Labs in the early 1980s.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • An ANSI\/ISO committee is working on C++ standardization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Influences:  C, Simula 67, Algol 68<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • First version in 1980: \u201cC with Classes\u201d\n
        \n
      • Classes: An Abstract Data Type Facility for the C Language<\/em>, ACM SIGPLAN Notices, 1982<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Adding Classes to C: An Exercise in Language Evolution<\/em>, Software — Practice and Experience, 1983<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Renamed C++ in 1983\/84<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Educational Release in 1983<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • General Releases 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, …<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • ANSI\/ISO C++ Standard finalized in 1998.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        <\/span>C++ Resources<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • The C++ Programming Language<\/em>, (First Edition) Bjarne Stroustrup, Addison-Wesley, 1986 (was the ‘C++ Bible’, but is now completely<\/em><\/strong> out of date)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • USENIX C++ Workshops in Sante Fe, New Mexico (1987) and Denver, Colorado (1988) (Proceedings available from USENIX Association)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • The Annotated C++ Reference Manual (ARM)<\/em>, Margaret Ellis and Bjarne Stroustrup, Addison-Wesley, 1990  (The new ‘C++ Bible’ reference, and the base for the ANSI\/ISO C++ standards effort)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • The C++ Programming Language,<\/em> (Third Edition) Bjarne Stroustrup, Addison-Wesley, 1997. This is really the new ‘C++ Bible’, and is a major rewrite of the Second Edition (which in turn considerably augmented the First Edition).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • The Design and Evolution of C++<\/em>, Bjarne Stroustrup, Addison-Wesley, 1994. 
          Some interesting insights into why the language is the way it is.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • There are now lots of books on C++, some good, some bad, some terrible…<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          <\/span>C++ Penetration<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Probably the fastest-growing computer language (until Java came along).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Installed on thousands of computers from micro to mainframe, across the entire world.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Use of C++ has burgeoned
            (Stroustrup estimated at one point that, over a considerable period of time, the number of C++ users was doubling every 4 to 6 months!<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Used in wide variety of applications:\n
              \n
            • C++ compiler, debugger<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Financial Trading systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Switching systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Simulations<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Graphics\/Windows<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • etc., etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              <\/span>C++ Characterization<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • Roots same as those of C (Bell Labs)\n
                  \n
                • Similar ‘pragmatic’ approach (as opposed to ‘theoretical’)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Decidedly a hybrid<\/em> Object-Oriented language<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Supports Object-Oriented programming, but does not require it<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Does not penalize you (in terms of performance) if you don’t use a feature.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • C++ is a very<\/em> large, complex language (at least as much as Ada).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Some people, especially from the ‘pure O-O’ camp, criticize it for its complexity and ‘warts’.\n
                    \n
                  • There was a lot of ‘C++ bashing’ at the 1990 OOPSLA conference.    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Bell Labs was reputed to use C++ as a ‘better lint’<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • C++ use has been growing by leaps and bounds, although not all its adherents use it for O-O.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • At one point, it probably had no significant competition for being the predominant O-O programming language.  This has changed with the advent of Java.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    <\/span>C++ Implementations<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                      \n
                    • AT&T translator (cfront):\n
                        \n
                      • A “front end” for a C compiler.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Written by Stroustrup and others at Bell Labs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Generates C source code, not object code directly (this was key to C++’s initial wide acceptance and rapid growth)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Written in C++ with a bootstrap version in C<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • True compilers:\n
                          \n
                        • Microsoft Visual C++<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Borland C++Builder<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • gcc (GNU C++ from the Free Software Foundation) for a wide variety of platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Sun C++ for Sun   <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Lots of others, many from hardware vendors (HP, IBM, etc.)…<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                          \n

                          Note: The above list needs to be updated…<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

                          <\/span>C++ Features<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                            \n
                          • C++ is more than just ‘an enhanced C’<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • Features can be classified as:\n
                              \n
                            • Small Enhancements<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Large Enhancements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Distinctions between ‘small’ and ‘large’ not always clear-cut.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • All of the ‘Small Enhancements’ and some of the ‘Large Enhancements’  can be used without touching Object-Oriented programming.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • To make optimal use of C++, however, it really pays to try to use a different  ‘O-O mindset’.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                \n
                              • Small Enhancements<\/strong>\n
                                  \n
                                • Line-style comments<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • struct<\/strong>\/union<\/strong>\/enum<\/strong> tags become true type names<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Declaration placement<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Scope operator<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • const<\/strong> specifier (stricter than ANSI C)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Anonymous union<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Explicit (function-like) type conversion<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Function prototypes (stricter than ANSI C)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Overloading of function names<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Default values for function parameters<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Functions with unspecified number of parameters (stricter than ANSI C)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Reference parameters in functions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • inline<\/strong> specifier<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • new<\/strong> and delete<\/strong> operators <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                • Pointers to void and functions returning void<\/strong> (stricter than ANSI C)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                    \n
                                  • Large Enhancements<\/strong>\n
                                      \n
                                    • Stronger typing, with the necessary extensions for object-oriented programming       <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • The class<\/strong> construct, and class member encapsulation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • Constructors and destructors (automatically invoked; guaranteed to be invoked on creation and destruction of an object)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • Overloading of operators and functions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • References (general use)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • friend<\/strong>s of a class<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • Member class objects<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • const<\/strong> member functions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • static<\/strong> members<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • Derived classes (including multiple derivation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • virtual<\/strong> functions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • Virtual base classes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • Exceptions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • Templates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                      <\/span>The Five Levels of C++ Mastery<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                        \n
                                      • It has been said by a large organization using C++ that there are five levels a typical C user may go through when learning C++:\n
                                          \n
                                        • Level 0: <\/strong>can be described as typical C and usually takes days<\/em> to learn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • Level 1: <\/strong>can be described as better C (C++’s stronger type checking) and usually takes a week or so <\/em>to learn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • Level 2: <\/strong>can be described as advanced C (inlining) and usually takes a month <\/em>to learn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • Level 3: <\/strong>can be described as abstract data type (defining classes) and usually takes up to six months <\/em>to learn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • Level 4: <\/strong>can be described as object-oriented programming paradign (use of inheritance and polymorphism) and usually takes up to a year <\/em>to learn.  This is also called an object-oriented design level (OO analysis, OO design and use of an OO database).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • At the end of level 4, C programmers are thinking in the object-oriented paradigm and begin to rethink their programming design methodology.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                        • This stuff takes time!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                          Goals of C++ Evolution of C++ C++ Resources C++ Penetration C++ Characterization C++ Implementations Note: The above list needs to be updated… C++ Features The Five Levels of C++ Mastery<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1871,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-916","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=916"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1674,"href":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/916\/revisions\/1674"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/PracticalCPlusPlusProgramming\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}