C++ is a
multi-paradigm programming language that
supports object oriented programming (OOP), created by
BJarne Stroustrup in
1983 at
Bell Labs, C++ is an extension (superset) of C programming and the programs written in C language can run in C++ compilers.
The
development of C++ actually began four years before its release, in
1979. It did not start out with the name C++; its first name was
C with Classes.
In the late part of 1983, C with Classes was first used for AT&T’s
internal programming needs. Its name was changed to C++ later in the
same year. C++ was not released commercially until the late part of
1985.
C++ implements “
data abstraction” using a concept called “
classes“, along with other features to allow
object-oriented programming
and is considered a high level language. Classes help programmers with
the organization of their code. They can also be beneficial in helping
programmers to avoid mistakes.
The original C++ compiler, called
Cfront,
was written in the C++ programming language. C++ compilation is
considered efficient and fast. Its speed can be attributed to its
high-level features in conjunction with its low-level components. When
compared to other computer programming languages, C++ can be viewed as
quite short. This is due to the fact that C++ leans towards the use of
special characters instead of keywords.
Uses of C++ language
C++
is used by programmers to create computer software. It is used to
create general systems software, drivers for various computer devices,
software for servers and software for specific applications and also
widely used in the creation of video games.
Object-oriented Programming
C++ completely supports object-oriented programming, with four pillars of object-oriented development:
- Abstraction
- Encapsulation
- Inheritance
- Polymorphism
Standard Libraries
Standard C++ consists of three important parts:
- All the building blocks including variables, data types and literals etc is provided by the core language.
- The C++ Standard Library is provides rich set of functions manipulating files and strings.
- The (STL) Standard Template Library provides a rich set of methods manipulating data structures.
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