About Lesson
Initially called as C with Classes as it was began as an enhancement of C programming language.
Invented by Bjarne Stroustrup. He included following features to the C for C++
- Classes
- Derived Classes (Inheritance)
- Public/private access control
- Constructors and destructors
Features
- Object Oriented Programming: Unlike C which is procedural programming language, C++ supports Object-Oriented programming through Class, Objects, Encapsulation, Polymorphism, Inheritance, Abstraction.
- Machine Independent: The code created on one machine/architecture can run on various machines while no machine-specific changes.
- Platform Dependent: The compiled code generated by the compiler is OS dependent. That is executable made to run on Linux won’t run on Windows.
- Generic Programming with Templates: C++ allow for generic programming. Templates enable the creation of functions and classes that can work with any data type, enhancing code flexibility and reusability.
- Strongly Typed: C++ is a statically typed language, meaning that data types are determined at compile time. This helps catch errors early in the development process and can improve performance.
- Standard Library (STL): C++ provides a variety of container classes such as vectors, lists, and maps, which offer efficient data storage and manipulation. STL includes a collection of algorithms for tasks such as sorting, searching, and manipulating containers. These algorithms are highly optimized and can be easily integrated into C++ code.
- Memory Management: C++ allows developers to manually allocate and deallocate memory. This gives developers fine-grained control over memory usage but requires careful management to avoid memory leaks and errors.
- Performance: C++ is known for its high performance and efficiency, making it well-suited for applications that require low-level control over hardware resources, such as system programming, game development, and high-performance computing.
Common Use-Cases
- Desktop Applications: C++ is used in the development of desktop applications such as productivity software, graphic design tools, and integrated development environments (IDEs). Its performance and cross-platform capabilities make it suitable for building complex desktop applications.
- System Programming: OS, Device Drivers.
- Game Development
- Financial Applications: C++ is used extensively in the finance industry for developing trading platforms, risk management systems, and algorithmic trading strategies. Its performance, low latency, and ability to handle large volumes of data make it a popular choice for financial applications.