Beginning C++
Welcome to a short course that will provide you with an introduction to C++. This will teach you how to write modern C++ programs, providing a foundation for deeper investigation of C++ in future courses.
This course assumes that you have some knowledge of Python, e.g. up to the level presented in my Beginning Python and Intermediate Python workshops. You should be comfortable with the following concepts:
If you are not comfortable with these concepts, then please use the links above to learn more.
This is a short course that will give you a taste of C++, and a platform to enable you to study further. If you want to learn more, I strongly recommend that you read Programming: Principles and Practice using C++, which was written by the creator of C++, Bjarne Stroustrup. This is an excellent book that will teach you everything about C++ from the ground up.
C++ is an example of a compiled computer programming language. This means that the C++ text files you write have to be compiled by a compiler to create an executable program. To follow this course you will thus need to have a C++ compiler installed on your computer. Good free compilers are g++, which comes with gcc, and clang++ which comes as part of clang. Both of these are available for Windows, Linux and OS X.
NOTE - this course will assume that you are compiling using the g++ command, via gcc version 5 or above. This is available for Windows (e.g. via MSYS2), Linux or OS X. If you are using clang++, or the Intel C++ (icpc) or other C++ compiler, then please replace g++ with the name of your compiler whenever you see it in the course instructions.
The course will also assume that you are comfortable using the command line, and a text editor, such as nano or vim.
- Why C++?
- C++ Basics
- Syntax compared to Python
- Types, Scopes and Auto
- Lists, Vectors and Dictionaries
- Objects and Classes
- Concepts, Default Arguments and Operators
- What next?