📖 What is C++?

Introduction

C++ is a powerful, general-purpose programming language created by Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs in 1979. It was designed as an extension of the C programming language, adding object-oriented features while maintaining C's efficiency and low-level capabilities.

History Timeline

1979 - "C with Classes" created by Bjarne Stroustrup
1983 - Renamed to "C++"
1998 - C++98 (First ISO standard)
2003 - C++03 (Bug fixes)
2011 - C++11 (Major modernization)
2014 - C++14 (Minor improvements)
2017 - C++17 (More features)
2020 - C++20 (Concepts, ranges, coroutines)
2023 - C++23 (Latest standard)

Why Learn C++?

1. Performance

C++ provides direct access to hardware and memory, making it one of the fastest programming languages. It's used where speed matters most.

2. Control

You have fine-grained control over system resources, memory allocation, and hardware interactions.

3. Versatility

C++ can be used for:

• •System software
• •Game development
• •Embedded systems
• •High-frequency trading
• •Scientific computing
• •Compilers and interpreters

4. Industry Demand

C++ developers are highly sought after in:

• •Gaming (Unreal Engine, Unity internals)
• •Finance (Trading systems)
• •Tech giants (Google, Microsoft, Amazon)
• •Automotive (Self-driving cars)
• •Aerospace

C++ vs Other Languages

Real-World Applications

Game Engines

• •Unreal Engine - Powers AAA games
• •Unity - Core written in C++
• •CryEngine - Used for Crysis series

Operating Systems

• •Windows - Largely written in C/C++
• •Linux Kernel - C with C++ components
• •macOS - Core systems in C++

Browsers

• •Chrome - V8 engine in C++
• •Firefox - Core in C++

Databases

• •MySQL - Written in C/C++
• •MongoDB - C++ implementation

Financial Systems

• •High-frequency trading platforms
• •Risk management systems
• •Bloomberg Terminal

The C++ Philosophy

"C++ is designed to be a language for systems programming and for expressing complex algorithms. It offers strong support for data abstraction, object-oriented programming, and generic programming." — Bjarne Stroustrup

Key Principles:

1. •Zero-overhead abstraction - You don't pay for what you don't use
2. •Direct hardware access - Work close to the metal when needed
3. •Trust the programmer - Gives you power (and responsibility)

What You'll Learn

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

✅ Write efficient, clean C++ code ✅ Understand memory management ✅ Create object-oriented programs ✅ Use the Standard Template Library (STL) ✅ Write multithreaded applications ✅ Build real-world projects

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Next: The Compilation Process