Introduction to C++
Why Learn C++?
C++
may at first seem like a boring, confusing programming language that
you can only program command prompt applications with. Well, that is
what it is like in the [b]begining[/b]. And you are going to need to
learn the basics like this with any programming language. As you get
better and progress in your C++ skills, you will begin to learn that
you can start making some cool applications easier than you thought you
could. The main reason to learn C++ though, is that it teaches all the
basics of programming and you will learn concepts that will be used in
other types of programming. Many other programming languages are like
C++ or use C++. For example, PHP, a powerful web development language
uses almost the same syntaxes as C++. DirectX, a common game
development graphics library primarily uses C++.
Setting up C++
Ill
assume that most people are not going to want to spend the money for a
compiler, thats fine, there are many great free compilers. I use
Dev-C++ because it has some nice features and is fast, and best of all,
its FREE!
http://www.bloodshed.net/dev/devcpp.html
You can
download it here.Download it and install it, this step is pretty easy.
During instillation, select all the deafult values during instillation.
Create a New Project:
Go to the top menu: File -> New -> Source File, or just press Ctrl+N
You should now have a text document. Then, write the following text in the document:
#include
using namespace std;
int main()
{cout<<"Hello World!";
cin.get();
}
I would suggest typing it instead of copying it, you will get alot more
out of actually typing it rather than copying it, because you get used
to the syntaxes and development.
Run the Application:
Now that you have your first C++ Application, [b]Press F9 [/b] to
compile and run it. If you did everything right, it should open a
command prompt like application and say 'Hello World' or whatever you
told it to say. If it doesnt, look over the code and make sure
everything is correct.
Code Analysis
#include
Tells the compiler that we are going to be using the iostream library,
which includes information on things we will be using in the code.
using namespace std;
Saves time by telling the compiler that we are going to be using the 'std::' functions, which stands for 'standard'.
int main()
Starts the main function, this is were the heart of the program is. I will get into what functions are later on.
{
Starts the main function.
cout<<"Hello World!";[/code]
Writes "Hello World!" to the screen. cout stands for 'console output.'
cin.get();[/code]
Gets a variable from the user, we wont really be using this, but it is
what will keep our application from being closed really quick.
}
Closes our main function.
Analysis:
Now that we have made a simple C++ Application, we will start getting
into more advanced topics so you can start making useful applications.
