Basics of C++ Programming

These pages attempt to give an overview of some basic concepts, including the structure of the C++ programming language. You can read through them below, or you can refer back to them from pages in the main tutorial when you feel you don't understand a particular topic or piece of terminology.

Concepts and Terminology

Unless you are just starting to program you probably already know everything in this section.

• Computer Basics and Programming Concepts

C++ Language Structures

Most people find learning by example easier than working from simple descriptions, so most people will find these pages most useful for reference when looking at examples elsewhere.

• Basic Syntax: Spaces, words and punctuation in the C++ language.
• Variables, Constants and Built-in Types: How to store data.
• Operators and Basic Expressions: How to do math (and other things).
• Flow Control and Statement Blocks: Repeating actions and responding to conditions.
• Functions and Arguments: Organizing the program.
• Modules and Scope: Dividing large programs into manageable pieces.
• Arrays: Groups of the same type of variable.
• Character Strings: How to deal with text.
• Pointers: Variables which point at other variables.
• Defining New Types: Variables beyond the basic types.
• Classes and Objects: The basis of object-oriented programming.
• Casts: Converting between types.
• The Preprocessor: The preprocessing step applied to all C++ source code.

Design

These are pages on software design and good programming practices (at least in my opinion).

• The Programming Process: What are the steps involved in creating a program?
• Writing Source Code: Basic advice on coding style.

Other Online Tutorials

• DevCentral C/C++ Tutorials
• The Programming Sharehouse's big list of C/C++ tutorials.
• Scroll down a bit on this page for some C++ Win32 tutorials.
• C++ Annotations, for people who already know C.

Book Recommendations

For C programming go out and get "The C Programming Language" 2nd Ed. (or later editions) by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie. It is perhaps not the easiest tutorial for C programming, but it is the ultimate bible of C, and you will keep referring back to it even when you are an experienced programmer.

K&R is particularly appropriate if you already know how to program in another language (even BASIC, for example). However, for programming beginners I have had Teach Yourself C in 21 Days and Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days, both by Sam's Net publishers, recommended to me. I can't actually say anything myself, since I haven't read them.

For a bible of C++ see The C++ Programming Language 3rd Ed. by Bjarne Stroustrup. That book is probably not good for beginners, but more experienced programmers should benefit from the detailed, if somewhat theoretical approach to C++ programming.