Lesson 01 : Introduction to C++

C++ is an "object oriented" programming language based on the C language created by Bjarne Stroustrup of AT&T Bell Laboratories in the early 1980's and released in 1985. C++ is rich with many important features such as reusability and extensibility.

C++ is a superset of C and most carefully written ANSI C will compile as C++. The American National Standards Institution (ANSI) provides "official" and generally accepted standard definitions for C and C++. A program written only in ANSI C++ is guaranteed to run on any computer whose supporting software conforms to the ANSI standard.

It is must to have a compiler for each and every programming language. Compiler is a communication medium and it is capable of filling the gap between humans and the computer languages. So compiles take the source code written using high-level languages (Eg: C, C++ etc) and convert into machine language. Most of the compilers embedded in frameworks of software development tools and libraries. Some compiles can be downloaded free while some required payments. Here listed some of the compiles can be used for C++.

Downloaded for free:
• Apple C++
• Bloodshed Dev-C++
• Borland C++
• Cygwin (GNU C++)
• Digital Mars C++
• DJ Delorie's C++ development system for DOS/Windows (GNU C++)
• GNU CC source
• IBM C++
• Intel C++ for linux
• The LLVM Compiler Infrastructure
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express edition.
• Sun Studio

Require payment:
• Borland C++
• CodeWarrior C++
• Comeau C++
• Edison Design Group C++ Front End
• Green Hills C++
• HP C++ for Unix and HP C++ for OpenVMS
• Intel C++
• Mentor Graphics/Microtec Research C++
• Microsoft C++
• Paradigm C++
• The Portland Group C++
• SGI C++
• Sun C++
• WindRiver's Diab C++

For the front end developments it requires a frontend environment. Most common environment used for the C++ language is Dev-C++ around GNU's G++ compiler.