C++ is a general-purpose programming language developed by Bjarne Stroustrup as an extension of C. It is widely used for developing high-performance applications, system software, games, and embedded systems.

• Supports both procedural and object-oriented programming paradigms.
• Provides fast execution speed and direct memory management capabilities.
• Widely used in operating systems, game engines, embedded systems, and competitive programming.

Features of C++

C++ offers several features for developing efficient, flexible, and high-performance applications.

• Object-Oriented Programming: Supports classes and objects to organize code and promote reusability.
• High Performance Execution: Provides fast execution through efficient compilation into native machine code.
• Low-Level Memory Control: Allows direct memory management using pointers and dynamic memory allocation.
• Rich STL Libraries: Provides the Standard Template Library (STL) with containers, algorithms, and iterators.
• General Purpose Language: Used to develop operating systems, games, embedded systems, and desktop applications.

First C++ Program

The below C++ code shows the basic structure of a program.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    cout << "Hello, World!";
    return 0;
}

Hello, World!

Structure of the C++ program

The basic structure of a C++ program defines the standard way every program must be written; otherwise, it will cause a compilation error. The structure includes:

A basic C++ program consists of several components that define its structure, handle input/output operations, and control program execution.

• Header File: #include <iostream> provides standard input/output facilities such as cin and cout.
• Namespace Declaration: using namespace std; allows standard library names to be used without the std:: prefix.
• Main Function: int main() is the entry point where program execution begins.
• Comments: // and /* ... */ are used to add single-line and multi-line comments.
• Statement: cout << "Hello World!"; displays text on the screen using the insertion operator (<<).
• Return Statement: return 0; ends the main() function and indicates successful execution.

How to Run the Above Code?

Follow these steps to compile and run a C++ program and display its output on the screen.

• Write the code in a file such as HelloWorld.cpp.
• Use a C++ compiler (G++, Clang, or MSVC) to compile the source code.
• The compiler converts the source code into an executable file (such as HelloWorld.exe).
• The operating system loads the executable file into memory.
• The CPU executes the program instructions starting from the main() function.
• The program displays the output on the screen.

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