C++: A Dialog Programming with the C++ Standard Library

Review

The main components of the computer of most significance to programmers are disk, RAM, and the CPU; the first two of these store programs and data that are used by the CPU.

Computers represent pieces of information (or data) as binary digits, universally referred to as bits. Each bit can have the value 0 or 1. The binary system is used instead of the more familiar decimal system because it is much easier to make devices that can store and retrieve 1 of 2 values, than 1 of 10. Bits are grouped into sets of eight, called bytes.

The disk uses magnetic recording heads to store and retrieve groups of a few hundred to a few thousand bytes on rapidly spinning platters in a few milliseconds. The contents of the disk are not lost when the power ...