C++ All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Introduction

C++ is the language of the millennium. Why is C++ so popular?

• It’s powerful. You can write almost any program in it.
• It’s fast, and it’s fully compiled. That’s a good thing.
• It’s easy to use — if you have this book.
• It’s object-oriented. If you’re not sure what that is, don’t worry. You can find out about it by reading this very book you’re holding.
• It’s portable. Versions are available for nearly every computer.
• It’s standardized. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) both approve an official version.
• It’s continually updated to meet the changing challenges of the computer community.
• It’s popular. More people are using C++ because so many other people use it.

Sure, some people criticize C++. But most of these people don’t truly understand C++ or are just having a bad day. Or both.

No Experience Necessary

This book is not a big rant about C++. Rather, it’s a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves book, where you will truly learn C++.

This edition starts out by helping you get a great C++ installation in place. A lot of readers wrote to tell us that they simply couldn’t get C++ to work for them and we listened by adding configuration instructions in Book I, Chapter 1. You can find instructions for working with the Mac, Linux, and Windows throughout the book. The examples are also tested to work on all three platforms.

At the very beginning, we start you out from square one. We don’t assume any programming experience ...