C++ for the Impatient

Chapter 1. C++ Fundamentals

Despite its huge array of features, C++ is not really more difficult to use than most programming languages. In fact, when you understand a few basic principles, it becomes relatively easy to start writing programs. (C++ is challenging primarily because there are so many features to learn later on, although many of them are optional: Sometimes there are several ways to do exactly the same thing, and you only have to learn one of them.)

This chapter outlines those principles and introduces important features—include files, namespaces, and comments—used universally throughout this book. Once you understand these, the examples in the book should be straightforward.

Most of this chapter may be a review. But if you’re new ...