C plus plus

C++ (pronounced "see plus plus", IPA: /si? pl?s pl?s/) is a general-purpose computer programming language. It is a statically typed free-form multi-paradigm language supporting procedural programming, data abstraction, object-oriented programming, and generic programming. Since the 1990s, C++ has been one of the most popular commercial programming languages.

Design of C++

In The Design and Evolution of C++ ISBN 0-201-54330-3, Bjarne Stroustrup describes some rules that he uses for the design of C++. Knowing the rules helps to understand why C++ is the way it is. The following is a summary of the rules. Much more detail can be found in The Design and Evolution of C++.

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• C++ is designed to be a statically typed, general-purpose language that is as efficient and portable as C
• C++ is designed to directly and comprehensively support multiple programming styles (procedural programming, data abstraction, object-oriented programming, and generic programming)
• C++ is designed to give the programmer choice, even if this makes it possible for the programmer to choose incorrectly
• C++ is designed to be as compatible with C as possible, therefore providing a smooth transition from C
• C++ avoids features that are platform specific or not general purpose
• C++ does not incur overhead for features that are not used
• C++ is designed to function without a sophisticated programming environment

Please refer to the indepth book on C++ Internals by Stanley B. Lippman

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(he worked on implementing/maintaining C-front the original C++ implementation

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at Bell Labs).

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"Inside the C++ Object Model" documents how the C++ compiler converts your program statements into an in-memory layout.

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