Getting Started with C and C++

Introduction

Welcome to this blog which is about  C/C++ programming language. Here I'll discuss this programming language from beginning to professional with Visual Studio 2010. Going step by step through this blog, you'll able to learn how to build professional software with this high-level language. So no more wait....but before starting, you should be familiar with the background of the C/C++ programming language.

 What is Programming language?

A language is used to communicate to each other. But programming language is specially used to communicate to a computer and its users. As a computer understands nothing except 0 and 1, its users must  build an instruction set which is combination with 0 and 1 named as  machine  language. So, a compiler is necessary to interpret user's symbolic word to computer readable instruction set. As s demand, programming lsnguage comes out.
From the above discussion, Programming language is defined as an instruction set, word or code which is readable to the computer and used to solve any practical problem by the computer.  

Types of programming language

Programming languages are three types:

• Low-level language: This language is directly readable by the computer but it is so much hardy for the user because here only instruction set of 0 and 1 is used. Example- Machine language.
• Assembly language: It is an ugrade version of machine language where symbolic word is used to represent instruction set. It is also hardy for the user because the knowledge of internal comstruction of the microprocessors is prerequist. 
• High-level language: It is a user friendly langauge where the programmer of this language should have only limited knowlwdge of internal construction of computer. Here the symbolic word of natural language is used. For this a compiler is necessary to interpret human language to machine language.  C/C++, Java, C#, J# etc are the high-level language. 

 

What are C and C++

 

• C which was created by Dennis Ritche at Bell Laboratories at 1972 is one of the most popular high-lavel language. It is treated as a God  language of computer world.
• C++, an extension of, was developed by Bjanne Stroustrup in the early 1980s to overcome the limitations of C language. C++ contains all the functionalities of C language with some extra features including object-oriented capablities discussed in details later in this blog. Today, most of the general purpose operating system like windows, Unix etc are written using C/C++ language.

 

Advantages of C/C++ language

 

• Easy to learn than other high-level language.
• Plateform independent language.
• Easy to control both hardware and software.
• Both modular and object-oriented programming capablity.
• Operating sytem programming capablity.
• Capable of programming both microcontroller and microprocessors.
• The best hardware friendly programming language.
• More speedy. 

 

Programmer view on C and C++

 

There are a lot of programming  languages in the Computer world. All of these, C and C++ provide easy syntax  and functionality. So at the beginning, most of the programmers suggest to start with C and C++ in programming world. I also started my programming concept with this language and it is one of my favorite languages. I think you are lucky if it is your starting point in programming world.

 

 Prerequisties to learn C and C++

 

• Educational quality: No specific certificate is necessary to learn C and C+. Anyone who is eligible to read this tutorial is able to learn C and C++.
• Operating System Capablities: Some basic knowledge about windows operating system is suggested but not so necessary for this tutorial. Playing with C and C++, anyone can be familiar with the operating System.
• Necessary Software:  A C++ compiler and an IDE (Integrated Development Kit) are strongly necessary. There are a lot of IDEs to edit C and C++ code but among those we'll use Microsoft Visual Studio 2010. I'll give you a short description how to download and install Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 to your opereating system in the next section.

At this moment, I think you are ready to program in C and C++. So no more wait..... You do make a lot of tolerances. I  am now going to start first program to the next pages.