Programming language · Since 1985

C++

C++ is a compiled language that adds classes, templates and RAII to C's performance and hardware control, used from game engines to systems software.

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C++ is a general-purpose programming language that Bjarne Stroustrup began at Bell Labs under the name "C with Classes". It stays largely compatible with C while adding classes, templates, exceptions and operator overloading, and its standard is now maintained by an ISO committee (WG21). Since C++11 a new standard has arrived roughly every three years, and with C++17 and C++20 a safer, more expressive style known as "modern C++" has become the norm.

C++ shines wherever you need fine control over performance and memory layout: game engines, web browsers, databases, compilers, trading systems and embedded devices, where latency and resource usage matter. Thanks to its zero-overhead principle, which means you don't pay for features you don't use, you can work with high-level abstractions and still get efficiency close to hand-written machine code.

If you are just starting, install a compiler for your platform (MSVC through Visual Studio on Windows, Clang from the Xcode Command Line Tools on macOS, g++ on Linux) and compile a few short programs yourself. Keep a beginner course such as learncpp.com at hand for the syntax and cppreference.com for the standard library. Getting used to std::vector, std::string and smart pointers from day one will save you from most manual memory-management mistakes.

Highlights

Zero-overhead abstractions

Classes, templates and inline functions compile down to machine code close to what you would write by hand, and features you don't use cost nothing.

RAII and deterministic cleanup

Destructors run automatically when an object goes out of scope, so memory, files and locks are released predictably without a garbage collector.

Templates and the standard library

Templates let you write type-independent code, and the standard library supplies proven containers, algorithms, strings and threading primitives.

Multi-paradigm and actively standardized

Mix procedural, object-oriented, generic and functional styles, while the standard keeps evolving with additions such as C++20 concepts and ranges.

Where it is used

Game engines and real-time graphics
Large systems software such as browsers and databases
Embedded and operating-system-level programming
High-performance computing and trading systems

Install

1
Install a compiler
On Windows, install Visual Studio and select the "Desktop development with C++" workload to get the MSVC compiler. On macOS, run xcode-select --install in Terminal to get the Xcode Command Line Tools (Clang). On Debian or Ubuntu Linux, install g++ and CMake with the command below.
```
sudo apt install build-essential cmake
```
2
Check the installation
Open a new terminal and make sure the compiler prints its version. On macOS the g++ command points to Apple Clang. On Windows, open the Developer Command Prompt for VS and run cl to see the MSVC version.
```
g++ --version
```
3
Build your first program
Compile hello.cpp with the C++20 standard and warnings enabled, then run it. With MSVC on Windows, compile with cl /EHsc /std:c++20 hello.cpp and run hello.exe.
```
g++ -std=c++20 -Wall -Wextra -o hello hello.cpp && ./hello
```

Your first program

Printing Hello, world!

#include <iostream> brings in the standard input/output library. The main function is where the program starts, and the << operator sends the string to std::cout, which prints it to the screen. return 0 tells the operating system the program finished successfully. Passing -std=c++20 to g++ compiles against the C++20 standard, and the resulting hello binary is then run.

hello.cpp

#include <iostream>

int main() {
    std::cout << "Hello, world!\n";
    return 0;
}

g++ -std=c++20 -o hello hello.cpp && ./hello

Everyday tools

CMake: A cross-platform build configuration tool. A single CMakeLists.txt generates build files for Visual Studio, Ninja or Make, making it the de facto standard for C++ projects.
Clang: An LLVM-based C++ compiler known for readable error messages. Its companion tools clang-format and clang-tidy handle code formatting and static analysis.
GDB: The GNU Project debugger. Set breakpoints, inspect variables and step through code line by line to find where a program goes wrong.
vcpkg: An open-source C++ package manager from Microsoft. It downloads and builds third-party libraries and wires them into CMake projects with little effort.

Step-by-step guide

Six chapters that take you from installation to the core ideas of C++.

Official docs and resources

Discussions

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