C++ Tuorial for Beginners – Learn C++ in 1 Hour
Programming with Mosh
C++ is one of the most popular programming languages in the world and is used by large companies and government agencies like Adobe, Google, Microsoft, Netflix and NASA for building performance critical applications such as video games, device drivers, web browsers, servers and operating systems. While C++ may seem intimidating to some, you don’t need to learn all of it in order to write substantial programs. In this course we’ll explore major functionalities in the standard library, a collection of pre-written code that provides functionality that many applications require. We’ll also be using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) which includes an editor for writing code. To get started, select the free version of Clion and head over to jetbrains.com/clion/download to download it – then you can activate your license or use one of the free alternatives.
C++ is a case sensitive language, which means it is sensitive to uppercase and lowercase letters; so make sure to type exactly as shown. The main function returns an integer, which is a whole number like 0, 1, 2, 3 and so on; within the braces we have written the code for this function. The value that this function returns tells the operating system if our program terminated successfully or not. The standard library has different files each serving a purpose; as you go through the course you will learn more about the other files in the standard library. To create a console application, which is easier for people learning a new language, remember patience is the first skill of a good programmer; if your code does not get compiled pay close attention to this video. Once you understand the basics of C++ you will be ready to move on to writing applications with a graphical user interface if that is what you want.
The ultimate C++ course is the first part of my complete C++ series. Each part is about three to four hours long, so you can easily complete it in a day or two. By the end of this series, you will have a solid understanding of C++ and you’ll be ready to apply it in real life – for example, if you want to build games with Unreal Engine, a popular gaming engine. To declare a variable in C++, first we have to specify the type of data we want to store, then give our variable a proper meaningful name like ‘file size’ and terminate this statement with a semicolon. Initializing variables is not mandatory but it’s a good practice to follow. As a small exercise for you, I want you to write code to swap the value of two variables – this is a common interview question so let me explain what I mean: imagine instead of these two variables we have two buckets; the first bucket filled with apples and the second bucket filled with oranges. Now if we had these two buckets in real life, how can we swap their content? Think of a solution!
