C++ in One Hour a Day, Sams Teach Yourself

by Siddhartha Rao

Overview

Learn C++ programming at your own pace—Covers modern C++ 20

Starting with one hour a day, you can gain all the skills you need to begin programming in C++. This complete tutorial will help you quickly master the basics of object-oriented programming and teach you advanced C++ language features and concepts. Fully updated for the C++20 standard, this practical book is designed to help you write C++ code that's faster, simpler, and more reliable and master the fundamentals of C++ and object-oriented programming.

• No programming experience required: start writing well-organized, efficient C++ programs quickly!
• Apply proven Do's and Don'ts to leverage best practices and avoid pitfalls from day one
• Test your knowledge and expertise with focused exercises after every lesson
• Simplify your code using automatic type deduction and other features
• Accelerate learning using nearly 300 code samples explained within
• Preview improvements expected in C++23

Lessons

Part I - The Basics: Using Variables, Declaring Constants; Arrays and Strings; Expressions, Statements, and Operators; Controlling Program Flow; Functions; Pointers and References

Part II - Fundamentals of Object-Oriented C++ Programming: Classes and Objects; Implementing Inheritance; Polymorphism; Operator Types and Operator Overloading; Casting Operators; Macros and Templates

PART III - Learning the Standard Template Library (STL): The STL String Class; STL Dynamic Array Classes; STL list and forward_list; STL set and multiset; STL map and multimap

PART IV: Lambda Expressions and STL Algorithms: Function Objects; Lambda Expressions;

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780137334681
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	02/22/2022
Series:	Sams Teach Yourself
Edition description:	9th ed.
Pages:	848
Sales rank:	652,614
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 2.00(d)

About the Author

Siddhartha Rao is the vice president in charge of product security at SAP SE, the world’s most trustworthy supplier of enterprise software and cloud services. A software engineer at heart, Siddhartha is convinced that the rapid evolution of C++ has powered this age of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Features introduced by C++20 enable you to program simpler yet more powerful applications than ever before. In authoring this book, Siddhartha has taken care to ensure that this book’s nearly 300 compiling code examples are accompanied by detailed analyses of how they work.

Siddhartha looks forward to your comments, reviews, and feedback!

Table of Contents

Introduction xxvi
PART I: The Basics
Lesson 1: Getting Started
A Brief History of C++
Connection to C
Advantages of C++
Evolution of the C++ Standard
Who Uses Programs Written in C++?
Programming a C++ Application
Steps in Building an Executable
Analyzing Errors and Debugging
Integrated Development Environments
Programming Your First C++ Application
Building and Executing Your First C++ Application
Understanding Compiler Errors
What’s New in C++20?
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 2: The Anatomy of a C++ Program
Parts of the Hello World Program
Preprocessor Directive #include
The Body of Your Program: main()
Returning a Value
The Concept of Namespaces
Comments in C++ Code
Functions in C++
Basic Input Using std::cin and Output Using std::cout
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 3: Using Variables, Declaring Constants
What Is a Variable?
Memory and Addressing in Brief
Declaring Variables to Access and Use Memory
Declaring and Initializing Multiple Variables of a Type
Understanding the Scope of a Variable
Global Variables
Naming Conventions
Common Compiler-Supported C++ Variable Types
Using Type bool to Store Boolean Values
Using Type char to Store Character Values
The Concept of Signed and Unsigned Integers
Signed Integer Types short, int, long, and long long
Unsigned Integer Types unsigned short, unsigned int, unsigned long, and unsigned long long
Avoiding Overflow Errors by Selecting Correct Data Types
Floating-Point Types float and double
Determining the Size of a Variable by Using sizeof()
Avoid Narrowing Conversion Errors by Using List Initialization
Automatic Type Inference Using auto
Using typedef to Substitute a Variable’s Type
What Is a Constant?
Literal Constants
Declaring Variables as Constants Using const
Constant Expressions Using constexpr
C++20 Immediate Functions Using consteval
Enumerations
Scoped Enumerations
Defining Constants by Using #define
Keywords You Cannot Use as Variable or Constant Names
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 4: Managing Arrays and Strings
What Is an Array?
The Need for Arrays
Declaring and Initializing Static Arrays
How Data Is Stored in an Array
Accessing Data Stored in an Array
Modifying Data Stored in an Array
Multidimensional Arrays
Declaring and Initializing Multidimensional Arrays
Accessing Elements in a Multidimensional Array
Dynamic Arrays
C-Style Character Strings
C++ Strings: Using std::string
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 5: Working with Expressions, Statements, and Operators
Statements
Compound Statements, or Blocks
Using Operators
The Assignment Operator (=)
Understanding l-Values and r-Values
Operators to Add (+), Subtract (-), Multiply (*), Divide (/), and Modulo Divide (%)
Operators to Increment (++) and Decrement (—)
To Postfix or to Prefix?
Equality Operators (== and !=)
Relational Operators
C++20 Three-Way Comparison Operator (<=>)
Logical Operations NOT, AND, OR, and XOR
Using C++ Logical Operators NOT (!), AND (&&), and OR (||)
Bitwise NOT (~), AND (&), OR (|), and XOR (^) Operators
Bitwise Right Shift (>>) and Left Shift (<<) Operators
Compound Assignment Operators
Using the sizeof() Operator to Determine the Memory Occupied by a Variable
Operator Precedence and Associativity
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 6: Controlling Program Flow
Conditional Execution Using if.else
Conditional Programming Using if.else
Conditional Execution of Statements Within a Block
Nested if Statements
Conditional Processing Using switch-case
Conditional Execution Using the ?: Operator
Getting Code to Execute in Loops
A Rudimentary Loop Using goto
The while Loop
The do.while Loop
The for Loop
The Range-Based for Loop
Modifying Loop Behavior Using continue and break
Loops That Don’t End: Infinite Loops
Controlling Infinite Loops
Programming Nested Loops
Using Nested Loops to Walk a Multidimensional Array
Using Nested Loops to Calculate Fibonacci Numbers
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 7: Organizing Code with Functions
The Need for Functions
What Is a Function Prototype?
What Is a Function Definition?
What Is a Function Call, and What Are Arguments?
Programming a Function with Multiple Parameters
Programming Functions with No Parameters or No Return Values
Function Parameters with Default Values
Recursion: Functions That Invoke Themselves
Functions with Multiple Return Statements
Using Functions to Work with Different Forms of Data
Overloading Functions
Passing an Array of Values to a Function
Passing Arguments by Reference
How Function Calls Are Handled by the Microprocessor
Inline Functions
Automatic Return Type Deduction
Lambda Functions
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 8: Pointers and References Explained
What Is a Pointer?
Declaring a Pointer
Determining the Address of a Variable by Using the Reference Operator (&)
Using Pointers to Store Addresses
Accessing Pointed Data Using the Dereference Operator (*)
What Is the Size of a Pointer?
Dynamic Memory Allocation
Using the Operators new and delete to Allocate and Release
Memory Dynamically
Effects of the Increment (++) and Decrement (--) Operators on Pointers
Using the const Keyword on Pointers
Passing Pointers to Functions
Similarities Between Arrays and Pointers
Common Programming Mistakes When Using Pointers
Memory Leaks
Pointers Pointing to Invalid Memory Locations
Dangling Pointers (Also Called Stray or Wild Pointers)
Checking Whether an Allocation Request Using new Succeeded
Pointer Programming Best Practices
What Is a Reference?
What Makes References Useful?
Using the Keyword const on References
Passing Arguments by Reference to Functions
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
PART II: Fundamentals of Object-Oriented C++ Programming
Lesson 9: Classes and Objects
The Concept of Classes and Objects
Declaring a Class
An Object as an Instance of a Class
Accessing Members by Using the Dot Operator (.)
Accessing Members by Using the Pointer Operator (->)
The Keywords public and private
Abstraction of Data via the Keyword private
Constructors
Declaring and Implementing a Constructor
When and How to Use Constructors
Overloading Constructors
A Class Without a Default Constructor
Constructor Parameters with Default Values
Constructors with Initialization Lists
Destructor
Declaring and Implementing a Destructor
When and How to Use a Destructor
The Copy Constructor
Shallow Copying and Associated Problems
Ensuring a Deep Copy Using a Copy Constructor
Using Move Constructors to Improve Performance
Different Uses of Constructors and the Destructor
A Class That Does Not Permit Copying
A Singleton Class That Permits a Single Instance
A Class That Prohibits Instantiation on the Stack
Using Constructors to Convert Types
The this Pointer
Using sizeof() with a Class
The Keyword struct and Its Differences from class
Declaring a friend of a class
Union: A Special Data Storage Mechanism
Declaring a Union
Where Would You Use a Union?
Using Aggregate Initialization on Classes and structs constexpr with Classes and Objects
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 10: Implementing Inheritance
Basics of Inheritance
Inheritance and Derivation
C++ Syntax of Derivation
The Access Specifier Keyword protected
Base Class Initialization: Passing Parameters to the Base Class
A Derived Class Overriding the Base Class’s Methods
Invoking Overridden Methods of a Base Class
Invoking Methods of a Base Class in a Derived Class
A Derived Class Hiding the Base Class’s Methods
Order of Construction
Order of Destruction
Private Inheritance
Protected Inheritance
The Problem of Slicing
Multiple Inheritance
Avoiding Inheritance Using final
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 11: Polymorphism
Basics of Polymorphism
Need for Polymorphic Behavior
Polymorphic Behavior Implemented Using Virtual Functions
Need for Virtual Destructors
How Do Virtual Functions Work? Understanding the Virtual Function Table
Abstract Base Classes and Pure Virtual Functions
Using Virtual Inheritance to Solve the Diamond Problem
Using the Specifier override to Indicate the Intention to Override
Using final to Prevent Function Overriding
Virtual Copy Constructors?
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 12: Operator Types and Operator Overloading
What Are Operators in C++?
Unary Operators
Unary Increment (++) and Decrement (--) Operators
Conversion Operators
The Dereference Operator (*) and Member Selection Operator (->)
Binary Operators
The Binary Addition (a+b) and Subtraction (a-b) Operators
The Addition Assignment (+=) and Subtraction Assignment (-=) Operators
The Equality (==) and Inequality (!=) Operators
The <, >, <=, and >= Operators
The C++20 Three-Way Comparison Operator (<=>)
The Copy Assignment Operator (=)
The Subscript Operator ([])
The Function Operator (())
The Move Constructor and Move Assignment Operator for High-Performance Programming
The Problem of Unwanted Copy Steps
Declaring a Move Constructor and Move Assignment Operator
User-Defined Literals
Operators That Cannot Be Overloaded
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 13: Casting Operators
The Need for Casting
Why C-Style Casts Are Not Popular with Some C++ Programmers
The C++ Casting Operators
Using static_cast
Using dynamic_cast and Runtime Type Identification
Using reinterpret_cast
Using const_cast
Problems with the C++ Casting Operators
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 14: An Introduction to Macros and Templates
The Preprocessor and the Compiler
Using the Macro #define to Define Constants
Using Macros for Protection Against Multiple Inclusion
Using #define to Write Macro Functions
Why All the Parentheses?
Using the assert Macro to Validate Expressions
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Macro Functions
An Introduction to Templates
Template Declaration Syntax
The Different Types of Template Declarations
Template Functions
Templates and Type Safety
Template Classes
Declaring Templates with Multiple Parameters
Declaring Templates with Default Parameters
Sample Template Class: HoldsPair
Template Instantiation and Specialization
Template Classes and static Members
Variable Templates
Using static_assert to Perform Compile-Time Checks
Using Templates in Practical C++ Programming
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
PART III: Learning the Standard Template Library (STL)
Lesson 15: An Introduction to the Standard Template Library
STL Containers
Sequential Containers
Associative Containers
Container Adapters
STL Iterators
STL Algorithms
Interaction Between Containers and Algorithms Using Iterators
Using the Keyword auto to Let a Compiler Define Type
Choosing the Right Container
STL String Classes
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Lesson 16: The STL String Class
The Need for String Manipulation Classes
Working with the STL string Class
Instantiating the STL string Class and Making Copies
Accessing Character Contents of std::string
Concatenating One String to Another
Finding a Character or Substring in a String
Truncating an STL String
String Reversal
String Case Conversion
Template-Based Implementation of an STL String operator ""s in std::string
Using std::string_view (Amended in C++20)
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 17: STL Dynamic Array Classes
The Characteristics of std::vector
Typical Vector Operations
Instantiating a Vector
Inserting Elements at the End of a Vector by Using push_back()
List Initialization
Inserting Elements at a Given Position by Using insert()
Accessing Elements in a Vector by Using Array Semantics
Accessing Elements in a Vector by Using Pointer Semantics
Removing Elements from a Vector
Understanding the Concepts of Size and Capacity
The STL deque Class
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 18: STL list and forward_list
The Characteristics of std::list
Basic list Operations
Instantiating a std::list Object
Inserting Elements at the Front or Back of a List
Inserting Elements in the Middle of a List
Erasing Elements from a List
Reversing and Sorting Elements in a List
Reversing Elements by Using list::reverse()
Sorting Elements
Sorting and Removing Elements from a List That Contains Instances of a Class std::forward_list
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 19: STL set and multiset
An Introduction to STL Set Classes
Basic STL set and multiset Operations
Instantiating a std::set Object
Inserting Elements in a Set or Multiset
Finding Elements in an STL set or multiset Container
Erasing Elements in an STL set or multiset Container
Pros and Cons of Using STL set and multiset
STL Hash Set Implementation: std::unordered_set and std::unordered_multiset
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 20: STL map and multimap
An Introduction to STL Map Classes
Basic std::map and std::multimap Operations
Instantiating std::map or std::multimap
Inserting Elements in an STL Map or Multimap
Finding Elements in an STL map Container
Finding Elements in an STL multimap Container
Erasing Elements from an STL map or multimap Container
Supplying a Custom Sort Predicate
STL’s Hash Table–Based Key/Value Container
How Hash Tables Work
Using unordered_map and unordered_multimap
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
PART IV: Lambda Expressions and STL Algorithms
Lesson 21: Understanding Function Objects
Function Objects and Predicates
Typical Applications of Function Objects
Unary Functions
Unary Predicates
Binary Functions
Binary Predicates
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 22: Lambda Expressions
What Is a Lambda Expression?
How to Define a Lambda Expression
Capturing Variables
Parameters
Return Types
A Lambda Expression for a Unary Function
A Lambda Expression for a Unary Predicate
A Lambda Expression with State via Capture Lists ([.])
A Lambda Expression for a Binary Function
A Lambda Expression for a Binary Predicate
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 23: STL Algorithms
What Are STL Algorithms?
Classification of STL Algorithms
Non-mutating Algorithms
Mutating Algorithms
Usage of STL Algorithms
Finding Elements, Given a Value or a Condition
Counting Elements Given a Value or a Condition
Searching for an Element or a Range in a Collection
Initializing Elements in a Container to a Specific Value
Using std::generate() to Initialize Elements to a Value Generated at Runtime
Processing Elements in a Range by Using for_each()
Performing Transformations on a Range by Using std::transform()
Copy and Remove Operations
Replacing Values and Replacing Elements Given a Condition
Sorting and Searching in a Sorted Collection and Erasing Duplicates
Partitioning a Range
Inserting Elements in a Sorted Collection
Performing Fold Operations Using std::accumulate() in C++20
C++20 Constrained Algorithms
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 24: Adaptive Containers: Stack and Queue
The Behavioral Characteristics of Stacks and Queues
Stacks
Queues
Using the STL stack Class
Instantiating a Stack
Stack Member Functions
Insertion and Removal at the Top, Using push() and pop()
Using the STL queue Class
Instantiating a Queue
Member Functions of the queue Class
Insertion at the End and Removal at the Beginning of a Queue via push() and pop()
Using the STL Priority Queue
Instantiating the priority_queue Class
Member Functions of priority_queue
Insertion at the End and Removal at the Beginning of a Priority Queue via push() and pop()
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 25: Working with Bit Flags Using the STL
The bitset Class
Instantiating std::bitset
Using std::bitset and Its Members
Useful Operators in std::bitset std::bitset Member Methods
The vector<bool> Class
Instantiating vector<bool>
vector<bool> Functions and Operators
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
PART V: Advanced C++ Concepts
Lesson 26: Understanding Smart Pointers
What Are Smart Pointers?
The Problem with Using Conventional (Raw) Pointers
How Do Smart Pointers Help?
How Are Smart Pointers Implemented?
Types of Smart Pointers
Deep Copy
Copy on Write
Reference-Counted Smart Pointers
Reference-Linked Smart Pointers
Destructive Copy
Using std::unique_ptr
Popular Smart Pointer Libraries
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 27: Using Streams for Input and Output
The Concept of Streams
Important C++ Stream Classes and Objects
Using std::cout for Writing Formatted Data to the Console
Changing the Display Number Format by Using std::cout
Aligning Text and Setting Field Width by Using std::cout
Using std::cin for Input
Using std::cin for Input into a Plain Old Data Type
Using std::cin::get for Input into the char* Buffer
Using std::cin for Input into std::string
Using std::fstream for File Handling
Opening and Closing a File Using open() and close()
Creating and Writing a Text File by Using open() and the Operator <<
Reading a Text File by Using open() and the Operator >>
Writing to and Reading from a Binary File
Using std::stringstream for String Conversions
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 28: Exception Handling
What Is an Exception?
What Causes Exceptions?
Implementing Exception Safety via try and catch
Using catch(.) to Handle All Exceptions
Catching Exceptions of a Type
Throwing Exceptions of a Type by Using throw
How Exception Handling Works
Class std::exception
A Custom Exception Class Derived from std::exception
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 29: C++20 Concepts, Ranges, Views, and Adaptors
Concepts
Using Concepts Provided by the Standard Library
Defining Custom Concepts by Using the Keyword requires
Using Concepts with Classes and Objects
The Ranges Library, Views, and Adaptors
Views and Adaptors
Adaptors Provided by the Ranges Library
Combining Multiple Adaptors
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Quiz
Exercises
Lesson 30: C++20 Threads
Multithreading
What Is a Thread?
Why Program Multithreaded Applications?
Using the C++20 Thread Library
How Can Threads Transact Data?
Using Mutexes and Semaphores to Synchronize Threads
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Exercise
Lesson 31: C++20 Modules and C++23
Modules
The Problem with #include
C++20 Modules
Programming a Module
Consuming a Module
Why import Module; Is Superior to the Preprocessor #include
C++23 Expected Features
Learning C++ Doesn’t Stop Here!
Online Documentation
Communities for Guidance and Help
Summary
Q&A
Workshop
Exercise
PART VI: Appendixes
Appendix A: Working with Numbers: Binary and Hexadecimal
Appendix B: C++ Keywords
Appendix C: Writing Great C++ Code
Appendix D: ASCII Codes
Appendix E: Answers
9780137334681 TOC 12/20/2021