Interfacing with C++ : Programming Real-World Applications

The aim of this chapter is to get you started in writing C++ programs. We will develop a number of simple C++ programs and learn the syntax and typography associated with writing a program. One of the basic building blocks of any C++ program is the so-called function. This chapter will explain the basic concepts behind C++ functions and their use. The C++ language has built-in fundamental data types that can be used to develop complex user-written data types. Some of the fundamental data types will be explained in this chapter. Towards the end of the chapter we will step through the complete program development process; starting from planning a small program down to using the elements of program development software needed to generate a program that can be run on your computer. We will commence with the use of non-object-oriented programming methods because these programs are simpler to understand at this early stage. Object-oriented programming concepts will be explained in Chapter 4 and then used extensively through the remainder of the text.