Basics of C++ | Notion

What is Programming Language?

A programming language is a formal language used to communicate instructions to a computer. It provides a set of rules and syntax for writing programs that computers can understand and execute.

How Compiler Converts Programming Language to Machine Language

Source Code (.cpp/.c) → Preprocessing (.i) → Compilation (.s) → Assembly (.o/.obj) → Linking → Executable (.exe)

Steps Involved:

Preprocessing
- Removes comments
- Processes #include directives
- Handles #define macros
- Produces .i file
Compilation
- Converts preprocessed code to assembly language
- Performs syntax and semantic analysis
- Produces .s file
Assembly
- Converts assembly code to machine code (object code)
- Produces .o or .obj file
Linking
- Combines multiple object files
- Links library functions
- Produces executable file (.exe)

High Level vs Low Level Languages

High Level Language	Low Level Language
Human-readable syntax	Machine-oriented syntax
Platform independent	Platform dependent
Easy to write and debug	Difficult to write and debug
Portable	Less portable
High abstraction	Low abstraction
Generally higher abstraction overhead	Closer to hardware, minimal abstraction
Examples: C++, Java, Python	Examples: Assembly, Machine Code

What is C++?

C++ is a general-purpose programming language that supports object-oriented, procedural, and generic programming. It's an extension of C language with additional features like classes, objects, inheritance, and polymorphism.

Who Created C++?

Bjarne Stroustrup created C++ at Bell Labs in 1979. Initially called "C with Classes."

Is C++ High Level or Low Level?

C++ is often described as a multi-paradigm language that supports both high-level abstractions and low-level memory control.It combines features of both high-level and low-level languages. It provides high-level abstractions while allowing low-level memory manipulation.

Benefits of C++ Language

Fast execution speed