C++ is a general-purpose programming language created by Bjarne Stroustrup as an extension of C. It adds object-oriented features while maintaining C’s efficiency and low-level capabilities, making it the dominant language for systems programming and performance-critical applications.
Origins
Stroustrup began developing “C with Classes” at Bell Labs in 1979, inspired by Simula’s object-oriented features but needing C’s performance. The language was renamed C++ in 1983, with the ”++” reflecting its evolutionary relationship to C.
Key Features
C++ combined multiple paradigms:
- Object-Oriented Programming: Classes, inheritance, polymorphism
- Generic Programming: Templates for type-safe code reuse
- Low-Level Control: Direct memory manipulation like C
- RAII: Resource Acquisition Is Initialization for safe resource management
- Zero-Overhead Abstraction: High-level features without runtime cost
Evolution
C++ has evolved through standardization:
- C++98/03: First ISO standards, establishing core features
- C++11: Major modernization with move semantics, lambdas, auto
- C++14/17/20: Continued evolution with concepts, ranges, coroutines
Impact
C++ powers critical infrastructure: operating systems, browsers, game engines, databases, and embedded systems. Its influence on language design—particularly the template/generic programming model—extends to Java, C#, and Rust.