C++

C++ is an object-oriented programming language based on the C programming language. Pronounced “C plus plus,” C++ was developed in the late 1970s, though it originally was given a different name. C++ standards later followed. Some of the main features of C++ are its power, portability, and simplicity. C++ is one of the most popular programming languages in use today.

Overview

The C++ programming language was developed by computer scientist Bjarne Stroustrup in 1979. Stroustrup was working with a language known as Simula, which many consider the first object-oriented programming language. Object-oriented programming is a type of programming that defines both the data types and the types of functions of a data structure, thereby making the data structure an object. A data type is a classification of information. A function is a named procedure that performs an action. A data structure is a format for organizing information. An object is an item that can be manipulated.

Stroustrup discovered that object-oriented programming could be used for software development, but Simula was not fast enough. So Stroustrup set out to take another existing language, the C language, and incorporate object-oriented programming into it. C with Classes was soon born. This new language was so named because it combined the feature of classes with all the features of the C language. A class is a category of objects. Furthermore, a class defines the commonalities of its objects.

In 1983, C with Classes was renamed C++. In 1985, C++ was released for commercial use. That same year, Stroustrup published the book The C++ Programming Language, which is a reference guide for C++. The Annotated C++ Reference Manual followed in 1990. C++ standards were also developed, including one in 1998 (informally called C++98), and one in 2011 (informally named C++11 and previously referred to as C++0x). In 2026, the C++26 standard was released, introducing features such as compile-time reflection, contracts, and enhanced concurrency support.

C++ is known for its power, simplicity, and portability, among other features. Its power can be seen in its wide range of data types, functions, and statements. A statement is an instruction that performs an action. Some of the statements that C++ includes are control statements and decision-making statements. For simplicity, C++ allows programs to be written using structured and reusable code. The portability of C++ is evident because it can be used on a variety of platforms.

C++ is a widely used programming language. Many programs have been written in C++. These include Adobe applications, Microsoft applications, parts of the macOS operating system, and MongoDB database management system. As of 2026, C++ remains among the most in-demand programming languages.

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