Paul Laurence - C++: The Ultimate Crash Course to Learning C++ (from basics to advanced) (guide,C Programming, HTML, Javascript, Programming,all,internet, Coding, CSS, Java, PHP Book 2)

Before you begin to develop in C++ you must first set up an environment that allows you to do effectively. With this being said, you will need a way to run and compile your C++ programs. This can be done in a plethora of ways. These ways include the following:

1. Online: Running and compiling programs online is an easy way to avoid excessive downloads or new software. It is also a good option when running programs quickly. There are a good number of sites which allow for this. Due to ease of use, this is the option which will be utilized in this book. Ideone.com is an excellent option for doing so.
2. Mac OS X: Programs can be run on a MAC operating system using a program called XCode. This can be downloaded from the Apple developer page. The latest version is highly recommended.
3. Linux: In order to run programs effectively with a Linux machine, you will need to install a compiler. GNU GCC is a recommended compiler for beginners or users new to programming in this operating system. You must also download a text editor. Gedit, being one example.
4. Windows: Being that Windows is a standard and widespread platform there are several options available for use with it. These may include Code::Blocks, JGrasp or Eclipse.

In order to better understand the structure of a C++ program, Hello World will be used as a template. Hello World programs are generally used for beginners in a various programming languages.

The first line of the program is used to include the header file within your program. This allows for you to use the operations included in them. The namespace std is needed in order to accurately reference a variety of operations. It also aids you in not having to write the std in front of every cout statement. This line basically refers to the use of a standard namespace.

The third line simply refers to this being the main function of your program. The body of the program resides inside of the brackets. The cout statement simply prints the items within the quotes or in some cases variable names. This would depend on what is listed in the cout statement. The last line before the bracket is important because it essentially closes or terminates the programs main function.

If you are familiar with other programming languages, it is easy to understand that all programs are simply a series of ordered instructions or commands for a computer to perform. These instructions are made up of statement. A statement is the smallest unit of a programming language which is equivalent to a sentence in the English language. In C++, a semicolon is used to complete a statement instead of a period. The notion of a variable is also one that is widespread and heavily used when programming. A variable is a name given to a space in memory that can be changed based on the instructions of the program.

Variables can have a variety of types. These types indicate what can be stored within that specific variable. Variable types include:

Integer (int) This variable type stores only single integers with no decimals. Examples include 5 or 4509. They must be at least 16 bits long. Examples of this include 7854 or 34,

Character (char) This type refers to a single character, like a and is at least 8 bits long.

float - Stores floating point values such as 3.1555. Is usually 32 bits long.

double - Similar to float but with twice the precision. Is usually 64 bits long.

Boolean (bool) - Stores true/false values.

void - Cannot store data directly, but acts a bit like a placeholder.