C++ is a general-purpose, compiled, statically-typed language created by Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs, first as "C with Classes" in 1979 and released under the name C++ in 1985. It extends C with object-oriented programming, generic programming (templates), and a large standard library, while staying close to the hardware and preserving C's performance and low-level control — this is why C++ is often described as "a better C" rather than a completely different language.
#include <iostream>
int main() {
std::cout << "Hello, world!" << std::endl;
return 0;
}
C++ powers game engines (Unreal Engine), operating system components, web browsers (Chrome, Firefox), database engines, high-frequency trading systems, and embedded/robotics software — anywhere that needs both high performance and rich abstractions.
The language has evolved through several standards: C++98/C++03 (the original standard), C++11 (a massive overhaul that introduced auto, lambdas, smart pointers, and move semantics — often called the start of "Modern C++"), C++14, C++17, C++20 (added concepts, ranges, and coroutines), and the latest, C++23. This notebook teaches modern, idiomatic C++ (C++17/20 style) throughout rather than outdated C++98-era patterns.