C++ Programming

Comprehensive Study Guide Flashcards

Computer Programming

The process of creating instructions for computers to perform specific tasks, generally following the Input-Process-Output (IPO) model.

include

A directive that tells the preprocessor to include the iostream library, which enables input/output operations in C++.

using namespace std;

Allows the use of names from the standard library without prefixing them with std:: in C++.

main() function

Every C++ program must have a main() function, which is the entry point where execution begins.

cout statement

Outputs text to the screen in C++.

endl

Adds a newline character to the output stream in C++.

return 0;

Indicates that the program has executed successfully in C++.

Program

A sequence of instructions executed by a computer.

Algorithm

A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem.

Computational Thinking

Breaking down problems into steps that a computer can execute.

Statements

Individual instructions in a program, typically ending with a semicolon (;).

Comments

Text that explains code but is ignored by the compiler; single-line comments begin with //, and multi-line comments are enclosed between /* and */.

Whitespace

Spaces, tabs, and newlines that improve code readability but are mostly ignored by the compiler.

cout

Used for output with the insertion operator (<<) in C++.

cin

Used for input with the extraction operator (>>) in C++.

endl or \n

Creates a new line in the output in C++.

Syntax Errors

Violations of the language's grammatical rules, such as missing semicolons or unmatched brackets; detected during compilation.

Logic Errors (Bugs)

The program compiles but doesn't behave as expected, for example, using < instead of <= in a condition; only found during execution or testing.

Warnings

Potential issues flagged by the compiler that are not severe enough to prevent compilation but should be addressed to avoid potential problems.

CPU

Executes machine instructions in a computer system.

Memory

Stores data and instructions in a computer system.

Storage

Permanently holds files and programs in a computer system.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

Combines various programming tools like a text editor, compiler, debugger, and build automation tools.

Variable

A named storage location in memory that holds a value of a specific type.

Variable Declaration

Specifies a name and a data type for a variable (e.g., int age;).

Variable Assignment

Assigns a value to a variable using the assignment operator (=) (e.g., age = 25;).

int

Integer data type, typically 4 bytes, representing whole numbers.

short

Short integer data type, typically 2 bytes, representing smaller whole numbers.

long

Long integer data type, typically 4 bytes (same as int on most systems), representing larger whole numbers.

long long

Very long integer data type, typically 8 bytes, representing very large whole numbers.

float

Single-precision floating-point data type, typically 4 bytes, representing decimal numbers with limited precision.

double

Double-precision floating-point data type, typically 8 bytes, representing decimal numbers with higher precision.

char

Character data type, typically 1 byte, representing a single character.

bool

Boolean data type, typically 1 byte, representing true or false values.

Identifiers

Names given to variables, functions, and other entities in a program; must begin with a letter or underscore, can contain letters, digits, and underscores, and cannot be a C++ keyword.

Lower Camel Case

A naming convention where the first word is lowercase, and subsequent words have a capital first letter (e.g., studentName).

Snake Case

A naming convention where all words are lowercase, and underscores separate them (e.g., student_name).

unsigned

A type modifier that modifies integer types to only represent non-negative values, doubling the positive range but eliminating negative values.

const

A keyword that creates variables whose values cannot change after initialization (e.g., const double PI = 3.14159;).

Expressions

Combine variables, constants, and operators to perform computations; evaluated according to operator precedence.

Integer Division

Truncates the result, removing any fractional part (e.g., 7 / 3 results in 2).

Modulo

Returns the remainder of a division (e.g., 7 % 3 results in 1).

Implicit Conversions

Automatic type conversions performed by the compiler in certain situations, such as assigning an int to a double.

Explicit Conversions (Casting)

Type conversions that are manually specified by the programmer using C-style casts or modern C++ cast operators like static_cast().

sqrt(x)

Square root of x

pow(x, y)

x raised to power y

abs(x) or fabs(x)

Absolute value

ceil(x)

Rounds up

floor(x)

Rounds down

round(x)

Rounds to nearest

A library that provides character testing and manipulation functions.

A library provides powerful string operations.

break

A statement that immediately exits a loop.

continue

A statement that skips the rest of the current iteration and moves to the next iteration.

Arrays

Fixed size, cannot be resized after declaration

Vectors

Dynamic size, can grow or shrink as needed

Multidimensional Arrays are useful for

Representing tables, grids, or matrices

Function

A reusable block of code designed to perform a specific task.

Function Definition

A named block of code with input parameters and a return value; used to break down a program into manageable parts.

Function Call

The process of calling a function to execute its code.

Arguments/Parameters

Values passed into a function when it is called.

Return Type

The data type of the value that a function returns after execution.

Variable Scope

The scope where a variable is accessible; can be local (within a function) or global (accessible throughout the program).

Recursion

A function that calls itself; requires a base case to terminate the recursive calls.

Pass by Value

Passing a copy of the variable's value to a function.

Passing the memory address of a