Introduction to C++ Programming Training

The main function and standard I/O

• Displaying values and strings to cout
• Reading values from cin
• Formatting with stream manipulators

Objects, constants, and references

• Declaring and initialising variables
• Utilising C++ 11/14 new keywords
• Integer and floating-point data types
• Performing calculations and displaying results
• Utilising references for efficiency and constants for safety

Defining and calling functions

• Passing arguments to functions and returning values from functions
• Call-by-value vs. call-by-reference vs. call-by-address
• Scope, duration, and initial values variables

Decisions, loops, and logic

• Making decisions with if/else
• bool vs. int logical values
• if/else statement "chains"
• Performing loops with while and for
• Implementing C++ range-based for loops
• Equality, relational, and logical operators

Arrays, pointers, and strings

• Declaring and using arrays and pointers
• Storing strings in character arrays
• Accessing array elements via pointers
• Pointers vs. references
• Standard string class and functions

Encapsulating higher-level data types

• Public member functions and private data members
• Protected class members
• Constructors and destructors
• Self-reference: the this pointer
• The class member operator (::)

Declaring, accessing, and modifying objects

• Manipulating arrays of objects, pointers to objects and references to objects
• Invoking member functions
• const member functions
• Passing objects by value and by reference

Overloading and templates

• Simplifying class interfaces
• Function signatures
• Overloading assignment (=) and insertion (\<\<)
• friend functions and classes
• Explicit copy/move construction
• Avoiding default assignment and copy construction
• Utilising STL templates to define families of classes

Separating interfaces and implementations

• How separation supports code reuse
• Building header files and code files

Deriving new classes from existing classes

• Construction and destruction of derived objects
• Reusability via incremental extensions
• Base classes and derived classes

Utilising polymorphic functions

• Overriding virtual base-class member functions in derived classes
• Runtime lookup of functions through base-class pointers and references

Managing dynamic data

• Allocating and deallocating memory with new and delete
• Handling errors with try and catch
• Avoiding memory leaks
• Utilising lambdas and smart pointers

Standards and Portability

• Applicability to Windows and UNIX/Linux
• ANSI/ISO C++ 11/14 and evolving standards