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C++ Fundamentals

43 lessons16 exercisesC++

A first course in C++, taught from first principles: types, control flow, functions, arrays, strings, vectors, pointers and references, with runnable code examples, quizzes and exercises, all in your browser.

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Course Description

This course takes you from your first C++ program to working directly with memory. You’ll start with how a C++ program is structured, compiled and run, then move on to variables and types, operators, input and output, control flow and functions. From there you’ll work with arrays, C-style strings, std::string, std::array and std::vector, and finish with pointers, references and the bugs they can cause, such as dangling pointers.

Object-oriented programming and the wider Standard Library are beyond the current scope, but you’ll build the foundation they rely on.

Table of Contents

43 lessons · 16 exercises

Getting Started
1
What is C++ and Where It’s UsedⓘUnderstand what C++ is, where industry uses it, and why its performance and hardware control set it apart.
2
Anatomy of a C++ Program: main, Includes, NamespacesⓘUnderstand the structure of every C++ program: the main function, includes, and the std namespace.
3
How a C++ Program is Compiled and RunⓘUnderstand how C++ transforms source code into a running program through the preprocessor, compiler, and linker.
4
Comments, Whitespace, and Code Style BasicsⓘWrite more readable C++ code using comments, whitespace, and indentation to express intent and structure.
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Variables and Data Types
5
Variables and declarationsⓘLearn how to declare, initialize, and assign variables in C++, and write readable code with proper naming conventions.
6
Fundamental Types: int, double, char, boolⓘLearn the four core C++ value types, int, double, char, and bool, and what it means for a language to be statically typed.
7
Integer Variants: Size and SignⓘLearn how C++ integer types differ in size and sign, and choose the right one to avoid overflow and subtle bugs.
8
Floating-Point Variants: Precision and SizeⓘLearn how C++ floating-point types differ in precision and when to use float, double, or long double.
9
Literals and constⓘLearn what literals are in C++, how their types are determined, and how to use const to declare unchangeable named values.
10
Type Deduction with autoⓘLearn how C++ uses auto to deduce variable types at compile time, keeping code concise without sacrificing static typing.
11
Checking Type Sizes and Limits in C++ (sizeof, <limits>)ⓘUse sizeof and numeric_limits in C++ to check a type’s exact size and value range on any platform.
12
Type Conversions and Casting in C++ⓘDistinguish implicit widening from narrowing conversions in C++ and cast explicitly with static_cast.
13
Memory, Addresses, and the & OperatorⓘLearn how C++ variables map to memory addresses and how to retrieve one using the & operator.
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Operators and Expressions
14
Arithmetic OperatorsⓘLearn how C++ arithmetic operators work, including integer truncation in division, the modulo operator, and operator precedence.
15
Compund Operators and Assignment ExpressionsⓘMaster C++ compound assignment operators and learn how assignment itself is an expression, enabling chained assignments.
16
Comparison and Logical OperatorsⓘMaster C++ comparison and logical operators, understand how they produce bool values, and learn to combine them into precise expressions.
17
Bitwise OperatorsⓘManipulate individual bits in C++ using AND, OR, XOR, NOT, and shift operators with bitset output.
18
Increment and Decrement: Pre vs. PostⓘUse C++’s pre- and post-increment operators correctly and avoid the bugs that come from mixing them.
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Input and Output
19
Reading Input with std::cin and std::getlineⓘLearn to read user input in C++ using std::cin and std::getline, and handle the common pitfall of mixing the two.
20
Stream Manipulators and FormattingⓘLearn how to format numbers and text output in C++ using stream manipulators for alignment, decimal places, and padding.
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Control Flow
21
Conditional Branching (if, else if, else)ⓘLearn to control program flow in C++ using if, else if, and else branching logic.
22
Switch StatementsⓘLearn how switch statements compare an expression against multiple values in C++, avoiding messy if/else chains.
23
Ternary OperatorⓘWrite single-line conditional expressions in C++ using the ternary operator instead of if/else.
24
The while and do-while LoopsⓘLearn to repeat code with C++’s while and do-while loops, and know when to use each one.
25
Classic for LoopⓘMaster the three-part structure of C++’s for loop, from counting and skipping to variable scope.
26
Loop Flow: break, continue, Nested LoopsⓘControl loop flow in C++ using break and continue, and handle nested loop exits correctly.
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Functions
27
Defining and Calling FunctionsⓘLearn to define C++ functions with return types, parameters, and calls that reuse logic across a program.
28
Pass By Value vs. By ReferenceⓘLearn how to pass arguments in C++, by value and by reference, and how each affects your original variable.
29
Default ArgumentsⓘSkip repetitive arguments in C++ functions by assigning default values that callers can override
30
Function OverloadingⓘWrite multiple C++ functions sharing one name, letting the compiler pick the version matching the call.
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31
Scope, Lifetime, and Storage DurationⓘLearn how C++ scope, lifetime, and storage duration decide when a variable is visible, alive, and destroyed.
32
Recursion and the Call StackⓘLearn how to write recursive C++ functions, trace their call stack, and convert tail recursion into loops.
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Arrays, Strings, and Vectors
33
C-Style ArraysⓘDeclare, loop through, and pass C-style arrays to C++ functions, using sizeof to find array size safely.
34
Multidimensional ArraysⓘLearn how C++ stores and accesses multidimensional arrays using row-major memory layout.
35
C-Style StringsⓘLearn how C++ represents text as null-terminated char arrays and safely use functions like strlen, strcpy, and strcmp.
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36
std::string and Its MethodsⓘManipulate, search, and convert text in C++ using std::string’s built-in methods and operators.
37
A Safer, Fixed Array with std::arrayⓘLearn to replace C-style arrays with std::array in C++ for safe indexing, size tracking, comparison, and swapping.
38
A Resizable Container with std::vectorⓘStore, access, and iterate over resizable sequences of elements in C++ using the std::vector container.
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Pointers and References
39
Pointer Basics and DereferencingⓘDeclare and dereference C++ pointers to read and modify variables through their memory addresses.
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40
Pointer Arithmetic and ArraysⓘLearn how C++ array indexing compiles to pointer arithmetic, and how to traverse arrays using pointers directly.
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41
References (Lvalue References)ⓘLearn how C++ references bind to lvalues, enable safe pass-by-reference, and when to choose them over pointers.
42
Null Pointers and nullptrⓘUse C++ nullptr to create, check, and pass null pointers safely, and learn why it replaces NULL and 0.
43
Dangling Pointers and References into a VectorⓘLearn how C++ pointers and references can dangle, including when std::vector grows, and how to fix that case.
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