C++ Programming Overview by Mike

Introduction to C++

• C++: Popular programming language, continuation of C language.
• Core concepts of C++ and programming in general.
• Course Outline: Basics to advanced, installations, writing programs, variables, data structures, loops, if statements, classes, objects, games, etc.

Getting Started with C++

• Setup Requirements: Text editor, C++ compiler.
• Installation: Code::Blocks (IDE) with MinGW (includes compiler).
• First Program: Writing and running a basic C++ program.

Basic Concepts

• C++ Basics: Writing simple programs, understanding text editors and compilers.
• Program Structure: Main function, headers, comments.

Writing, Running, and Building Programs

• Build and Run: Compiling and executing programs using IDE.
• Basic Print Statement: Using cout for console output.

Variables in C++

• Definition: Storage containers for data values.
• Types: String, Int, Double, Char, Bool.
• Declaring/Assigning Values: Examples with different data types.
• Using Variables: Modifying and utilizing variables in programs.

Data Types in C++

• Primitive Data Types: Char, Int, Float, Double, and Bool.
• Strings: Using strings, functions related to string manipulation like .length(), .substr(), etc.

Mathematical Operations and Functions

• Basic Arithmetic: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, modulus.
• Order of Operations: Using parentheses to control operations.
• Math Functions: Functions from cmath library such as pow(), sqrt(), round(), ceil(), floor(), max(), min().

User Input

• Getting Input: Using cin and getline() for different types of data.
• Building a Basic Calculator: Taking user inputs and performing arithmetic operations.

Control Structures

• If Statements: Decision making based on conditions; using AND, OR, and NOT operators.
• Comparisons: ==, !=, >, <, >=, <= operators.
• Switch Statements: Handling multiple conditions with switch-case structure.

Loops

• While Loop: Repeating code while a condition is true.
• Do-While Loop: Ensuring code runs at least once before condition check.
• For Loop: Loops that track iteration count, useful for iterating over arrays.

Arrays

• Single-dimensional: Creating, accessing, modifying arrays.
• Multi-dimensional Arrays: Using nested arrays, accessing elements.

Building Games

• Guessing Game: Utilizing loops, conditions to create interactive console games.
• Mad Libs: Taking multiple user inputs and integrating into a story format.

Functions in C++

• Creating Functions: Defining, calling, passing parameters.
• Returning Values: Using return to send values back from functions.

Classes and Objects

• Introduction to Classes: Define complex data types using class keyword.
• Creating Objects: Instantiating and working with instances of classes.
• Accessing Class Members: Using dot operator to access/modify attributes.
• Constructors: Special methods for initializing new objects automatically.
• Getters and Setters: Control access and modification of class attributes.
• Inheritance: Creating subclasses that extend functionality of superclass.

Tips and Additional Best Practices

• Comments: Using single-line (//) and multi-line (/*...*/) comments.
• Pointers: Working with memory addresses, dereferencing pointers.
• Additional Practices: Play around, tweak examples, and build more complex programs.