Introduction to C++ Programming Essentials

Course Objectives

This “skills-centric” course is about 50% hands-on lab and 50% lecture, designed to train attendees in basic coding with C++, coupling the most current, effective techniques with the soundest industry practices. Working in a hands-on learning environment, guided by our expert team, attendees will learn:

• Writing procedural programs using C++
• Using private, public and protected keywords to control access to class members
• Defining a class in C++
• Writing constructors and destructors
• Writing classes with const and static class members
• Overloading operators
• Implementing polymorphic methods in programs
• Writing programs using file I/O and string streams
• Using manipulators and stream flags to format output
• Using the keyword template to write generic functions and classes
• Writing programs that use generic classes and functions
• Writing programs that use algorithms and containers of the Standard Library

• Apply object-oriented design techniques to real-world programming problems

• Using algorithms and containers of the Standard Library to manipulate string data
• Understand how C++ protects the programmer from implementation changes in other modules of an application
• Using try() blocks to trap exceptions
• Using catch() blocks to handle exceptions
• Defining exceptions and using throw to trigger them

Course Prerequisites

This is an introductory-level C++ programming course designed for developers with experience programming in C or other languages. Practical hands-on prior programming experience and knowledge is required.

NOTE: This course is for experienced developers. Students new to Programming should consider our Basic C++ Programming for Non-Programmers, which combines and introduction to programming with basic C++ coding skills.

Course Agenda

Please note that this list of topics is based on our standard course offering, evolved from typical industry uses and trends. We’ll work with you to tune this course and level of coverage to target the skills you need most.

1. Moving from C to C++ (Optional)

• New Compiler Directives
• Stream Console I/O
• Explicit Operators
• Standard Libraries
• Data Control Capabilities

2. Handling Data

• New Declaration Features
• Initialization and Assignment
• Enumerated Types
• The bool Type
• Constant Storage
• Pointers to Constant Storage
• Constant Pointers
• References
• Constant Reference Arguments
• Volatile Data
• Global Data

3.Functions

• Function Prototypes and Type Checking
• Default Function Data Types
• Function Overloading
• Problems with Function Overloading
• Name Resolution
• Promotions and Conversions
• Call by Value
• Reference Declarations
• Call-by-Reference and Reference Types
• References in Function Return
• Constant Argument Types
• Conversion of Parameters Using Default Initializers
• Providing Default Arguments
• Inline Functions

4.Operator Overloading

• Advantages and Pitfalls of Overloading
• Member Operator Syntax and Examples
• Class Assignment Operators
• Class Equality Operators
• Non-Member Operator Overloading
• Member and Non-Member Operator Functions
• Operator Precedence
• This Pointer
• Overloading the Assignment Operator
• Overloading Caveats

5. Creating and Using Objects

• Creating Automatic Objects
• Creating Dynamic Objects
• Calling Object Methods
• Constructors
• Initializing Member consts
• Initializer List Syntax
• Allocating Resources in Constructor
• Destructors
• Block and Function Scope
• File and Global Scope
• Class Scope
• Scope Resolution Operator ::
• Using Objects as Arguments
• Objects as Function Return Values
• Constant Methods
• Containment Relationships

6. Dynamic Memory Management

• Advantages of Dynamic Memory Allocation
• Static, Automatic, and Heap Memory
• Free Store Allocation with new and delete
• Handling Memory Allocation Errors

7.Controlling Object Creation

• Object Copying and Copy Constructor
• Automatic Copy Constructor
• Conversion Constructor

8.Streaming I/O

• Streams and the iostream Library
• Built-in Stream Objects
• Stream Manipulators
• Stream Methods
• Input/Output Operators
• Character Input
• String Streams
• Formatted I/O
• File Stream I/O
• Overloading Stream Operators
• Persistent Objects

9. Introduction to Object Concepts

• The Object Programming Paradigm
• Object-Orientated Programming Definitions
• Information Hiding and Encapsulation
• Separating Interface and Implementation
• Classes and Instances of Objects
• Overloaded Objects and Polymorphism

10.  Declaring and Defining Classes

• Components of a Class
• Class Structure
• Class Declaration Syntax
• Member Data
• Built-in Operations
• Constructors and Initialization
• Initialization vs. Assignment
• Class Type Members
• Member Functions and Member Accessibility
• Inline Member Functions
• Friend Functions
• Static Members
• Modifying Access with a Friend Class

11. Templates

• Purpose of Template Classes
• Constants in Templates
• Templates and Inheritance
• Container Classes
• Use of Libraries

12. Strings in C++

• Character Strings
• The String Class
• Operators on Strings
• Member Functions of the String Class

13. Inheritance

• Inheritance and Reuse
• Composition vs. Inheritance
• Inheritance: Centralized Code
• Inheritance: Maintenance and Revision
  • Public, Private and Protected Members
  • Redefining Behavior in Derived Classes
  • Designing Extensible Software Systems
• Syntax for Public Inheritance
• Use of Common Pointers
• Constructors and Initialization
• Inherited Copy Constructors
• Destructors and Inheritance
• Public, Protected, Private Inheritance

14. Exceptions

• Types of Exceptions
• Trapping and Handling Exceptions
• Triggering Exceptions
• Handling Memory Allocation Errors

15. C++ Program Structure

• Organizing C++ Source Files
• Integrating C and C++ Projects
• Using C in C++

16. Reliability Considerations in C++ Projects

• Function Prototypes
• Strong Type Checking
• Constant Types
• C++ Access Control Techniques

17. Polymorphism in C++

• Definition of Polymorphism
• Calling Overridden Methods
• Upcasting
• Accessing Overridden Methods
• Virtual Methods and Dynamic Binding
• Virtual Destructors
• Abstract Base Classes and Pure Virtual Methods

18. Multiple Inheritance

• Derivation from Multiple Base Classes
• Base Class Ambiguities
• Virtual Inheritance
  • Virtual Base Classes
  • Virtual Base Class Information

19. The Standard Template Library

• STL Containers
• Parameters Used in Container Classes
• The Vector Class
• STL Algorithms
• Use of Libraries