C++ Crash Course: a fast-Paced Introduction

PART I
T H E C ++ C O R E L A N G U A G E
First we crawl. Later we crawl on broken glass. 
—Scott Meyers, Effective STL
Part I teaches you the crucial concepts in the C++ 
Core Language. Chapter 1 sets up a working envi-
ronment and bootstraps some language constructs, 
including the basics of objects, the primary abstrac-
tion you use to program C++.
The next five chapters examine objects and types—the heart and soul 
of C++. Unlike some other programming books, you won’t be building web 
servers or launching rocket ships from the get-go. All the programs in Part I 
simply print to the command line. The focus is on building your mental 
model of the language instead of instant gratification.
Chapter 2 takes an extensive look at types, the language construct that 
defines your objects.
Chapter 3 extends the discussion of Chapter 2 to discuss reference 
types, which describe objects that refer to other objects.
Chapter 4 describes the object life cycle, one of the most powerful 
aspects of C++.
Chapters 5 and 6 explore compile-time polymorphism with templates 
and runtime polymorphism with interfaces, which allow you to write loosely 
coupled and highly reusable code.

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2
Part I
Armed with a foundation in C++’s object model, you’ll be ready to 
dive into Chapters 7 through 9. These chapters present expressions, state-
ments, and functions, which you use to get work done in the language. It 
might seem odd that these language constructs appear at the end of Part I, 
but without a strong knowledge of objects and their life cycles, all but the 
most basic features of these language constructs would be impossible to 
understand.
As a comprehensive, ambitious, powerful language, C++ can overwhelm 
the newcomer. To make it approachable, Part I is sequential, cohesive, and 
meant to be read like a story.