1.11. Wrap-Up

This chapter discussed the history of C++. We discussed the different types of programming languages, their history and which programming languages are most widely used. We also discussed the C++ Standard Library which contains reusable classes and functions that help C++ programmers create portable C++ programs.

We presented basic object technology concepts, including classes, objects, attributes, behaviors, encapsulation and inheritance. You also learned about the history and purpose of the UML—the industry-standard graphical language for modeling object-oriented software systems.

You learned the typical steps for creating and executing a C++ application. You "test-drove" a sample C++ application.

We discussed several key software technologies and concepts, including open source, and looked to the future of C++. In later chapters, we'll present two open source libraries—Ogre for graphics and game programming, and Boost for broadly enhancing the C++ Standard Library's capabilities.

In the next chapter, you'll create your first C++ applications. You'll see several examples that demonstrate how programs display messages on the screen and obtain information from the user at the keyboard for processing.