1.1 Structure of a program

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// my first program in C++
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
  std::cout << "Hello World!";
}

Hello World!

Line 1: // my first program in C++

Two slash signs indicate that the rest of the line is a comment which has no effect on the behavior of the program. Programmers use them to include short explanations or observations concerning the code or program. In this case, it is a brief introductory description of the program.

Line 2: #include <iostream>

Lines beginning with a hash sign (#) are directives read and interpreted by what is known as the preprocessor. They are special lines interpreted before the compilation of the program itself begins. In this case, the directive #include <iostream>, instructs the preprocessor to include a section of standard C++ code, known as header iostream, that allows to perform standard input and output operations, such as writing the output of this program (Hello World) to the screen.

Line 3: A blank line.

Blank lines have no effect on a program. They simply improve readability of the code.

Line 4: int main ()

This line initiates the declaration of a function. Essentially, a function is a group of code statements which are given a name: in this case, this gives the name "main" to the group of code statements that follow. Functions will be discussed in detail in a later chapter, but essentially, their definition is introduced with a succession of a type (int), a name (main) and a pair of parentheses (()), optionally including parameters.

The function named main is a special function in all C++ programs; it is the function called when the program is run. The execution of all C++ programs begins with the main function, regardless of where the function is actually located within the code.

Lines 5 and 7: { and }

The open brace ({) at line 5 indicates the beginning of main's function definition, and the closing brace (}) at line 7, indicates its end. Everything between these braces is the function's body that defines what happens when main is called. All functions use braces to indicate the beginning and end of their definitions.

Line 6: std::cout << "Hello World!";

This line is a C++ statement. A statement is an expression that can actually produce some effect. It is the meat of a program, specifying its actual behavior. Statements are executed in the same order that they appear within a function's body.

This statement has three parts: First, std::cout, which identifies the standard character output device (usually, this is the computer screen). Second, the insertion operator (<<), which indicates that what follows is inserted into std::cout. Finally, a sentence within quotes ("Hello World!"), is the content inserted into the standard output.

Notice that the statement ends with a semicolon (;). This character marks the end of the statement, just as the period ends a sentence in English. All C++ statements must end with a semicolon character. One of the most common syntax errors in C++ is forgetting to end a statement with a semicolon.

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int main ()
{
  std::cout << " Hello World!";
}

int main () { std::cout << "Hello World!"; }

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// my second program in C++
#include <iostream>

int main ()
{
  std::cout << "Hello World! ";
  std::cout << "I'm a C++ program";
}

Hello World! I'm a C++ program

int main () { std::cout << " Hello World! "; std::cout << " I'm a C++ program "; }

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int main ()
{
  std::cout <<
    "Hello World!";
  std::cout
    << "I'm a C++ program";
}

Comments

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// line comment
/* block comment */ 

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/* my second program in C++
                            with more comments */

#include <iostream>

int main ()
{
  std::cout << "Hello World! ";     // prints Hello World!
  std::cout << "I'm a C++ program"; // prints I'm a C++ program
}

Hello World! I'm a C++ program

Using namespace std

using namespace std;

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// my second program in C++
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main ()
{
  cout << "Hello World! ";
  cout << "I'm a C++ program";
}

Hello World! I'm a C++ program