CPP Module 00

42 Common Core CPP Module 00.

• Object-Oriented Programming in C++
• Classes and objects
• Encapsulation and data hiding

Table of Contents

• Namespaces
• Classes in Object-Oriented Programming
• More info

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Namespaces

A namespace is a declarative region that provides scope to identifiers (variables, functions, classes, etc.). Its main purpose is to organize code and avoid naming conflicts.

• The Standard Library is contained in the std namespace.
• To access elements from it, you must:

  • Include the appropiate header (, , etc.)

  • Qualify names with std::

        #include <iostream>
        
        int main() {
            std::cout << "Hello, World!" << std::endl;
            return 0;
        }
    

Classes in Object-Oriented Programming

• A class is a blueprint that defines the structure (attributes) and behavior (methods) of objects.
• An object is an instance of a class - it has its own values for attributes but shares the same methods and structure defined by the class.

Elements of a class:

• Constructor: a special method automatically called when an object is created.

  • Default constructor (no parameters)

  • Parametrized constructor

  • Constructor with default values

  • Initialization list: initializes members before the constructor body - neccesary for const members or references.

      class MyClass
      {
            int x;
            public:
                  MyClass(int val) : x(val) {} //initialization list
      }
    

• Destructor: a special method automatically called when an object goes out of scope. Used to release resources (close files, free dynamic memory, etc.).

• Public and Private Members

  • public: accesible from outside the class
  • private: accesible only within the class
  • Encapsulation: grouping data and functiions together while restricting direct access to internal details.
    • Benefit of private attributes with getters/setters:
      • Input validation
      • Flexibility (implementation changes won't break external code)

• Member Attributes (fields): variables that store the internal state of the object

• Member Functons (methods): functions that operate on the object's attributes

• Static members: beling to the class itself, not to a specific object.

  • Cannot access non-static members
  • Useful for counters, helpers, or shared state

• Accessing members within a class:

  • 'this->atribute': refers to the current object's member
  • 'Class::atribute': refers to a static member of the class

Advanges of Classes:

• Encapsulation: keep related data and methods together
• Reusability: define once, instantiate multiple times
• Abstraction: hide implementation details behind an interface
• Modularity: improves organizaton and maintainability

More info:

String class → HERE
IO Manipulators → HERE
Guideline → HERE