C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis

to Program Design, Fifth Edition

Chapter 2: Basic Elements of C++

Objectives
In this chapter, you will:
• Become familiar with the basic
components of a C++ program, including
functions, special symbols, and identifiers
• Explore simple data types
• Discover how to use arithmetic operators
• Examine how a program evaluates
arithmetic expressions
C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 2
Objectives (cont'd.)
• Learn what an assignment statement is and
what it does
• Become familiar with the string data type
• Discover how to input data into memory using
input statements
• Become familiar with the use of increment
and decrement operators
• Examine ways to output results using output
statements

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 3

Objectives (cont'd.)
• Learn how to use preprocessor directives
and why they are necessary
• Learn how to debug syntax errors
• Explore how to properly structure a
program, including using comments to
document a program
• Learn how to write a C++ program

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Introduction
• Computer program
– Sequence of statements whose objective is to
accomplish a task
• Programming
– Process of planning and creating a program

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A C++ Program
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
int num;
num = 6;
cout << "My first C++ program." << endl;
cout << "The sum of 2 and 3 = " << 5 << endl;
cout << "7 + 8 = " << 7 + 8 << endl;
cout << "Num = " << num << endl;
return 0;
}

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The Basics of a C++ Program
• Function: collection of statements; when
executed, accomplishes something
– May be predefined or standard
• Syntax: rules that specify which statements
(instructions) are legal
• Programming language: a set of rules,
symbols, and special words
• Semantic rule: meaning of the instruction
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Comments
• Comments are for the reader, not the
compiler
• Two types:
– Single line
// This is a C++ program. It prints the sentence:
// Welcome to C++ Programming.

– Multiple line
/*
You can include comments that can
occupy several lines.
*/

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Special Symbols

• Special symbols

+ ?
- ,
* <=
/ !=
. ==
; >=

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Reserved Words (Keywords)
• Reserved words, keywords, or word
symbols
– Include:
• int
• float
• double
• char
• const
• void
• return

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Identifiers
• Consist of letters, digits, and the underscore
character (_)
• Must begin with a letter or underscore
• C++ is case sensitive
– NUMBER is not the same as number
• Two predefined identifiers are cout and cin
• Unlike reserved words, predefined identifiers
may be redefined, but it is not a good idea

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Identifiers (cont'd.)
• Legal identifiers in C++:
– first
– conversion
– payRate

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Whitespaces
• Every C++ program contains whitespaces
– Include blanks, tabs, and newline characters
• Used to separate special symbols,
reserved words, and identifiers
• Proper utilization of whitespaces is
important
– Can be used to make the program readable

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Data Types
• Data type: set of values together with a set
of operations
• C++ data types fall into three categories:

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Simple Data Types
• Three categories of simple data
– Integral: integers (numbers without a decimal)
– Floating-point: decimal numbers
– Enumeration type: user-defined data type

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Simple Data Types (cont'd.)
• Integral data types are further classified
into nine categories:
– char, short, int, long, bool
– unsigned char, unsigned short, unsigned
int, unsigned long

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 16

Simple Data Types (cont'd.)

• Different compilers may allow different

ranges of values

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int Data Type
• Examples:
-6728
0
78
+763
• Positive integers do not need a + sign
• No commas are used within an integer
– Commas are used for separating items in a list

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bool Data Type
• bool type
– Two values: true and false
– Manipulate logical (Boolean) expressions
• true and false
– Logical values
• bool, true, and false
– Reserved words

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char Data Type
• The smallest integral data type
• Used for characters: letters, digits, and
special symbols
• Each character is enclosed in single quotes
– 'A', 'a', '0', '*', '+', '$', '&'
• A blank space is a character
– Written ' ', with a space left between the
single quotes

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Floating-Point Data Types
• C++ uses scientific notation to represent
real numbers (floating-point notation)

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Floating-Point Data Types
(cont'd.)
• float: represents any real number
– Range: -3.4E+38 to 3.4E+38 (four bytes)
• double: represents any real number
– Range: -1.7E+308 to 1.7E+308 (eight bytes)

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Floating-Point Data Types
(cont'd.)
• Maximum number of significant digits
(decimal places) for float values is 6 or 7
• Maximum number of significant digits for
double is 15
• Precision: maximum number of significant
digits
– Float values are called single precision
– Double values are called double precision

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 23

Arithmetic Operators and Operator
Precedence
• C++ arithmetic operators:
– + addition
– - subtraction
– * multiplication
– / division
– % modulus operator
• +, -, *, and / can be used with integral and
floating-point data types
• Operators can be unary or binary
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Order of Precedence
• All operations inside of () are evaluated first
• *, /, and % are at the same level of
precedence and are evaluated next
• + and – have the same level of precedence
and are evaluated last
• When operators are on the same level
– Performed from left to right (associativity)
• 3 * 7 - 6 + 2 * 5 / 4 + 6 means
(((3 * 7) – 6) + ((2 * 5) / 4 )) + 6

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Expressions
• If all operands are integers
– Expression is called an integral expression
• Yields an integral result
• Example: 2 + 3 * 5
• If all operands are floating-point
– Expression is called a floating-point
expression
• Yields a floating-point result
• Example: 12.8 * 17.5 - 34.50

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Mixed Expressions
• Mixed expression:
– Has operands of different data types
– Contains integers and floating-point
• Examples of mixed expressions:
2 + 3.5
6 / 4 + 3.9
5.4 * 2 – 13.6 + 18 / 2

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Mixed Expressions (cont'd.)
• Evaluation rules:
– If operator has same types of operands
• Evaluated according to the type of the operands
– If operator has both types of operands
• Integer is changed to floating-point
• Operator is evaluated
• Result is floating-point
– Entire expression is evaluated according to
precedence rules

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Type Conversion (Casting)
• Implicit type coercion: when value of one
type is automatically changed to another
type
• Cast operator: provides explicit type
conversion
static_cast<dataTypeName>(expression)

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Type Conversion (cont'd.)

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string Type
• Programmer-defined type supplied in
ANSI/ISO Standard C++ library
• Sequence of zero or more characters
• Enclosed in double quotation marks
• Null: a string with no characters
• Each character has relative position in
string
– Position of first character is 0
• Length of a string is number of characters
in it
– Example: length of "William Jacob" is 13
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Input
• Data must be loaded into main memory
before it can be manipulated
• Storing data in memory is a two-step
process:
– Instruct computer to allocate memory
– Include statements to put data into memory

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Allocating Memory with Constants
and Variables
• Named constant: memory location whose
content can’t change during execution
• The syntax to declare a named constant
is:
• In C++, const is a reserved word

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Allocating Memory with Constants
and Variables (cont'd.)
• Variable: memory location whose content
may change during execution
• The syntax to declare a named constant
is:

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Putting Data into Variables
• Ways to place data into a variable:
– Use C++’s assignment statement
– Use input (read) statements

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Assignment Statement
• The assignment statement takes the form:

• Expression is evaluated and its value is

assigned to the variable on the left side
• In C++, = is called the assignment
operator

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Assignment Statement (cont'd.)

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Saving and Using the Value of an
Expression
• To save the value of an expression:
– Declare a variable of the appropriate data
type
– Assign the value of the expression to the
variable that was declared
• Use the assignment statement
• Wherever the value of the expression is
needed, use the variable holding the value

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Declaring & Initializing Variables
• Variables can be initialized when declared:
int first=13, second=10;
char ch=' ';
double x=12.6;
• All variables must be initialized before they
are used
– But not necessarily during declaration

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Input (Read) Statement
• cin is used with >> to gather input

• The stream extraction operator is >>

• For example, if miles is a double variable
cin >> miles;
– Causes computer to get a value of type double
– Places it in the variable miles

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Input (Read) Statement (cont'd.)
• Using more than one variable in cin allows
more than one value to be read at a time
• For example, if feet and inches are
variables of type int, a statement such as:
cin >> feet >> inches;
– Inputs two integers from the keyboard
– Places them in variables feet and inches
respectively

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Input (Read) Statement (cont'd.)

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 42

Variable Initialization
• There are two ways to initialize a variable:
int feet;
– By using the assignment statement
feet = 35;
– By using a read statement
cin >> feet;

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 43

Increment and Decrement
Operators
• Increment operator: increment variable by 1
– Pre-increment: ++variable
– Post-increment: variable++
• Decrement operator: decrement variable by 1
– Pre-decrement: --variable
– Post-decrement: variable—
• What is the difference between the following?
x = 5; x = 5;
y = ++x; y = x++;
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Output

• The syntax of cout and << is:

– Called an output statement

• The stream insertion operator is <<
• Expression evaluated and its value is
printed at the current cursor position on
the screen

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Output (cont'd.)
• A manipulator is used to format the output
– Example: endl causes insertion point to
move to beginning of next line

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Output (cont'd.)

• The new line character is '\n'

– May appear anywhere in the string
cout << "Hello there.";
cout << "My name is James.";
• Output:
Hello there.My name is James.
cout << "Hello there.\n";
cout << "My name is James.";
• Output :
Hello there.
My name is James.
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Output (cont'd.)

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Preprocessor Directives
• C++ has a small number of operations
• Many functions and symbols needed to run a
C++ program are provided as collection of
libraries
• Every library has a name and is referred to by a
header file
• Preprocessor directives are commands
supplied to the preprocessor
• All preprocessor commands begin with #
• No semicolon at the end of these commands

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 49

Preprocessor Directives
(cont'd.)
• Syntax to include a header file:

• For example:
#include <iostream>

– Causes the preprocessor to include the

header file iostream in the program

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namespace and Using cin and
cout in a Program
• cin and cout are declared in the header
file iostream, but within std
namespace
• To use cin and cout in a program, use
the following two statements:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

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Using the string Data Type in a
Program
• To use the string type, you need to
access its definition from the header file
string
• Include the following preprocessor
directive:
#include <string>

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Creating a C++ Program
• C++ program has two parts:
– Preprocessor directives
– The program
• Preprocessor directives and program
statements constitute C++ source code (.cpp)
• Compiler generates object code (.obj)
• Executable code is produced and saved in a
file with the file extension .exe

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 53

Creating a C++ Program
(cont'd.)
• A C++ program is a collection of functions,
one of which is the function main
• The first line of the function main is called the
heading of the function:
– int main()
• The statements enclosed between the curly
braces ({ and }) form the body of the function
– Contains two types of statements:
• Declaration statements
• Executable statements

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Creating a C++ Program
(cont'd.)

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 55

Creating a C++ Program
(cont'd.)
Sample Run:
Line 9: firstNum = 18
Line 10: Enter an integer: 15

Line 13: secondNum = 15

Line 15: The new value of firstNum = 60

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Debugging: Understanding and
Fixing Syntax Errors
• Compile a program
– Compiler will identify the syntax error
– Specifies the line numbers where the errors
occur
Example2_Syntax_Errors.cpp
c:\chapter 2 source code\example2_syntax_errors.cpp(9) : error
C2146: syntax error :
missing ';' before identifier 'num'
c:\chapter 2 source code\example2_syntax_errors.cpp(11) :
error C2065: 'tempNum' :
undeclared identifier

• Learn how to spot and fix syntax errors

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Program Style and Form
• Every C++ program has a function main
• Programs must also follow syntax rules
• Other rules serve the purpose of giving
precise meaning to the language

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Syntax
• Errors in syntax are found in compilation
int x; //Line 1
int y //Line 2: error
double z; //Line 3

y = w + x; //Line 4: error

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Use of Blanks
• In C++, you use one or more blanks to
separate numbers when data is input
– Used to separate reserved words and
identifiers from each other and from other
symbols
– Must never appear within a reserved word or
identifier

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Use of Semicolons, Brackets, and
Commas
• All C++ statements end with a semicolon
– Also called a statement terminator
• { and } are not C++ statements
• Commas separate items in a list

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Semantics
• Possible to remove all syntax errors in a
program and still not have it run
• Even if it runs, it may still not do what you
meant it to do
• For example,
2 + 3 * 5 and (2 + 3) * 5
are both syntactically correct expressions,
but have different meanings
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Naming Identifiers
• Identifiers can be self-documenting:
– CENTIMETERS_PER_INCH
• Avoid run-together words :
– annualsale
– Solution:
• Capitalize the beginning of each new word:
annualSale
• Inserting an underscore just before a new word:
annual_sale

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Prompt Lines
• Prompt lines: executable statements that
inform the user what to do
cout << "Please enter a number between 1 and 10 and "
<< "press the return key" << endl;
cin >> num;

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Documentation
• A well-documented program is easier to
understand and modify
• You use comments to document programs
• Comments should appear in a program to:
– Explain the purpose of the program
– Identify who wrote it
– Explain the purpose of particular statements

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Form and Style
• Consider two ways of declaring variables:
– Method 1
int feet, inch;
double x, y;
– Method 2
int feet,inch;double x,y;
• Both are correct; however, the second is
hard to read

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More on Assignment
Statements
• C++ has special assignment statements
called compound assignments
+=, -=, *=, /=, and %=
• Example:
x *= y;

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Programming Example:
Convert Length
• Write a program that takes as input a given
length expressed in feet and inches
– Convert and output the length in centimeters
• Input: length in feet and inches
• Output: equivalent length in centimeters
• Lengths are given in feet and inches
• Program computes the equivalent length in
centimeters
• One inch is equal to 2.54 centimeters

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 68

Programming Example: Convert
Length (cont'd.)
• Convert the length in feet and inches to all
inches:
– Multiply the number of feet by 12
– Add given inches
• Use the conversion formula (1 inch = 2.54
centimeters) to find the equivalent length
in centimeters

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 69

Programming Example: Convert
Length (cont'd.)
• The algorithm is as follows:
– Get the length in feet and inches
– Convert the length into total inches
– Convert total inches into centimeters
– Output centimeters

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Programming Example: Variables
and Constants
• Variables
int feet; //variable to hold given feet
int inches; //variable to hold given inches
int totalInches; //variable to hold total inches
double centimeters; //variable to hold length in
//centimeters

• Named Constant
const double CENTIMETERS_PER_INCH = 2.54;
const int INCHES_PER_FOOT = 12;

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 71

Programming Example: Main
Algorithm
• Prompt user for input
• Get data
• Echo the input (output the input)
• Find length in inches
• Output length in inches
• Convert length to centimeters
• Output length in centimeters

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Programming Example: Putting It
Together
• Program begins with comments
• System resources will be used for I/O
• Use input statements to get data and
output statements to print results
• Data comes from keyboard and the output
will display on the screen
• The first statement of the program, after
comments, is preprocessor directive to
include header file iostream
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Programming Example: Putting It
Together (cont'd.)
• Two types of memory locations for data
manipulation:
– Named constants
• Usually put before main
– Variables
• This program has only one function (main),
which will contain all the code
• The program needs variables to manipulate
data, which are declared in main
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Programming Example: Body of the
Function
• The body of the function main has the
following form:
int main ()
{
declare variables
statements
return 0;
}

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 75

Programming Example: Writing a
Complete Program
• Begin the program with comments for
documentation
• Include header files
• Declare named constants, if any
• Write the definition of the function main

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Programming Example: Writing a
Complete Program (cont’d.)

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 77

Programming Example: Sample
Run

Enter two integers, one for feet, one for inches: 15 7

The numbers you entered are 15 for feet and 7 for inches.
The total number of inches = 187
The number of centimeters = 474.98

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 78

Summary
• C++ program: collection of functions where
each program has a function called main
• Identifier consists of letters, digits, and
underscores, and begins with letter or
underscore
• The arithmetic operators in C++ are addition
(+), subtraction (-),multiplication (*), division
(/), and modulus (%)
• Arithmetic expressions are evaluated using
the precedence associativity rules
C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 79
Summary (cont'd.)
• All operands in an integral expression are
integers and all operands in a floating-point
expression are decimal numbers
• Mixed expression: contains both integers and
decimal numbers
• Use the cast operator to explicitly convert
values from one data type to another
• A named constant is initialized when declared
• All variables must be declared before used

C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Fifth Edition 80

Summary (cont'd.)
• Use cin and stream extraction operator >>
to input from the standard input device
• Use cout and stream insertion operator <<
to output to the standard output device
• Preprocessor commands are processed
before the program goes through the
compiler
• A file containing a C++ program usually ends
with the extension .cpp
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