C++ Programming Language: Uses and Applications, Pros and Cons, Interfaces.
Programming Languages
C++ is an advanced object-oriented programming language that helps programmers write fast and portable programs.
A program considered movable or portable can be used not only in the operating system where it has been written but also in other systems without the necessity of processing.
Portability should be the initial goal of any work implemented by the programmer because only in that case the program written by you will flawlessly work in any environment.
In general, programs written according to standard software interface rules, such as C language X / Open UNIX 95 interface, are portable. The only thing left to do is to compile the program in the new environment. Sometimes the programmers who write programs using standard software interface rules use operating system extensions for cases that may not exist in the new system. The mentioned extensions should be skipped or replaced with similar functions in the new operating system.
There are many programming languages, and some of them do not stand the test of time; they go out of the use or “die,” while others live long, gradually changing and developing even more. A programming language will not go out of use if it fits for continuous implementation, and such a language should be more effective than the others.
Before deciding to specialize in a language, you had better focus on the field for which the program should be written, its purpose, and the capacities of that particular language for creating a program with high performance and efficiency. Of course, there are also other reasons for choosing a language. Sometimes you may encounter an IT company where most programmers master Java and work with Java when choosing another programming language would have been more suitable for their product. Here, of course, it is important to find available programmers who master this or that language and to evaluate how easy it is to understand and learn the given language.
As a rule, everyone avoids complications.
When choosing a language, many people pay attention to its value in the market as programmers get paid differently based on their specialized languages.
However, the best approach to choosing a language is to emphasize the peculiarities of the program.
In this article, we will focus on this point.
In some emergencies, the language choice is not considered at all. For example, if productivity plays a huge role and each millisecond is crucial, then all the scripting languages are immediately put aside, even questioning the choice of Java and C# languages.
In such cases, C++ is the best option. Though C and assembler are faster than C++, they are not relevant nowadays.
Unfortunately, the programmers who excellently master C++ are quite few because the process of learning and understanding this language is not a piece of cake while finding a fast, simple, and highly-paid position is easier and more available.
Writing a program in C++ requires much time, attention, knowledge, and concentration. As the number of such programmers is small, but the demand is high, so is their payment.
It is important to note that programs written in C++ have a troubling issue; they are not very safe. That is to say; it is difficult not only to compile the code but also to work with the memory that would help prevent memory leaks and problems arising from it.
Other languages also contain this risk, but the likelihood is smaller.
One of the advantages of C++ is that programs written with it require less memory and CPU work than programs written with a scripting language or C#, Java, and so on.
It is not right to claim that this fact can be decisive in the language choice because nowadays, memory and CPU are not very costly, especially when iCloud allows us to obtain an enormous amount of memory at affordable prices.
Using C++ is more rational when working on products with smaller embedded boards and microprocessors. It is a great choice when resources are limited, and there is a need to provide high speed (real-time).
The number of such cases is gradually reducing, but they still exist and require solutions with the appropriate programming toolkit.
If there aren’t any special requirements for the program, then it is more convenient to work with other modern languages where the programmer’s task is simplified.
C++: fields of uses and applications
Let’s speak a bit about the applications where the C++ programming language has been used.
As the language is very close to the hardware, it can easily access various resources and provide procedural programming with functions actively using the CPU. It is also widely used in 3D game development, as well as in multi-layer networking. All these advantages make C++ irreplaceable in game programming.
Here is the list of games that have been programmed using C++:
- Doom III engine, Counter-Strike, Sierra On-line: Birthright, Hellfire, Soccer Professional, Bullrider I & II, Trophy Bear, Kings Quest, Antara, Hoyle Card games suite, SWAT, Blizzard: StarCraft, StarCraft: Brood War,
- Diablo I, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, Warcraft III, World of Warcraft, Starfleet Command, Invictus, PBS’s Heritage: Civilization and therefore the Jews, Master of Orion III, CS-XII, MapleStory.
GUI is the graphical user interface, a type of user interface that has keys, windows, and many other widgets that the user can access when using your application. The web browser is an obvious example of such an application that has everything mentioned above and a common window where the entire content is uploaded. Almost all Adobe applications, including Illustrator, Photoshop, and others, are designed with C++.
Microsoft’s famous application Win Amp Media Player, which has been providing all our audio/video activities for decades, is also developed with C++.
C++ is also used when writing database management software. MYSQL and Postgres are among the most famous databases.
For example, MySQL is developed and supported by Oracle Corporation, which acquired trademark rights with Sun Microsystems, which in turn had previously obtained the Swedish company MySQL AB.
It is also written in C++ and is widely used in various companies.
Here are some more databases written in C++:
- Oracle database
- MySQL
- IBM DB2
- Microsoft SQL Server
- IBM Informix
- SAP DB/MaxDB
- MongoDB
Being strongly typed and working quickly make C++ irreplaceable in the development of operating systems. It is not an exaggeration to say that all the operating systems are written in C++.
Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Apple Mac OS X, Symbian OS, and Be-OS, Google Chrome OS, RIM BlackBerry OS 4. x, Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad OS are all proving examples.
Browsers are also mostly written in C++ because speed plays an essential role in using internet queries and browsers. No one likes waiting a few long minutes until the browser responds to the query and uploads the necessary information.
For instance, the Mozilla browser has completely developed with C++. The Google File System and Chrome browsers are also among the browsers written in C++.
Here are some more names:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Safari
- Netscape Navigator
- Opera and Opera Mini
C++ is also useful for developing programs that require high-quality image processing and real-time physical simulations. Such examples are mobile sensor-based applications that require high performance and speed.Maya 3D software, for example, is developed with C++ and is used to create animation, virtual reality, 3D graphics, and environments.
C++ is also widely popular in banking software as they require synchronization and high performance. For example, famous banking software Infosys Finacle uses C++ as a Backend programming language.
Cloud storage systems that are widespread nowadays work directly with the “device,” so C++ is a reasonable choice for such systems.
For example, Bloomberg is a distributed system; RDBMS is used to precisely provide the investors with real-time financial information and news. Though Bloomberg’s RDBMS is written in C language, its development environment, and library collection are written in C++.
Several high-level language compilers are written in either C or C++ languages. The reason is that these languages are closer to the device and are able to program and execute underlying hardware resources.
The following field of application of C++ is the software of various enterprises, as well as advanced software development, such as flight modeling and radar development.
Some HP applications are also written in C++.
- C, C++, Fortran90 compilers and connection editors for the new HP IA64 platform
- SAM (HP’s system management utility)
- Some networking libraries in HP-UX
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Java VM core
- Some parts of Openview
After such impressive facts, it would be logical to orientate the reader towards choosing C++, but as we mentioned at the beginning of the article, the choice of the language should be conditioned by a number of consequences that can be decided only by the developer.
The most important thing is to devote yourself to thoroughly studying and observing the chosen language.
