Unit 1: C++ and Java
Having completed CS101: Introduction to Computer Science I, you should have a strong grasp of Java and its uses and a basic understanding of Object-Oriented Programming. This course will employ both Java and C++, another industry-standard programming language. In this unit, we will outline the similarities and differences between these two languages, noting how each is used in the industry. We will also take an in-depth look at the history, importance, and functionality of C++ and compare the basic building blocks of each language in order to draw a distinction between the two and further acquaint you with both languages.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the history of C++ and the language's development;
- demonstrate an understanding of how C++ and Java are used in industry; and
- demonstrate an understanding of the similarities and differences between Java and C++.
1.1: History of C++
1.1.1: Development of C
Read this history of C to see where the C fits into the 'larger picture' of computing history. The history of C is part of the lore of programming, Unix, and the Internet, which everyone who studies programming should know.
1.1.2: Branching C to C++
This article discusses the compatibility of C and C++. Compatibility of two programming languages refers to the extent to which a program written in one of the languages can be used without modification in the other. Compatibility includes both syntax (grammar) and semantics (the execution of grammatical statements). C and C++ have a degree of upward-compatibility, but there are differences since they are distinct languages that have evolved separately.
1.1.3: History of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
To understand a language, it helps to know what motivated its development, its principle concepts (called a "programming paradigm"), and how it relates to other languages. This page explains the principle concepts and paradigm of Ruby, an object-oriented ("OO") language developed in the mid-1990s. The concepts explained here also apply to other OO languages.
You can learn OO programming via a course on an OO language, which will emphasize the syntax and features of that language. OO features that are not implemented in that language or different implementations of a given feature may not be covered. They would typically be encountered when you learn a different OO language. In this course, we teach the foundational concepts of the OO paradigm, and use various languages, particularly C++ and Java, to demonstrate them.
1.2: C++ and Java in Industry
1.2.1: Influence of Prevalence of C
Read Chapter 1, which discusses the development relationship of C and C++. If you wish, take a look at the table of contents of the full text, which can be found here. Most of the content comes from C, as much of C is included in C++, though C++ adds additional features such as classes and objects.
1.2.2: Java Overview
Read Chapter 1, which describes how a 'system' can solve many types of problems. A 'system' consists of a computer (hardware components that carry out machine language instructions), software (programs written in a programming language, in particular Java), a communications interface (that interconnects the computer to a worldwide network of other computers), and an interface (that enables users to access data from and run programs on many of the computers in the network).
While the operation of 'the system' applies to many programming languages, this chapter points out features of Java that improve the operation of the 'system', such as device independence via the Java Virtual Machine, OO, reusable class libraries (for user interfacing, event handling), network support, support for other technologies, and suitability for programming other devices.
1.2.3: C++ Overview
This article provides an overview of the elements of C++; specifically, the 'C' portion of C++.
Note how section 2.2 describes tokens as the "minimal chunks of a program". The root goal of programming is solving problems using the 'chunks' of a programming language. Of course, the chunks must be appropriate for the type of problems to be solved. Generally, smaller chunks are applicable to many types of tasks, but involve more effort; larger chunks involve less effort, but are designed for more specific tasks.
The following resource addresses 'larger' chunks available in C++.
Solving problems with programs is made easier if we can reuse the same or similar solutions that already exist. We do this using the 'chunks' provided by a language, as described in the previous resources. These sections describe the larger 'chunk' features of C++. Larger 'chunks' consist of programming statements used to write a program and to complete programs or portions of programs that reside in libraries.
The section "Classes and Inheritance" explains and illustrates classes, which enable reuse of large sections of programming code. "Templates" explains and illustrates generic programming using templates. Focus specifically on the Introduction, Function Templates, and Class Templates. It also discusses STL, the standard C++ library. Note that 'list' is a template in C++.
1.3: C++/Java Comparison
When comparing two programming languages, consider their underlying concepts (goals, principles, model, paradigm), their syntax (grammar), their semantics (what tasks the language can instruct a computer to do), and what support (resources, libraries, tools, etc.) they provide. These considerations can be broken down into a list of specific features that are used to evaluate and compare the two languages. The table in this article describes the similarities and differences between Java and C++.
This video illustrates the different operational processes (compiling and linking) used in C++ and Java. Most of the video discusses the processes for C++, because it is more complicated than that of Java. The Java processes were described more thoroughly earlier in the course.