PART I
THE C++ CORE LANGUAGE

First we crawl. Later we crawl on broken glass.
—Scott Meyers, Effective STL

Part I teaches you the crucial concepts in the C++ Core Language. Chapter 1 sets up a working environment and bootstraps some language constructs, including the basics of objects, the primary abstraction you use to program C++.

The next five chapters examine objects and types—the heart and soul of C++. Unlike some other programming books, you won’t be building web servers or launching rocket ships from the get-go. All the programs in Part I simply print to the command line. The focus is on building your mental model of the language instead of instant gratification.

Chapter 2 takes an extensive look at types, the language construct that defines your objects.

Chapter 3 extends the discussion of Chapter 2 to discuss reference types, which describe objects that refer to other objects.

Chapter 4 describes the object life cycle, one of the most powerful aspects of C++.

Chapters 5 and 6 explore compile-time polymorphism with templates and runtime polymorphism with interfaces, which allow you to write loosely coupled and highly reusable code.

Armed with a foundation in C++’s object model, you’ll be ready to dive into Chapters 7 through 9. These chapters present expressions, statements, and functions, which you use to get work done in the language. It might seem odd that these language constructs appear at the end of Part I, but without a strong knowledge of objects and their life cycles, all but the most basic features of these language constructs would be impossible to understand.

As a comprehensive, ambitious, powerful language, C++ can overwhelm the newcomer. To make it approachable, Part I is sequential, cohesive, and meant to be read like a story.

Part I is an entry fee. All your hard work learning the C++ Core Language buys you admission into the all-you-can-eat buffet of libraries and frameworks in Part II.