If you’ve thought of programmers as elite intelligentsia who possess expertise (and perhaps genes) the rest of us will never have, think again. C++ For Dummies, 5th Edition, debunks the myths, blasts the barriers, shares the secrets, and gets you started. In fact, by the end of Chapter 1, you’ll be able to create a C++ program. OK, it won’t be newest, flashiest video game, but it might be a practical, customized inventory control or record-keeping program.

Most people catch on faster when they actually DO something, so C++ For Dummies includes a CD-ROM that gives you all you need to start programming (except the guidance in the book, of course), including:

• Dev-C, a full-featured, integrated C++ compiler and editor you install to get down to business
• The source code for the programs in the book, including code for BUDGET, programs that demonstrate principles in the book
• Documentation for the Standard Template Library
• Online C++ help files

Written by Stephen Randy Davis, author of C++ Weekend Crash Course, C++ for Dummies, takes you through the programming process step-by-step. You’ll discover how to:

• Generate an executable
• Create source code, commenting it as you go and using consistent code indentation and naming conventions
• Write declarations and name variables, and calculate expressions
• Write and use a function, store sequences in arrays, and declare and use pointer variables
• Understand classes and object-oriented programming
• Work with constructors and destructors
• Use inheritance to extend classes
• Use stream I/O
• Comment your code as you go, and use consistent code indentation and naming conventions
• Automate programming with the Standard Template Library (STL)