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By developing a basic console application you will learn the basics of programming in C++. After you understand the structure of a C++ program you will ( hopefully ) see that C++ is not as hard as it is made out to be. Creating your first application will only require three easy steps. In the first step you will set up the compiler, the second step you will insert the code into the text editing area of Dev C++ and finally you need to compile and link your code to create your programs executable file.

• To create a new C++ project go to File, then Project...
• Click New Project,
• Select Console Application,
• Enter your chosen project name, press OK.
• Type what you wish the projects name to be and press OK.

Source Code
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Compiled
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Object Code
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Linked
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Exe

Source Code - This contains the instructions you want give the computer.

Compiled - The best way to think of this is as a spell checker for programming, it checks for code errors.

Object Code - If their are no errors the source code is turned into whats known as an object file(intermediate code).

Linked - All object files are combined together to form an EXE.

EXE - This is the end result. This is the file you can run.

An Example

Type in, or copy & paste the code below into the text editing area of Dev C++ -

#include <iostream.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

main()
{

cout<<"Hello"<<endl;
return 0;

}

Now all you have to do to create your first program is click Compile and Run from the Execute menu. Enter the name for the source file and wait for the compiler to build the code. The time it takes to compile depends on the speed of your computer. If the program won't compile properly then either the code hasn't been copied correctly or the compile settings are incorrect. For some help post a message in the forum.

Let me explain the example line by line,

#include <iostream.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

Just type in the above code and forget about it for now, all will be explained in time...

main()

cout<<"Hello"<<endl;