Basics of the C++ programming language

A very simple example: computing the mean of a sequence of numbers

This a series of short articles that develops some of the basic ideas of the C++ programming language (and programming in general) by treating a particularly simple example: computing the mean of a sequence of numbers.

• Computing the Mean: Simplest Version
  • Deconstructing mean_v1
  • Summary of mean_v1
• Avoiding Repetition
  • Improved program: mean_v2
  • Summary
• Separating input, output and computation
  • Improved program: mean_v3
  • Discussion
  • Relationship between pointers and arrays
  • Summary
• Short functions
  • Improved program: mean_v4
  • Summary
• Formatting the output
  • Improved program: mean_v5
  • Summary
• Taking input at the run time
  • Improved program: mean_v6
  • Summary
• Using (or not) Files
  • Alternate program: mean_v7
  • Why not to read from a file in this case
  • Avoiding explicit file interface

Libraries

• Introduction to the boost libraries
• Interfacing with GSL
  • Memory cleanup
  • Arrays