C and C++ are two distinct programming languages, though C++ is considered an extension of C. C focuses on procedural programming, where programs are a sequence of instructions executed step by step. On the other hand, C++ supports both procedural and object-oriented programming (OOP). This flexibility gives C++ an advantage in handling large and complex applications.
In terms of memory management, C provides manual memory management through malloc() and free(), while C++ introduces the new and delete keywords for dynamic memory allocation. C++ also includes automatic memory management via smart pointers, which make handling memory leaks easier. Additionally, C++ includes advanced features like classes, inheritance, and polymorphism, which are absent in C.
C does not support function overloading or operator overloading, whereas C++ allows both, providing flexibility in code design. Another notable difference is that C++ offers the Standard Template Library (STL), which simplifies complex data structures like vectors, lists, and maps.
Despite these differences, C and C++ share common syntax and structures. Most C code can run in C++ programs with minor modifications. However, developers tend to choose C++ for more complex applications requiring OOP features, while C is used for system-level programming, embedded systems, and resource-constrained environments.
// Example of a simple C++ program
#include
using namespace std;
class HelloWorld {
public:
void displayMessage() {
cout << "Hello, World!" << endl;
}
};
int main() {
HelloWorld obj;
obj.displayMessage();
return 0;
}