A
abstract class
A class containing
one or more pure virtual functions.
accuracy
A quantitative
measurement of the error inherent in the representation of a real number.
address
A value that
identifies a storage location in memory.
AND
A Boolean operation
that yields 0 if either operand is 0 and 1 if both operands are 1.
ANSI C
Any version of C that
conforms to the specifications of the American National Standards Institute Committee
X3J.
ANSI C++
Any version of C++
that conforms to the specifications of the American National
Standards Institute.
At the time of this writing, the standards exist only in draft form and
there are still a lot
of details to be worked out.
array
A collection of data
elements arranged to be indexed in one or more dimensions. In C++,
arrays are stored in
contiguous memory.
ASCII
American Standard
Code for Information Interchange. A code to represent characters.
assignment statement
An operation that
stores a value in a variable.
auto
A C++ keyword used to
create temporary variables.
automatic variable.
B
base class
A class that is used
as the base for a derived class.
bit
Binary digit; either
of the digits 0 or 1.
bit field
A group of contiguous
bits taken together as a unit. This C++ language feature allows the
access of individual
bits.
bit flip
The inversion of all
bits in an operand. See also complement.
bit operator
See bitwise
operator.
bitmapped graphics
Computer graphics
where each pixel in the graphic output device is controlled by a single
bit or a group of
bits.
bitwise operator
An operator that
performs Boolean operations on two operands, treating each bit in an
operand as individual
bits and performing the operation bit by bit on corresponding bits.
block
A section of code
enclosed in curly braces.
Borland C++
A version of the C++
language for personal computers developed by Borland. This is the
high-end version of
Borland's Turbo-C++ product.
boxing (a comment)
The technique of
using a combination of asterisks, vertical and horizontal rules, and other
typographic
characters to draw a box around a comment in order to set it off from the code.
break
A statement that
terminates the innermost execution of for, while, switch,
and
do/while statements.
breakpoint
A location in a
program where normal execution is suspended and control is turned over to
the debugger.
buffered I/O
Input/output where
intermediate storage (a buffer) is used between the source and
destination of an I/O
stream.
byte
A group of eight
bits.
C
C
A general-purpose
computer programming language developed in 1974 at Bell
Laboratories by
Dennis Ritchie. C is considered to be a medium- to high-level language.
C++
A language based on C
invented in 1980 by Bjarne Stroustrup. First called ''C with
classes," it has
evolved into its own language.
C++ code
Computer instructions
written in the C++ language.
C++ compiler
Software that
translates C++ source code into machine code.
C++ syntax
See syntax.
call by reference
A parameter-passing
mechanism where the actual parameter is not passed to a function,
but instead a pointer
is used to point to it. (See also call by value.)
call by value
A procedure call
where the parameters are passed by passing the values of the
parameters. (See
also call by reference.)
case
Acts as a label for
one of the alternatives in a switch statement.
cast
To convert a variable
from one type to another type by explicitly indicating the type
conversion.
cerr
Standard error stream
for C++. (Corresponds to C's stderr.)
CFront
A program to
translate C++ code into C code. This program was the basis for the first
C++ compilers.
Currently not used for most compilers, as many native C++ compilers
now exist.
CGA
Color graphics
adapter. A common color graphics card for the IBM PC.
char
A C++ keyword used to
declare variables that represent characters or small integers.
cin
Character in.
Standard input stream for C++. (Corresponds to C's stdin.)
class
A data structure
consisting of different data types, protections for the members, and
functions to
manipulate them.
class (of a variable)
See storage
class.
clear a bit
The operation of
setting an individual bit to zero. This is not a defined operation in C++.
clog
Standard log file for
C++.
code design
A document that
describes in general terms how the program is to perform its function.
coding
The act of writing a
program in a computer language.
command-line options
Options to direct the
course of a program, such as a compiler, that are entered from the
computer console.
comment
Text included in a
computer program for the sole purpose of providing information about
the program. Comments
are a programmer's notes to himself and future programmers. The
text is ignored by
the compiler.
comment block
A group of related
comments that convey general information about a program or a section
of program.
compilation
The translation of
source code into machine code.
compiler
A system program that
does compilation.
compiling
See compilation.
complement
An arithmetic or
logical operation. A logical complement is the same as an invert or NOT
operation.
computer language
See programming
language.
conditional
compilation
The ability to
selectively compile parts of a program based on the truth of conditions tested
in conditional
directives that surround the code.
continue
A flow control
statement that causes the next execution of a loop to begin.
control statement
A statement that
determines which statement is to be executed next based on a conditional
test.
control variable
A variable that is
systematically changed during the execution of the loop. When the
variable reaches a
predetermined value, the loop is terminated.
conversion
specification
A C string used by
the printf
family of functions that specifies how a variable is to be
printed.
cout
Standard output for
C++ programs. (Corresponds to C's stdout.)
curly braces
One of the characters
{ or }.
They are used in C++ to delimit groups of elements to treat
them as a unit.
