#1 - Basic Fundamentals - DSA Series With C++

#1 - Basic Fundamentals - DSA Series With C++ | Akash Vishwakarma

2 months ago 3.98k views

Hi its me Akash Vishwakarma, This is 1st Article of DSA Series on Skytup. In this Article We will learn about C++ Fundamentals. This article is written with the help of Ai Tools and some of my own expertise 🙏.

1. Syntax and Control Structures

Basic Syntax

Every C++ program starts with a main function:

int main() {
    // Your code here
    return 0;
}

Variables and Data Types

Integer types: int, short, long, long long
Floating-point types: float, double, long double
Character types: char
Boolean type: bool
Void type

Control Structures

If-else Statements

if (condition) {
    // code block
} else if (another_condition) {
    // code block
} else {
    // code block
}

Loops

C++ supports three main types of loops:

// For loop
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    // code block
}

// While loop
while (condition) {
    // code block
}

// Do-while loop
do {
    // code block
} while (condition);

2. Functions and Recursion

Functions

Functions are blocks of reusable code that perform specific tasks:

return_type function_name(parameters) {
    // function body
    return value;
}

Function Overloading

C++ allows multiple functions with the same name but different parameters:

int add(int a, int b) {
    return a + b;
}

double add(double a, double b) {
    return a + b;
}

Recursion

Recursion is when a function calls itself. Here's a classic example of calculating factorial:

int factorial(int n) {
    if (n <= 1) return 1;
    return n * factorial(n - 1);
}

3. Pointers and Dynamic Memory Allocation

Pointers

Pointers store memory addresses of variables:

int x = 10;
int* ptr = &x;    // & operator gets address of x
cout << *ptr;     // * operator dereferences pointer

Dynamic Memory Allocation

Use new and delete operators for dynamic memory management:

// Single element
int* p = new int;
*p = 10;
delete p;

// Array
int* arr = new int[5];
// use array
delete[] arr;

4. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

Classes and Objects

class Person {
private:
    string name;
    int age;
    
public:
    Person(string n, int a) : name(n), age(a) {}
    
    void displayInfo() {
        cout << "Name: " << name << ", Age: " << age << endl;
    }
};

Inheritance

class Student : public Person {
private:
    string studentId;
    
public:
    Student(string n, int a, string id) 
        : Person(n, a), studentId(id) {}
};

Polymorphism

Polymorphism allows objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common base class:

class Shape {
public:
    virtual double area() = 0;  // Pure virtual function
};

class Circle : public Shape {
private:
    double radius;
public:
    double area() override {
        return 3.14159 * radius * radius;
    }
};

5. Exception Handling and File I/O

Exception Handling

try {
    // code that might throw an exception
    if (someErrorCondition) {
        throw runtime_error("Error message");
    }
} catch (const exception& e) {
    cout << "Error: " << e.what() << endl;
}

File I/O

#include 

// Writing to a file
ofstream outFile("example.txt");
outFile << "Hello, World!" << endl;
outFile.close();

// Reading from a file
ifstream inFile("example.txt");
string line;
while (getline(inFile, line)) {
    cout << line << endl;
}
inFile.close();

Common Interview Questions

Q1: What is the difference between references and pointers in C++?

Answer: References are aliases for existing variables and must be initialized when declared. They cannot be null and cannot be reassigned. Pointers can be null, can be reassigned, and need to be dereferenced using the * operator.

Q2: Explain the concept of virtual functions.

Answer: Virtual functions enable runtime polymorphism in C++. They allow a base class pointer to call the correct derived class function based on the actual object type at runtime. They are declared using the 'virtual' keyword in the base class and can be overridden in derived classes.

Q3: What is the difference between stack and heap memory?

Answer: Stack memory is automatically managed and stores local variables and function calls. It's faster but limited in size. Heap memory is manually managed using new/delete operators, is larger but slower, and can lead to memory leaks if not properly managed.

Q4: Explain the concept of function overloading.

Answer: Function overloading allows multiple functions with the same name but different parameters (number, types, or both) to coexist. The compiler determines which function to call based on the arguments provided at compile time.

Q5: What are the access specifiers in C++ and their significance?

Answer: C++ has three access specifiers: public (accessible from anywhere), private (accessible only within the class), and protected (accessible within the class and its derived classes). They help in implementing encapsulation and data hiding.

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