10/10/21, 7:21 PM C++ QUICK REFERENCE

<< Cheat-Sheets.org

C++ QUICK REFERENCE

Matt Mahoney, mmahoney@cs.fit.edu

PREPROCESSOR
// Comment to end of line

/* Multi-line comment */

#include <stdio.h> // Insert standard header file

#include "myfile.h" // Insert file in current directory

#define X some text // Replace X with some text

#define F(a,b) a+b // Replace F(1,2) with 1+2

#define X \

some text // Line continuation

#undef X // Remove definition

#if defined(X) // Condional compilation (#ifdef X)

#else // Optional (#ifndef X or #if !defined(X))

#endif // Required after #if, #ifdef

LITERALS

255, 0377, 0xff // Integers (decimal, octal, hex)

2147483647L, 0x7fffffffl // Long (32-bit) integers

123.0, 1.23e2 // double (real) numbers

'a', '\141', '\x61' // Character (literal, octal, hex)

'\n', '\\', '\'', '\"' // Newline, backslash, single quote, double quote

"string\n" // Array of characters ending with newline and \0

"hello" "world" // Concatenated strings

true, false // bool constants 1 and 0

DECLARATIONS
int x; // Declare x to be an integer (value undefined)

int x=255; // Declare and initialize x to 255

short s; long l; // Usually 16 or 32 bit integer (int may be either)

char c='a'; // Usually 8 bit character

unsigned char u=255; signed char s=-1; // char might be either

unsigned long x=0xffffffffL; // short, int, long are signed

float f; double d; // Single or double precision real (never unsigned)

bool b=true; // true or false, may also use int (1 or 0)

int a, b, c; // Multiple declarations

int a[10]; // Array of 10 ints (a[0] through a[9])

int a[]={0,1,2}; // Initialized array (or a[3]={0,1,2}; )

int a[2][3]={{1,2,3},{4,5,6}}; // Array of array of ints

char s[]="hello"; // String (6 elements including '\0')

int* p; // p is a pointer to (address of) int

char* s="hello"; // s points to unnamed array containing "hello"

void* p=NULL; // Address of untyped memory (NULL is 0)

int& r=x; // r is a reference to (alias of) int x

enum weekend {SAT,SUN}; // weekend is a type with values SAT and SUN

enum weekend day; // day is a variable of type weekend

enum weekend {SAT=0,SUN=1}; // Explicit representation as int

enum {SAT,SUN} day; // Anonymous enum

typedef String char*; // String s; means char* s;

const int c=3; // Constants must be initialized, cannot assign to

const int* p=a; // Contents of p (elements of a) are constant

int* const p=a; // p (but not contents) are constant

const int* const p=a; // Both p and its contents are constant

const int& cr=x; // cr cannot be assigned to change x

www.cheat-sheets.org/saved-copy/cppqref.20210603.html 1/7
10/10/21, 7:21 PM C++ QUICK REFERENCE

STORAGE CLASSES
int x; // Auto (memory exists only while in scope)

static int x; // Global lifetime even if local scope

extern int x; // Information only, declared elsewhere

STATEMENTS
x=y; // Every expression is a statement

int x; // Declarations are statements

; // Empty statement

{ // A block is a single statement

int x; // Scope of x is from declaration to end of block

a; // In C, declarations must precede statements

if (x) a; // If x is true (not 0), evaluate a

else if (y) b; // If not x and y (optional, may be repeated)

else c; // If not x and not y (optional)

while (x) a; // Repeat 0 or more times while x is true

for (x; y; z) a; // Equivalent to: x; while(y) {a; z;}

do a; while (x); // Equivalent to: a; while(x) a;

switch (x) { // x must be int

case X1: a; // If x == X1 (must be a const), jump here

case X2: b; // Else if x == X2, jump here

default: c; // Else jump here (optional)

break; // Jump out of while, do, or for loop, or switch

continue; // Jump to bottom of while, do, or for loop

return x; // Return x from function to caller

try { a; }

catch (T t) { b; } // If a throws a T, then jump here

catch (...) { c; } // If a throws something else, jump here

FUNCTIONS
int f(int x, int); // f is a function taking 2 ints and returning int

void f(); // f is a procedure taking no arguments

void f(int a=0); // f() is equivalent to f(0)

f(); // Default return type is int

inline f(); // Optimize for speed

f() { statements; } // Function definition (must be global)

T operator+(T x, T y); // a+b (if type T) calls operator+(a, b)

T operator-(T x); // -a calls function operator-(a)

T operator++(int); // postfix ++ or -- (parameter ignored)

extern "C" {void f();} // f() was compiled in C

Function parameters and return values may be of any type.

A function must either be declared or defined
before it is used. It may
be declared first and defined later. Every program consists of a set of
a set of global
variable declarations and a set of function
definitions (possibly in separate files), one of which must be:
int main() { statements... } or

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) { statements... }

argv is an array of argc strings from the command line. By convention,

main returns status 0 if successful, 1
or higher for errors.

www.cheat-sheets.org/saved-copy/cppqref.20210603.html 2/7
10/10/21, 7:21 PM C++ QUICK REFERENCE

Functions with different parameters may have the same name

(overloading). Operators except :: . .* ?: may
be overloaded. Precedence
order is not affected. New operators may not be created.

EXPRESSIONS

Operators are grouped by precedence, highest first. Unary operators and

assignment evaluate right to left. All
others are left to right.
Precedence does not affect order of evaluation, which is undefined. There
are no run
time checks for arrays out of bounds, invalid pointers, etc.
T::X // Name X defined in class T

N::X // Name X defined in namespace N

::X // Global name X

t.x // Member x of struct or class t

p->x // Member x of struct or class pointed to by p

a[i] // i'th element of array a

f(x,y) // Call to function f with arguments x and y

T(x,y) // Object of class T initialized with x and y

x++ // Add 1 to x, evaluates to original x (postfix)

x-- // Subtract 1 from x, evaluates to original x

typeid(x) // Type of x

typeid(T) // Equals typeid(x) if x is a T

dynamic_cast<T>(x) // Converts x to a T, checked at run time

static_cast<T>(x) // Converts x to a T, not checked

reinterpret_cast<T>(x) // Interpret bits of x as a T

const_cast<T>(x) // Converts x to same type T but not const

sizeof x // Number of bytes used to represent object x

sizeof(T) // Number of bytes to represent type T

++x // Add 1 to x, evaluates to new value (prefix)

--x // Subtract 1 from x, evaluates to new value

~x // Bitwise complement of x

!x // true if x is 0, else false (1 or 0 in C)

-x // Unary minus

+x // Unary plus (default)

&x // Address of x

*p // Contents of address p (*&x equals x)

new T // Address of newly allocated T object

new T(x, y) // Address of a T initialized with x, y

new T[x] // Address of allocated n-element array of T

delete p // Destroy and free object at address p

delete[] p // Destroy and free array of objects at p

(T) x // Convert x to T (obsolete, use .._cast<T>(x))

x * y // Multiply

x / y // Divide (integers round toward 0)

x % y // Modulo (result has sign of x)

x + y // Add, or &x[y]

x - y // Subtract, or number of elements from *x to *y

x << y // x shifted y bits to left (x * pow(2, y))

x >> y // x shifted y bits to right (x / pow(2, y))

x < y // Less than

x <= y // Less than or equal to

x > y // Greater than

x >= y // Greater than or equal to

x == y // Equals

x != y // Not equals

x & y // Bitwise and (3 & 6 is 2)

x ^ y // Bitwise exclusive or (3 ^ 6 is 5)

www.cheat-sheets.org/saved-copy/cppqref.20210603.html 3/7
10/10/21, 7:21 PM C++ QUICK REFERENCE
x | y // Bitwise or (3 | 6 is 7)

x && y // x and then y (evaluates y only if x (not 0))

x || y // x or else y (evaluates y only if x is false (0))

x = y // Assign y to x, returns new value of x

x += y // x = x + y, also -= *= /= <<= >>= &= |= ^=

x ? y : z // y if x is true (nonzero), else z

throw x // Throw exception, aborts if not caught

x , y // evaluates x and y, returns y (seldom used)

CLASSES
class T { // A new type

private: // Section accessible only to T's member functions

protected: // Also accessable to classes derived from T

public: // Accessable to all

int x; // Member data

void f(); // Member function

void g() {return;} // Inline member function

void h() const; // Does not modify any data members

int operator+(int y); // t+y means t.operator+(y)

int operator-(); // -t means t.operator-()

T(): x(1) {} // Constructor with initialization list

T(const T& t): x(t.x) {} // Copy constructor

T& operator=(const T& t) {x=t.x; return *this; } // Assignment operator

~T(); // Destructor (automatic cleanup routine)

explicit T(int a); // Allow t=T(3) but not t=3

operator int() const {return x;} // Allows int(t)

friend void i(); // Global function i() has private access

friend class U; // Members of class U have private access

static int y; // Data shared by all T objects

static void l(); // Shared code. May access y but not x

class Z {}; // Nested class T::Z

typedef int V; // T::V means int

};

void T::f() { // Code for member function f of class T

this->x = x;} // this is address of self (means x=x;)

int T::y = 2; // Initialization of static member (required)

T::l(); // Call to static member

struct T { // Equivalent to: class T { public:

virtual void f(); // May be overridden at run time by derived class

virtual void g()=0; }; // Must be overridden (pure virtual)

class U: public T {}; // Derived class U inherits all members of base T

class V: private T {}; // Inherited members of T become private

class W: public T, public U {}; // Multiple inheritance

class X: public virtual T {}; // Classes derived from X have base T directly

All classes have a default copy constructor, assignment operator, and

destructor, which perform the
corresponding operations on each data member
and each base class as shown above. There is also a default
no-argument
constructor (required to create arrays) if the class has no constructors.
Constructors, assignment,
and destructors do not inherit.

TEMPLATES
template <class T> T f(T t); // Overload f for all types

template <class T> class X { // Class with type parameter T

X(T t); }; // A constructor

template <class T> X<T>::X(T t) {} // Definition of constructor

X<int> x(3); // An object of type "X of int"

template <class T, class U=T, int n=0> // Template with default parameters

www.cheat-sheets.org/saved-copy/cppqref.20210603.html 4/7
10/10/21, 7:21 PM C++ QUICK REFERENCE

NAMESPACES

namespace N {class T {};} // Hide name T

N::T t; // Use name T in namespace N

using namespace N; // Make T visible without N::

C/C++ STANDARD LIBRARY

Only the most commonly used functions are listed. Header files without
.h are in namespace std. File names
are actually lower case.

STDIO.H, CSTDIO (Input/output)

FILE* f=fopen("filename", "r"); // Open for reading, NULL (0) if error

// Mode may also be "w" (write) "a" append, "a+" update, "rb" binary

fclose(f); // Close file f

fprintf(f, "x=%d", 3); // Print "x=3" Other conversions:

"%5d %u %-8ld" // int width 5, unsigned int, long left just.

"%o %x %X %lx" // octal, hex, HEX, long hex

"%f %5.1f" // float or double: 123.000000, 123.0

"%e %g" // 1.23e2, use either f or g

"%c %s" // char, char*

"%%" // %

sprintf(s, "x=%d", 3); // Print to array of char s

printf("x=%d", 3); // Print to stdout (screen unless redirected)

fprintf(stderr, ... // Print to standard error (not redirected)

getc(f); // Read one char (as an int) or EOF from f

ungetc(c, f); // Put back one c to f

getchar(); // getc(stdin);

putc(c, f) // fprintf(f, "%c", c);

putchar(c); // putc(c, stdout);

fgets(s, n, f); // Read line into char s[n] from f. NULL if EOF

gets(s) // fgets(s, INT_MAX, f); no bounds check

fread(s, n, 1, f); // Read n bytes from f to s, return number read

fwrite(s, n, 1, f); // Write n bytes of s to f, return number written

fflush(f); // Force buffered writes to f

fseek(f, n, SEEK_SET); // Position binary file f at n

ftell(f); // Position in f, -1L if error

rewind(f); // fseek(f, 0L, SEEK_SET); clearerr(f);

feof(f); // Is f at end of file?

ferror(f); // Error in f?

perror(s); // Print char* s and error message

clearerr(f); // Clear error code for f

remove("filename"); // Delete file, return 0 if OK

rename("old", "new"); // Rename file, return 0 if OK

f = tmpfile(); // Create temporary file in mode "wb+"

tmpnam(s); // Put a unique file name in char s[L_tmpnam]

STDLIB.H, CSTDLIB (Misc. functions)

atof(s); atol(s); atoi(s);// Convert char* s to float, long, int

rand(), srand(seed); // Random int 0 to RAND_MAX, reset rand()

void* p = malloc(n); // Allocate n bytes. Obsolete: use new

free(p); // Free memory. Obsolete: use delete

exit(n); // Kill program, return status n

system(s); // Execute OS command s (system dependent)

getenv("PATH"); // Environment variable or 0 (system dependent)

abs(n); labs(ln); // Absolute value as int, long

STRING.H, CSTRING (Character array handling functions)

Strings are type char[] with a '\0' in the last element used.

www.cheat-sheets.org/saved-copy/cppqref.20210603.html 5/7
10/10/21, 7:21 PM C++ QUICK REFERENCE
strcpy(dst, src); // Copy string. Not bounds checked

strcat(dst, src); // Concatenate to dst. Not bounds checked

strcmp(s1, s2); // Compare, <0 if s1<s2, 0 if s1==s2, >0 if s1>s2

strncpy(dst, src, n); // Copy up to n chars, also strncat(), strncmp()

strlen(s); // Length of s not counting \0

strchr(s,c); strrchr(s,c);// Address of first/last char c in s or 0

strstr(s, sub); // Address of first substring in s or 0

// mem... functions are for any pointer types (void*), length n bytes

memmove(dst, src, n); // Copy n bytes from src to dst

memcmp(s1, s2, n); // Compare n bytes as in strcmp

memchr(s, c, n); // Find first byte c in s, return address or 0

memset(s, c, n); // Set n bytes of s to c

CTYPE.H, CCTYPE (Character types)

isalnum(c); // Is c a letter or digit?

isalpha(c); isdigit(c); // Is c a letter? Digit?

islower(c); isupper(c); // Is c lower case? Upper case?

tolower(c); toupper(c); // Convert c to lower/upper case

MATH.H, CMATH (Floating point math)

sin(x); cos(x); tan(x); // Trig functions, x (double) is in radians

asin(x); acos(x); atan(x);// Inverses

atan2(y, x); // atan(y/x)

sinh(x); cosh(x); tanh(x);// Hyperbolic

exp(x); log(x); log10(x); // e to the x, log base e, log base 10

pow(x, y); sqrt(x); // x to the y, square root

ceil(x); floor(x); // Round up or down (as a double)

fabs(x); fmod(x, y); // Absolute value, x mod y

TIME.H, CTIME (Clock)

clock()/CLOCKS_PER_SEC; // Time in seconds since program started

time_t t=time(0); // Absolute time in seconds or -1 if unknown

tm* p=gmtime(&t); // 0 if UCT unavailable, else p->tm_X where X is:

sec, min, hour, mday, mon (0-11), year (-1900), wday, yday, isdst

asctime(p); // "Day Mon dd hh:mm:ss yyyy\n"

asctime(localtime(&t)); // Same format, local time

ASSERT.H, CASSERT (Debugging aid)

assert(e); // If e is false, print message and abort

#define NDEBUG // (before #include <assert.h>), turn off assert

NEW.H, NEW (Out of memory handler)

set_new_handler(handler); // Change behavior when out of memory

void handler(void) {throw bad_alloc();} // Default

IOSTREAM.H, IOSTREAM (Replaces stdio.h)

cin >> x >> y; // Read words x and y (any type) from stdin

cout << "x=" << 3 << endl; // Write line to stdout

cerr << x << y << flush; // Write to stderr and flush

c = cin.get(); // c = getchar();

cin.get(c); // Read char

cin.getline(s, n, '\n'); // Read line into char s[n] to '\n' (default)

if (cin) // Good state (not EOF)?

// To read/write any type T:

istream& operator>>(istream& i, T& x) {i >> ...; x=...; return i;}

ostream& operator<<(ostream& o, const T& x) {return o << ...;}

FSTREAM.H, FSTREAM (File I/O works like cin, cout as above)

ifstream f1("filename"); // Open text file for reading

if (f1) // Test if open and input available

www.cheat-sheets.org/saved-copy/cppqref.20210603.html 6/7
10/10/21, 7:21 PM C++ QUICK REFERENCE
f1 >> x; // Read object from file

f1.get(s); // Read char or line

f1.getline(s, n); // Read line into string s[n]

ofstream f2("filename"); // Open file for writing

if (f2) f2 << x; // Write to file

IOMANIP.H, IOMANIP (Output formatting)

cout << setw(6) << setprecision(2) << setfill('0') << 3.1; // print "003.10"

STRING (Variable sized character array)

string s1, s2="hello"; // Create strings

s1.size(), s2.size(); // Number of characters: 0, 5

s1 += s2 + ' ' + "world"; // Concatenation

s1 == "hello world" // Comparison, also <, >, !=, etc.

s1[0]; // 'h'

s1.substr(m, n); // Substring of size n starting at s1[m]

s1.c_str(); // Convert to const char*

getline(cin, s); // Read line ending in '\n'

VECTOR (Variable sized array/stack with built in memory allocation)

vector<int> a(10); // a[0]..a[9] are int (default size is 0)

a.size(); // Number of elements (10)

a.push_back(3); // Increase size to 11, a[10]=3

a.back()=4; // a[10]=4;

a.pop_back(); // Decrease size by 1

a.front(); // a[0];

a[20]=1; // Crash: not bounds checked

a.at(20)=1; // Like a[20] but throws out_of_range()

for (vector<int>::iterator p=a.begin(); p!=a.end(); ++p)

*p=0; // Set all elements of a to 0

vector<int> b(a.begin(), a.end()); // b is copy of a

vector<T> c(n, x); // c[0]..c[n-1] init to x

T d[10]; vector<T> e(d, d+10); // e is initialized from d

DEQUE (array/stack/queue)

deque<T> is like vector<T>, but also supports:

a.push_front(x); // Puts x at a[0], shifts elements toward back

a.pop_front(); // Removes a[0], shifts toward front

UTILITY (Pair)
pair<string, int> a("hello", 3); // A 2-element struct

a.first; // "hello"

a.second; // 3

MAP (associative array)

map<string, int> a; // Map from string to int

a["hello"]=3; // Add or replace element a["hello"]

for (map<string, int>::iterator p=a.begin(); p!=a.end(); ++p)

cout << (*p).first << (*p).second; // Prints hello, 3

a.size(); // 1

ALGORITHM (A collection of 60 algorithms on sequences with iterators)

min(x, y); max(x, y); // Smaller/larger of x, y (any type defining <)

swap(x, y); // Exchange values of variables x and y

sort(a, a+n); // Sort array a[0]..a[n-1] by <

sort(a.begin(), a.end()); // Sort vector or deque

www.cheat-sheets.org/saved-copy/cppqref.20210603.html 7/7