Features of C++

C++ was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup as an extension of C with object oriented features. Its main features are:

1. Object oriented - supports classes, objects, encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism.
2. Superset of C - most C programs also compile in C++, and C libraries can be used.
3. Data hiding and abstraction - private, protected and public access specifiers.
4. Function and operator overloading - one name for several related functions, and operators that work with user-defined types.
5. Inline, default arguments and references - improve speed and convenience of function calls.
6. Templates - generic functions and classes for any data type.
7. Exception handling - try, catch and throw for run-time errors.
8. Dynamic memory management - new and delete operators.
9. Standard Template Library (STL) - ready-made containers, iterators and algorithms.
10. Namespaces and streams - std namespace, and the iostream classes for input and output.
11. Portable and efficient - gives low-level control with high-level structure, so it is fast.