10/17/23, 10:51 AM C++ Cheat Sheet & Quick Reference

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C++
C++ quick reference cheat sheet that provides basic syntax and methods.

# Getting Started
hello.cpp

#include <iostream>

int main() {
std::cout << "Hello QuickRef\n";
return 0;
}

Compiling and running

$ g++ hello.cpp -o hello

$ ./hello
Hello QuickRef

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Variables

int number = 5; // Integer

float f = 0.95; // Floating number
double PI = 3.14159; // Floating number
char yes = 'Y'; // Character
std::string s = "ME"; // String (text)
bool isRight = true; // Boolean

// Constants
const float RATE = 0.8;

int age {25}; // Since C++11

std::cout << age; // Print 25

Primitive Data Types

Data Type Size Range

int 4 bytes -231 to 231-1

float 4 bytes N/A

double 8 bytes N/A

char 1 byte -128 to 127

bool 1 byte true / false

void N/A N/A

wchar_t 2 or 4 bytes 1 wide character

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User Input
int num;

std::cout << "Type a number: ";

std::cin >> num;

std::cout << "You entered " << num;

Swap

int a = 5, b = 10;
std::swap(a, b);

// Outputs: a=10, b=5

std::cout << "a=" << a << ", b=" << b;

Comments

// A single one line comment in C++

/* This is a multiple line comment

in C++ */

If statement

if (a == 10) {
// do something
}

See: Conditionals

Loops

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for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {

std::cout << i << "\n";
}

See: Loops

Functions

#include <iostream>

void hello(); // Declaring

int main() { // main function

hello(); // Calling
}

void hello() { // Defining

std::cout << "Hello QuickRef!\n";
}

See: Functions

References

int i = 1;
int& ri = i; // ri is a reference to i

ri = 2; // i is now changed to 2
std::cout << "i=" << i;

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i = 3; // i is now changed to 3
ri and i refer to the same memory location.

Namespaces

#include <iostream>
namespace ns1 {int val(){return 5;}}
int main()
{
std::cout << ns1::val();
}

#include <iostream>
namespace ns1 {int val(){return 5;}}
using namespace ns1;
using namespace std;
int main()
{
cout << val();
}

Namespaces allow global identifiers under a name

# C++ Arrays
Declaration

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std::array<int, 3> marks; // Definition

marks[0] = 92;
marks[1] = 97;
marks[2] = 98;

// Define and initialize

std::array<int, 3> = {92, 97, 98};

// With empty members

d i k { }
Manipulation

┌─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┐
| 92 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 98 | 94 |
└─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┘
0 1 2 3 4 5

std::array<int, 6> marks = {92, 97, 98, 99, 98, 94};

// Print first element

std::cout << marks[0];

// Change 2th element to 99

marks[1] = 99;

// Take input from the user

std::cin >> marks[2];

Displaying

char ref[5] = {'R', 'e', 'f'};

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// Range based for loop

for (const int &n : ref) {
std::cout << std::string(1, n);
}

// Traditional for loop

for (int i = 0; i < sizeof(ref); ++i) {
std::cout << ref[i];
}

Multidimensional

j0 j1 j2 j3 j4 j5
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
i0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
i1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘

int x[2][6] = {
{1,2,3,4,5,6}, {6,5,4,3,2,1}
};
for (int i = 0; i < 2; ++i) {
for (int j = 0; j < 6; ++j) {
std::cout << x[i][j] << " ";
}
}
// Outputs: 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 2 1

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# C++ Conditionals
If Clause

if (a == 10) {
// do something
}

int number = 16;

if (number % 2 == 0)
{
std::cout << "even";
}
else
{
std::cout << "odd";
}

// Outputs: even

Else if Statement

int score = 99;

if (score == 100) {
std::cout << "Superb";
}
else if (score >= 90) {
std::cout << "Excellent";
}
else if (score >= 80) {

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std::cout << "Very Good";

}
else if (score >= 70) {
std::cout << "Good";
}
else if (score >= 60)
std::cout << "OK";
else
std::cout << "What?";

- Operators

Relational Operators

a == b a is equal to b

a != b a is NOT equal to b

a < b a is less than b

a > b a is greater b

a <= b a is less than or equal to b

a >= b a is greater or equal to b

Assignment Operators

a += b Aka a = a + b

a -= b Aka a = a - b

a *= b Aka a = a * b

a /= b Aka a = a / b

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a %= b Aka a = a % b
Logical Operators

exp1 && exp2 Both are true (AND)

exp1 || exp2 Either is true (OR)

!exp exp is false (NOT)

Bitwise Operators

a & b Binary AND

a | b Binary OR

a ^ b Binary XOR

~ a Binary One's Complement

a << b Binary Shift Left

a >> b Binary Shift Right

Ternary Operator

┌── True ──┐

Result = Condition ? Exp1 : Exp2;
└───── False ─────┘

int x = 3, y = 5, max;
max = (x > y) ? x : y;

// Outputs: 5
std::cout << max << std::endl;

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int x = 3, y = 5, max;
if (x > y) {
max = x;
} else {
max = y;
}
// Outputs: 5
std::cout << max << std::endl;

Switch Statement

int num = 2;
switch (num) {
case 0:
std::cout << "Zero";
break;
case 1:
std::cout << "One";
break;
case 2:
std::cout << "Two";
break;
case 3:
std::cout << "Three";
break;
default:
std::cout << "What?";
break;
}

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# C++ Loops
While

int i = 0;
while (i < 6) {
std::cout << i++;
}

// Outputs: 012345

Do-while

int i = 1;
do {
std::cout << i++;
} while (i <= 5);

// Outputs: 12345

Continue statements

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {

if (i % 2 == 0) {
continue;
}
std::cout << i;
} // Outputs: 13579

Infinite loop

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while (true) { // true or 1

std::cout << "infinite loop";
}

for (;;) {
std::cout << "infinite loop";
}

for(int i = 1; i > 0; i++) {

std::cout << "infinite loop";
}

for_each (Since C++11)

#include <iostream>

int main()
{
auto print = [](int num) { std::cout << num << std::endl; };

std::array<int, 4> arr = {1, 2, 3, 4};

std::for_each(arr.begin(), arr.end(), print);
return 0;
}

Range-based (Since C++11)

for (int n : {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}) {

std::cout << n << " ";
}
// Outputs: 1 2 3 4 5

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std::string hello = "QuickRef.ME";

for (char c: hello)
{
std::cout << c << " ";
}
// Outputs: Q u i c k R e f . M E

Break statements

int password, times = 0;

while (password != 1234) {
if (times++ >= 3) {
std::cout << "Locked!\n";
break;
}
std::cout << "Password: ";
std::cin >> password; // input
}

Several variations

for (int i = 0, j = 2; i < 3; i++, j--){

std::cout << "i=" << i << ",";
std::cout << "j=" << j << ";";
}
// Outputs: i=0,j=2;i=1,j=1;i=2,j=0;

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# C++ Functions
Arguments & Returns

#include <iostream>

int add(int a, int b) {

return a + b;
}

int main() {
std::cout << add(10, 20);
}

add is a function taking 2 ints and returning int

Overloading

void fun(string a, string b) {

std::cout << a + " " + b;
}
void fun(string a) {
std::cout << a;
}
void fun(int a) {
std::cout << a;
}

Built-in Functions

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#include <iostream>
#include <cmath> // import library

int main() {
// sqrt() is from cmath
std::cout << sqrt(9);

# C++ Classes & Objects

Defining a Class

class MyClass {
public: // Access specifier
int myNum; // Attribute (int variable)
string myString; // Attribute (string variable)
};

Creating an Object

MyClass myObj; // Create an object of MyClass

myObj.myNum = 15; // Set the value of myNum to 15

myObj.myString = "Hello"; // Set the value of myString to "Hello"

cout << myObj.myNum << endl; // Output 15

cout << myObj.myString << endl; // Output "Hello"

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Constructors
class MyClass {
public:
int myNum;
string myString;
MyClass() { // Constructor
myNum = 0;
myString = "";
}
};

MyClass myObj; // Create an object of MyClass

cout << myObj.myNum << endl; // Output 0

cout << myObj.myString << endl; // Output ""

Destructors

class MyClass {
public:
int myNum;
string myString;
MyClass() { // Constructor
myNum = 0;
myString = "";
}
~MyClass() { // Destructor
cout << "Object destroyed." << endl;
}
};

MyClass myObj; // Create an object of MyClass

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// Code here...

// Object is destroyed automatically when the program exits the scope

Class Methods

class MyClass {
public:
int myNum;
string myString;
void myMethod() { // Method/function defined inside the class
cout << "Hello World!" << endl;
}
};

MyClass myObj; // Create an object of MyClass

myObj.myMethod(); // Call the method

Access Modifiers

class MyClass {
public: // Public access specifier
int x; // Public attribute
private: // Private access specifier
int y; // Private attribute
protected: // Protected access specifier
int z; // Protected attribute
};

MyClass myObj;
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myObj.x = 25; // Allowed (public)

myObj.y = 50; // Not allowed (private)
myObj.z = 75; // Not allowed (protected)

Getters and Setters

class MyClass {
private:
int myNum;
public:
void setMyNum(int num) { // Setter
myNum = num;
}
int getMyNum() { // Getter
return myNum;
}
};

MyClass myObj;
myObj.setMyNum(15); // Set the value of myNum to 15
cout << myObj.getMyNum() << endl; // Output 15

Inheritance

class Vehicle {
public:
string brand = "Ford";
void honk() {
cout << "Tuut, tuut!" << endl;
}
};
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class Car : public Vehicle {

public:
string model = "Mustang";
};

Car myCar;
myCar.honk(); // Output "Tuut, tuut!"
cout << myCar.brand + " " + myCar.model << endl; // Output "Ford Mustang"

# C++ Preprocessor
Preprocessor

if elif

else endif

ifdef ifndef

define undef

include line

error pragma

defined __has_include

__has_cpp_attribute export

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import module

Includes

#include "iostream"
#include <iostream>

Defines

#define FOO
#define FOO "hello"

#undef FOO

If

#ifdef DEBUG
console.log('hi');
#elif defined VERBOSE
...
#else
...
#endif

Error

#if VERSION == 2.0

#error Unsupported
#warning Not really supported
#endif

Macro

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#define DEG(x) ((x) * 57.29)

Token concat

#define DST(name) name##_s name##_t

DST(object); #=> object_s object_t;

Stringification

#define STR(name) #name

char * a = STR(object); #=> char * a = "object";

file and line

#define LOG(msg) console.log(__FILE__, __LINE__, msg)

#=> console.log("file.txt", 3, "hey")

# Miscellaneous
Escape Sequences

\b Backspace

\f Form feed

\n Newline

\r Return

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\t Horizontal tab

\v Vertical tab

\\ Backslash

\' Single quotation mark

\" Double quotation mark

\? Question mark

\0 Null Character

Keywords

alignas alignof and and_eq asm

atomic_cancel atomic_commit atomic_noexcept auto bitand

bitor bool break case catch

char char8_t char16_t char32_t class

compl concept const consteval constexpr

constinit const_cast continue co_await co_return

co_yield decltype default delete do

double dynamic_cast else enum explicit

export extern false float for

friend goto if inline int

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long mutable namespace new noexcept

not not_eq nullptr operator or

or_eq private protected public reflexpr

register reinterpret_cast requires return short

signed sizeof static static_assert static_cast

struct switch synchronized template this

thread_local throw true try typedef

typeid typename union unsigned using

virtual void volatile wchar_t while

xor xor_eq final override transaction_safe

transaction_safe_dynamic

Preprocessor

if elif

else endif

ifdef ifndef

define undef

include line

error pragma

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defined __has_include

__has_cpp_attribute export

import module

# Also see
C++ Infographics & Cheat Sheets (hackingcpp.com)
C++ reference (cppreference.com)
C++ Language Tutorials (cplusplus.com)

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