3/1/24, 1:58 PM 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

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;

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

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

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

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

Loops

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;

i = 3; // i is now changed to 3
std::cout << "ri=" << ri;

ri and i refer to the same memory location.

Namespaces

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

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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

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

std::array<int, 3> marks = {92, 97};
std::cout << marks[2]; // Outputs: 0

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

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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'};

// 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) {
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

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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

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 Bi Shift Ri ht
Ternary Operator

┌── True ──┐

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

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

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

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;
}

# C++ Loops
While

int i = 0;
while (i < 6) {

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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

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; };

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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

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;

# C++ Functions
Arguments & Returns

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#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

#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)
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};

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"

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;
}
};

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MyClass myObj; // Create an object of MyClass

// 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;
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
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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;
}
};

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

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include line

error pragma

defined __has_include

__has_cpp_attribute export

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

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

Token concat

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

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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

\t Horizontal tab

\v Vertical tab

\\ Backslash

\' Single quotation mark

\" Double quotation mark

\? Question mark

\0 Null Character

Keywords

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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

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

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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