C# 0 The Complete Reference

The Creation of OOP and C++

By the late 1970s, the size of many projects was near or at the limits of what structured 

programming methodologies and the C language could handle. To solve this problem, a 

new way to program began to emerge. This method is called 

object-oriented programming

(OOP). Using OOP, a programmer could handle much larger programs. The trouble was 

that C, the most popular language at the time, did not support object-oriented programming. 

The desire for an object-oriented version of C ultimately led to the creation of C++.

C++ was invented by Bjarne Stroustrup beginning in 1979 at Bell Laboratories in Murray 

Hill, New Jersey. He initially called the new language “C with Classes.” However, in 1983 the 

name was changed to C++. C++ contains the entire C language. Thus, C is the foundation 

upon which C++ is built. Most of the additions that Stroustrup made to C were designed to 

support object-oriented programming. In essence, C++ is the object-oriented version of C. By 

building upon the foundation of C, Stroustrup provided a smooth migration path to OOP. 

Instead of having to learn an entirely new language, a C programmer needed to learn only 

a few new features before reaping the benefits of the object-oriented methodology.

C++ simmered in the background during much of the 1980s, undergoing extensive 

development. By the beginning of the 1990s, C++ was ready for mainstream use, and its 

popularity exploded. By the end of the decade, it had become the most widely used 

programming language. Today, C++ is still the preeminent language for the development of 

high-performance system code.

It is critical to understand that the invention of C++ was not an attempt to create an 

entirely new programming language. Instead, it was an enhancement to an already highly 

successful language. This approach to language development—beginning with an existing 

language and moving it forward—established a trend that continues today.