Microsoft Visual C++/cli step by Step

 

CHAPTER 1

 

Hello C++! 

 5

Free-format languages

C++ falls under the category of a free-format language, which means that the compiler ignores 

all spaces, carriage returns, new-line characters, tabs, form feeds, and so on. Collectively, these 

characters are referred to as white space. The only time the compiler recognizes white space is 

if it occurs within a string.

Free-format languages give the programmer great scope for using tab or space indenting 

as a way of organizing application layout. Statements inside a block of code—such as a for 

loop or an if statement—are typically indented (often by four space characters). This indenta-

tion helps the programmer’s eye more easily pick out the contents of the block.

The free-format nature of C++ gives rise to one of the most common (and least useful) argu-

ments in the C++ community: how do you indent the braces? Should they be indented with the 

code, or should they be left hanging at the beginning of the if or for statement? There is no right 

or wrong answer to this question (although some hardened C++ developers might disagree), but 

a consistent use of either style helps to make your application more readable to humans. As far 

as the compiler is concerned, your entire application could be written on one line.

So, the compiler will expect a function named main. Is that all there is to it? Well, not quite. There 

are some additional items, such as the return type and parameters being correct, but in the case of 

main, some of the C++ rules are relaxed. In particular, main can take parameters that represent the 

command-line arguments, but you can omit them if you don’t want to use the command line.