Getting Started

Week 0 · about 30–45 minutes to first program · Course home

Welcome! This hub gets your machine ready, and the Getting Started with C++ module (below) teaches you how everything works. You are three small steps from running your first program.

The Getting Started with C++ module

The complete Week-0 module — read it alongside the setup steps below:

Piece	What it is
📖 Getting Started lesson	the full lesson: what C++ is, source → compile → link → run, IDEs vs editors, command-line compilation, installing & verifying, first program, the three error kinds, reading error messages, terminal basics, project folders, saving exercises, lab organisation, using this site, optional Git
☑️ Setup checklist	every setup step with a check command and a definition of done
🎯 First-program exercise	guided build of `hello.cpp` — type, compile, run, break, fix, personalise
🧯 Troubleshooting guide	12 named scenarios (from `command not found` to cascading errors) + the general method
✏️ Exercises	10 beginner + 5 challenges, with selected answers
🧪 Lab 00 — Your First Build Lab	poster build + seeded-bug Debug It + write-up + self-check
🧠 Problem-Solving module	think before you code: decomposition, IPO, algorithms, pseudocode, trace tables, testing — 20 worked scenarios + lab

Step 1 — Install a C++ compiler (15–30 min)

Pick your operating system and follow the guide top to bottom:

Platform	Guide	What it installs
🪟 Windows	Windows setup	g++ via MSYS2 (MinGW-w64)
🐧 Linux	Linux setup	g++ via your package manager
🍎 macOS	macOS setup	Clang via Xcode Command Line Tools
🌐 No install / blocked machine	Online compilers	nothing — runs in the browser

The course teaches the command line way of compiling, because it works everywhere and teaches you what the tools really do. A few minutes of VS Code tips later, you can have a one-keystroke build as well.

Step 2 — Verify your setup (5 min)

Create a folder for the course, save this as sanity-check.cpp (full file with comments):

#include <iostream>

int main() {
    std::cout << "My C++ toolchain works!\n";
    return 0;
}

Compile and run it in a terminal:

g++ -std=c++17 -Wall -Wextra sanity-check.cpp -o sanity-check
./sanity-check            # Windows: .\sanity-check.exe

You should see:

My C++ toolchain works!

If anything went wrong — the exact error is usually one of the named scenarios in the Troubleshooting guide or the FAQ table.

Step 3 — Choose your study plan (5 min)

Plan	Rhythm	Best for
16-week plan	1 unit per week · 2 sessions of 90–120 min · lab + quiz on the weekend	students following a semester
Self-paced plan	same order, your calendar	working professionals, irregular schedules

The method is identical either way — read How to Study once, then follow it per unit.

Orientation checklist

The full, check-command-by-check-command version lives at the Setup Checklist; the quick form:

[ ] Compiler installed (guide above)
[ ] sanity-check.cpp compiles and runs
[ ] Getting Started lesson read
[ ] Editor ready (VS Code recommended — see toolchain tips)
[ ] Course folder created, e.g.  cpp-course/unit-00/
[ ] Study plan chosen (16-week / self-paced)
[ ] First-program exercise done, Lab 00 self-checked 5/5
[ ] Problem-Solving module started (lesson + scenarios) — or planned as your first self-paced week

All boxes ticked? You are ready.

🚀 Begin: Week 1 → Lesson 1

Lesson 1 — What is a program, and how does one run?

(After Lesson 1 you’ll know what every line above actually does — the sanity-check program is itself your first specimen.)

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