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Getting Started ​

Hey! Welcome to Modern C++!

This starter volume is for complete beginners who have never written a line of code. We start from "what is an editor, anyway" and work up to getting your first C++ program actually running and making vscode understand your code — the whole way it's mouse clicks, every step comes with a screenshot, and anything command-line lives inside a collapsible box.

By the end of this volume, you'll be able to set up a working C++ environment on Windows on your own (vscode, a compiler, CMake), get a multi-file project building and running, and have the editor's completion, jump-to-definition, and diagnostics all working properly. After that: want to learn C++ syntax — head to Volume 1; want to really understand builds — go deep in Volume 7; want to do embedded — that's Volume 8. This starter volume's only job is to walk you to the door.

For the detailed multi-route environment setup (MSVC vs MinGW compared, vcpkg), go to the environment-setup chapter of Volume 1 · Fundamentals. The main track of this volume walks a single low-hassle fast lane; for a "real Linux" environment, chapter 7 sets up WSL2 with you.

Chapter Navigation ​

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