C++ enjoys wide use in the software industry. Some of its application domains include systems software, device drivers, embedded software, high-performance server and client applications, and entertainment software such as video games. Several groups provide both free and commercial C++ compiler software, including the GNU Project, Microsoft, Intel, Borland and others

The language began as enhancements to C, first adding classes, then virtual functions, operator overloading, multiple inheritance, templates, and exception handling among other features. After years of development, the C++ programming language standard was ratified in 1998 as ISO/IEC 14882:1998. The current standard is the 2003 version, ISO/IEC 14882:2003. The next standard version (known informally as C++0x) is in development.

C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled language where compilation creates machine code for a target machine hardware. It supports procedural programming, data abstraction, object-oriented programming, and generic programming.