C++ is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language that supports procedural, object-oriented, generic, and functional programming. It is an extension of the C language, inheriting its low-level memory management, pointers, arrays, structs, and unions, while adding high-level abstractions. Key features include:
- Classes: User-defined types for encapsulating data and behavior.
- Inheritance: Creating new classes from existing ones.
- Polymorphism: Allowing different objects to respond differently to the same message.
- Templates: Writing generic code that works across different types.
- Exceptions: Handling errors and abnormal situations.
- Standard Template Library (STL): A collection of ready-to-use containers, algorithms, and iterators.