C++ Standards

C++ standards are a set of rules and guidelines that define the language's features, syntax, and semantics. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is responsible for maintaining and updating the C++ standards. The main purpose of the standards is to ensure consistency, efficiency, and maintainability across multiple platforms and compilers.

Here's a brief summary of the different C++ standards released to date:

C++98/C++03: The first standardized version of C++, which introduced many features like templates, exceptions, and the Standard Template Library (STL). C++03 is a minor update to C++98 with some bug fixes and performance improvements.

C++11: A major upgrade to the language, which introduced features such as:

Lambda expressions:

auto sum = [](int a, int b) -> int { return a + b; };

Range-based for loops:

std::vector<int> numbers = {1, 2, 3, 4};
for (int num : numbers) {
    std::cout << num << std::endl;
}

Smart pointers like std::shared_ptr and std::unique_ptr.

C++14: A minor update to C++11, which added features such as:
- Generic lambda expressions:
```
auto generic_sum = [](auto a, auto b) { return a + b; };
```
- Binary literals:
```
int binary_number = 0b1010;
```

C++17: Another major update that introduced features such as:

if and switch with initializers:

if (auto it = my_map.find(key); it != my_map.end()) {
    // use 'it' here
}

Structured bindings:

std::map<std::string, int> my_map = {{"A", 1}, {"B", 2}};
for (const auto& [key, value] : my_map) {
    // use 'key' and 'value' here
}

C++20: The latest major update to the language, with features such as:

Concepts:

template<typename T>
concept Addable = requires(T a, T b) {
    { a + b } -> std::same_as<T>;
};

Ranges:

std::vector<int> numbers = {1, 2, 3, 4};
auto doubled = numbers | std::views::transform([](int n) { return n * 2; });

Coroutines and more.

Remember that to use these language features, you might need to configure your compiler to use the specific C++ standard version. For example, with GCC or Clang, you can use the -std=c++11, -std=c++14, -std=c++17, or -std=c++20 flags.

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C++ Standards

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