This chapter deals with advanced programming concepts common to both C and C++. Many of the topics discussed, such as type compatibility and macros, will illustrate those areas of the language where caution must be used when designing an algorithm. Other topics discussed, such as compiler-supplied macros and conditional preprocessor statements, will help you create more streamlined applications. The chapter ends by examining the concepts and syntax necessary to create dynamic linked lists.
Once you have completed Chapters 5 through 14, you will have enough knowledge of C and C++ to make a jump to the world of object-oriented programming. That topic occupies the bulk of the remainder of this book.