Compiling C++ Programs
======================

   C++ source files conventionally use one of the suffixes `.C', `.cc',
`cpp', or `.cxx'; preprocessed C++ files use the suffix `.ii'.  GNU CC
recognizes files with these names and compiles them as C++ programs
even if you call the compiler the same way as for compiling C programs
(usually with the name `gcc').

   However, C++ programs often require class libraries as well as a
compiler that understands the C++ language--and under some
circumstances, you might want to compile programs from standard input,
or otherwise without a suffix that flags them as C++ programs.  `g++'
is a program that calls GNU CC with the default language set to C++,
and automatically specifies linking against the GNU class library
libg++.  (1) On many systems, the script `g++' is also installed with
the name `c++'.

   When you compile C++ programs, you may specify many of the same
command-line options that you use for compiling programs in any
language; or command-line options meaningful for C and related
languages; or options that are meaningful only for C++ programs.  
See Options Controlling C Dialect: C Dialect Options, for explanations of
options for languages related to C.  *Note Options Controlling C++
Dialect: C++ Dialect Options, for explanations of options that are
meaningful only for C++ programs.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1)  Prior to release 2 of the compiler, there was a separate `g++'
compiler.  That version was based on GNU CC, but not integrated with
it.  Versions of `g++' with a `1.XX' version number--for example, `g++'
version 1.37 or 1.42--are much less reliable than the versions
integrated with GCC 2.  Moreover, combining G++ `1.XX' with a version 2
GCC will simply not work.