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wtf is c-plus-plus?

thealgorithms/c-plus-plus — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-20

34,190C++Audience · developerComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

TL;DR

A large educational collection of C++ implementations of classic algorithms, sorting, searching, graph theory, data structures, and machine learning basics, with each file self-contained, documented, and ready to compile.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((C++ Algorithms))
    Algorithm Types
      Sorting searching
      Graph algorithms
      Dynamic programming
      String matching
    Data Structures
      Trees graphs
      Queues stacks
    Math and Science
      Number theory
      Machine learning
      Physics
    Tech Stack
      C++17
      No dependencies
      Doxygen docs

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Study how classic algorithms like quicksort, binary search, or Dijkstra work by reading clean, documented C++ code.

REASON 2

Find a reference implementation of a graph or dynamic programming algorithm to understand the logic before writing your own.

REASON 3

Practice competitive programming by reviewing C++17 implementations of common algorithm patterns.

What's in the stack?

C++17GCCClangDoxygen

How it stacks up

thealgorithms/c-plus-pluscmu-perceptual-computing-lab/openposebvlc/caffe
Stars34,19034,06034,599
LanguageC++C++C++
Setup difficultyeasyhardhard
Complexity1/54/54/5
Audiencedeveloperresearcherresearcher

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Wtf does this do

TheAlgorithms/C-Plus-Plus is an open-source educational repository containing C++ implementations of a wide range of algorithms from computer science, mathematics, statistics, machine learning, data structures, and physics. It is part of the broader TheAlgorithms organization, which maintains similar collections in many other programming languages. The purpose is purely educational: each file demonstrates how a specific algorithm works, written clearly with documentation explaining the logic. Topics covered include sorting and searching algorithms (like quicksort, binary search), data structures (trees, graphs, queues), mathematical computations (prime numbers, modular arithmetic), machine learning basics (neural networks, k-means clustering), graph algorithms, string matching, dynamic programming, and many more. Rather than providing a library you would import into a production project, this is a reference collection for students, educators, and self-learners who want to see how algorithms are implemented in a real language. Each source file is self-contained, it uses only the C++ standard library with no external dependencies, so you can compile and run any single file independently without a complex build setup. The code follows the C++17 standard, which means it is compatible with modern compilers on Windows, macOS, and Linux as well as embedded systems. You would use this repository when studying algorithms as part of a computer science course or competitive programming practice, when you want a clean reference implementation to understand how something works, or when you are learning C++ and want well-documented examples of real algorithms. The tech stack is C++17, compiled with standard compilers (GCC, Clang, MSVC). No frameworks or external libraries are required. Documentation is generated automatically using Doxygen.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Following the TheAlgorithms C++ style, write a self-contained C++17 file that implements quicksort with Doxygen-style comments explaining each step, plus a main() that tests it on a sample array.
Prompt 2
Show me a C++17 implementation of Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm as a self-contained file with comments explaining the priority queue logic and a test in main().
Prompt 3
Write a self-contained C++17 implementation of the KMP string matching algorithm with comments explaining the failure function, in TheAlgorithms documentation style.
Prompt 4
Implement the 0/1 knapsack problem in C++17 with comments explaining each dynamic programming state transition, matching the TheAlgorithms repo style.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is c-plus-plus?

A large educational collection of C++ implementations of classic algorithms, sorting, searching, graph theory, data structures, and machine learning basics, with each file self-contained, documented, and ready to compile.

What language is c-plus-plus written in?

Mainly C++. The stack also includes C++17, GCC, Clang.

How hard is c-plus-plus to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is c-plus-plus for?

Mainly developer.

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