What is C++ written in?
The C++ compiler is written in C++ (well-documented). C++ is self-hosting.
Relationship Graph
All directly connected languages. Click any node to navigate to its page.
Compiler Implementation
| Language | Confidence | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| C++ | 95% | GCC and Clang (C++ compilers) written in C++ | Source |
Influenced By
- C — C++ is a superset extension of C
- Simula — Stroustrup acknowledged Simula's class system as C++ inspiration
- ALGOL — C++ traces structured programming lineage to ALGOL
- Objective-C — Minor influence on C++ OOP model
Languages C++ Influenced
- D — D designed as C++ successor
- Java — Java adopted C++ syntax and OOP concepts
- Rust — Rust influenced by C++'s systems programming model
- C# — C# influenced by C++ syntax
Frequently Asked Questions
What language is C++ written in?
C++ is primarily implemented in C++. See the implementation section above for details and source references.
What languages influenced C++?
C++ was influenced by Simula, C, Objective-C among others. See the influence section above for the full list.
Which languages did C++ influence?
C++ influenced Java, D, Rust among others.
Is C++ self-hosting?
Yes, C++ is self-hosting — its compiler can compile itself.
Evidence Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%2B%2B
- https://gcc.gnu.org/
- https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project
- https://lwn.net/Articles/542457/
- https://github.com/v8/v8
- https://spidermonkey.dev/
- https://webkit.org/
- https://github.com/openjdk/jdk
- https://github.com/dotnet/runtime
- https://github.com/thepowersgang/mrustc
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_(programming_language)
- https://dlang.org/overview.html
- https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/influences.html
- https://github.com/swiftlang/swift
- https://github.com/carbon-language/carbon-lang
- https://github.com/dart-lang/sdk
- https://docs.modular.com/mojo/
- https://ziglang.org/news/goodbye-cpp/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_Sharp_(programming_language)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_(programming_language)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clang
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_(programming_language)