what does #include <iostream> mean? (better definition pls)

[GabrielMFr1]

What does #include <iostream> mean? (better definition pls)

[moorecm]

It tells the compiler, during the preprocessing stage, to find a text file, named iostream, somewhere in the include path and insert it verbatim into the source file being compiled.

Here's a little description of the iostream header. View the source to browse what is actually inserted:
http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/latest-doxygen/a00911.html

[kaduuk]

I believe it's the in out stream... Basically you just use it to do simple stuff (stuff from the standard library and to be able to use the namespace std:: and a few other things)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iostream
http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/iostream/iostream/

Check out those links :)

Hope it helps,

Cheers!

[filipe]

+1 moorecm.

kaduuk wrote:

and to be able to use the namespace std::

Every identifier in the standard library is in the std namespace, not just what's in the iostream header.