what is the purpose of header file

[cva]

hie...what is the purpose of header file?
thank you.

[Ishe]

Header files contain importan macros that are commonly used in most C/C++ programs. These macros define some important keywords and functions you may use throughout your program. For instance, you cannot use the cout or the puts or any of the standard input/output fnuctions without including the stdio.h or the iostream.h.

[cva]

thanks ishe.....i got a new question....m_pConfig->SetLoadedEnv();......what does the '->' means??dont care about the m_pConfig and SetLoadedEnv....:)

[ropez]

Correction of Ishe:

1.
Header files contain declarations of functions and classes, in addition to occasionally preprocessor macros.

2.
You should not use <stdio.h> and <iostream.h> in C++, but instead <cstdio> and <iostream>

[magicalblender]

the "->" operator is basically analogous to the "." operator, except you use it on pointers to objects instead of objects. Both of them will access the public members of that object.

myObject foo;
foo.do_a_thing();
std::cout << foo.value;

myObject* bar = new myObject;
bar->do_a_thing();
std::cout << bar->value;

more on objects here:
http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/classes.html