C++ keywords

By: Stanley B. in C++ Tutorials on 2011-02-19

C++ reserves a set of words for use within the language as keywords. Keywords may not be used as program identifiers. Table 1 below lists the complete set of C++ keywords.

Table 1: C++ Keywords
`asm`	`do`	`if`	`return`	`try`
`auto`	`double`	`inline`	`short`	`typedef`
`bool`	`dynamic_cast`	`int`	`signed`	`typeid`
`break`	`else`	`long`	`sizeof`	`typename`
`case`	`enum`	`mutable`	`static`	`union`
`catch`	`explicit`	`namespace`	`static_cast`	`unsigned`
`char`	`export`	`new`	`struct`	`using`
`class`	`extern`	`operator`	`switch`	`virtual`
`const`	`false`	`private`	`template`	`void`
`const_cast`	`float`	`protected`	`this`	`volatile`
`continue`	`for`	`public`	`throw`	`wchar_t`
`default`	`friend`	`register`	`true`	`while`
`delete`	`goto`	`reinterpret_cast`

C++ also reserves a number of words that can be used as alternative names for various operators. These alternative names are provided to support character sets that do not support the standard set of C++ operator symbols. These names, listed in Table 2 below, also may not be used as identifiers:

Table 2: C++ Operator Alternative Names
`and`	`bitand`	`compl`	`not_eq`	`or_eq`	`xor_eq`
`and_eq`	`bitor`	`not`	`or`	`xor`

In addition to the keywords, the standard also reserves a set of identifiers for use in the library. Identifiers cannot contain two consecutive underscores, nor can an identifier begin with an underscore followed immediately by an upper-case letter. Certain identifiers those that are defined outside a function may not begin with an underscore.

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