8. Interoperability with C and libraries

C and C++ share the same memory model (explicit pointer-based memory management) and the same functional model (activation blocks, § 5.2 ). As a result, C and C++ are totally compatible, and the two languages can exchange data structures and call each other's functions without any slowdown. This interoperability is one of C++'s strong points, as the many libraries and developments built around C can be used almost directly in C++. The only precaution to be taken comes from the coding of names...