C++ is an object-oriented programming language based on C. Generally speaking, you can compile C programs under C++, but you can’t compile a C++ program under C if the program uses any constructs specific to C++. Some situations require special care. For example, the same function func declared twice in C with different argument types causes a duplicated name error. Under C++, however, func will be interpreted as an overloaded function; whether or not this is legal depends on other circumstances. 

Although C++ introduces new keywords and operators to handle classes, some of the capabilities of C++ have applications outside of any class context. This topic discusses the aspects of C++ that can be used independently of classes, then describes the specifics of classes and class mechanisms. 

See C++ Exception Handling and C-Based Structured Exceptions for details on compiling C and C++ programs with exception handling.