Is C++ a superset of C? Can I use a C++ compiler to compile C code?
C++ was derived from C, and is largely based on it, but there are some legal C constructs which are not legal C++. Conversely, ANSI C inherited several features from C++, including prototypes and const, so neither language is really a subset or superset of the other. In spite of the differences, many C programs will compile correctly in a C++ environment, and many recent compilers offer both C and C++ compilation modes.
References:
H&S p. xviii, Sec. 1.1.5 p. 6, Sec. 2.8 pp. 36-7, Sec. 4.9 pp. 104-107
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