~cpp 
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

// say what standard-library names we use
using std::cin;
using std::cout;
using std::string;
using std::endl;

int main() {
	// ask for person's name
	cout << "Please enter your first name: ";

	// read the name
	string name;
	cin >> name;
	
	// build the message that we intend to write
	const string greeting = "Hello, " + name + "!";
	
	// the number of blacks surrounding the greeting
	const int pad = 1;

	// the number of rows and columns to write
	const int rows = pad * 2 + 3;
	const string::size_type cols = greeting.size() + pad * 2 + 2;

	// write blank line to separate the output from the input
	cout << endl;

	// write rows 
	// invariant: we have written r rows so far
	for (int r = 0; r != rows ; ++r) {
		string::size_type c = 0;

		// invariant: we have written c
		while (c != cols) {

			// is it time to write the greeting?
			if (r == pad + 1 && c == pad + 1) {
				cout << greeting;
				c += greeting.size();
			} else {

				// are we on the border?
				if (r == 0 || r == rows - 1 ||
					c == 0 || c == cols - 1)
					cout << "*";
				else
					cout << " ";
				++c;
			}
		}
		cout << endl;
	}

	return 0;
}