Advanced and Modern C++ Programming: The Tricky Parts
Whenever I give C++ trainings I run into the same topics of "half knowledge". We use a lot of pretty complicated features (e.g., templates, move semantics, and smart pointers) in our day-to-day programming without full understanding. Most of the time this works fine, but sometimes not. Even vectors and strings may cause surprises (e.g., to understand when and how memory is allocated).
This tutorial will discuss all these "tricky fundamental" C++ features application programmers see and use day by day. We will motivate them, understand them, and see how they should be used in practice. As a result, you will understand C++ a lot better and advance to the next level of an experienced C++ programmer.
Prerequisites
Students are expected to have a basic knowledge of C++ including C++11.
Computer Setup
Students are not required to bring any laptop. We will go through exercises together with the laptop of the presenter.
Course Topics
- Strings (and the short string optimization)
- When to use which container
- Using templates in practice
- The hidden penalty of using shared pointers
- How to benefit from move semantics in basic C++ classes
- When types decay
- Value categories and materialization (and why I should care)
- Disabling functions (SFINAE and requires)
- Overloading right – Rules of special member functions
- Exception handling in practice
- The real way to initialize object (and why AAA is bad)
- Returning values perfectly
- Concurrency traps
- Allocators (why, when, and how)
Nicolai M. Josuttis is an independent technical consultant who designs mid-sized and large software systems for the telecommunication, traffic, finance, and manufacturing industries. A former member of the C++ Standard Committee library working group, Nico is well known in the programming community for his authoritative books. In addition toThe C++ Standard Library, a worldwide best-seller since its first publication in 1999, his books include C++ Templates: The Complete Guide (with David Vandevoorde, Addison-Wesley, 2003) and SOA in Practice: The Art of Distributed System Design (O'Reilly Media, 2007).