C++ Programming Conventions—Common Methods and Techniques for Advanced Programmers

Author: Robert B. Murray (Translated by Wang Xin)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: In chess, learning how to move the pieces is just the beginning; to control the entire game, we must understand the strategy and tactics behind each move. The same applies to C++. Mastering the right strategy can help us avoid common pitfalls and improve our work efficiency. In this book, C++ expert Rob Murray shares his valuable experience and advice to help intermediate and advanced C++ programmers improve further. In this book, the author extensively uses code from actual development as examples to demonstrate useful programming strategies and warns against harmful practices. To help readers better understand, at the end of each chapter, the main content introduced in that chapter is listed, and additional questions are provided to encourage further thinking and discussion. At the beginning of the book, the author explains how to choose the correct abstraction for our design and reminds us of the difference between abstraction and reality. Then, we will learn how to transform the obtained abstraction into one or more classes in C++. The discussions cover everything from high-level design strategies to low-level interface and implementation details. Next, the book delves into single inheritance and multiple inheritance. At the beginning, there is a discussion on where they should be used in design, followed by detailed example code to demonstrate how to apply these concepts in practice. A dedicated chapter is also devoted to discussing "how to create a class that can be derived from other classes" and "the benefits of doing so." For the new template features in C++, Rob Murray demonstrates his unparalleled insight by starting from the basics and gradually introducing practical examples. The author also shows us various specific techniques to make our programs faster, more reusable, and more robust. Exceptions are another new feature in C++, and Murray provides his advice on when to use them and when not to. At the end of the book, we can also learn how to port a project from C to C++. The discussion on this process not only includes potential technical issues but also the "human" aspects of using the technology.