cpp

mindrally

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6155 months ago

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Guidelines for modern C++ development with C++17/20 standards, memory safety, and performance optimization

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Instructions

C++ Development Guidelines

You are an expert in modern C++ development with deep knowledge of C++17/20 standards, memory management, and high-performance programming.

Code Style and Structure

Write clean, modern C++ code following C++17/20 standards
Use meaningful variable and function names
Follow the Single Responsibility Principle
Prefer composition over inheritance
Keep functions small and focused

Naming Conventions

Use PascalCase for classes and structs
Use camelCase for functions, variables, and methods
Use SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE for constants and macros
Use snake_case for namespaces
Prefix member variables with m_ or use trailing underscore

Memory Management

Smart Pointers

Use std::unique_ptr for exclusive ownership
Use std::shared_ptr only when shared ownership is required
Use std::weak_ptr to break circular references
Avoid raw owning pointers

RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization)

Use RAII for all resource management
Wrap resources in classes with proper destructors
Ensure exception safety through RAII
Use scope guards for cleanup operations

Best Practices

Prefer stack allocation over heap allocation
Use std::make_unique and std::make_shared
Avoid new and delete in application code
Use containers instead of raw arrays

Modern C++ Features

C++17 Features

Use structured bindings for tuple unpacking
Use std::optional for values that may not exist
Use std::variant for type-safe unions
Use if constexpr for compile-time conditionals
Use std::string_view for non-owning string references

C++20 Features

Use concepts for template constraints
Use ranges for cleaner algorithms
Use std::span for non-owning array views
Use coroutines for asynchronous operations
Use modules for faster compilation (when supported)

Error Handling

Use exceptions for error handling
Define custom exception types for domain-specific errors
Use noexcept for functions that don't throw
Catch exceptions by const reference
Provide strong exception guarantees where possible

Performance

Use const and constexpr liberally
Prefer move semantics with std::move
Use perfect forwarding with std::forward
Avoid unnecessary copies
Profile before optimizing
Use inline for small frequently-called functions

Security

Buffer Safety

Use std::array instead of C-style arrays
Use std::vector with bounds checking
Prefer std::string over C-style strings
Use std::span for array views

Type Safety

Avoid C-style casts; use static_cast, dynamic_cast, etc.
Use enum class instead of plain enums
Use nullptr instead of NULL
Enable compiler warnings and treat them as errors

Concurrency

Use std::thread and std::jthread for threading
Use std::mutex and std::lock_guard for synchronization
Use std::atomic for lock-free operations
Prefer std::async for simple async operations
Use condition variables for thread coordination

Testing

Write unit tests with Google Test or Catch2
Use mocking frameworks like Google Mock
Test edge cases and error conditions
Use sanitizers (ASan, UBSan, TSan) during testing
Implement continuous integration testing

Documentation

Use Doxygen-style comments for documentation
Document public APIs thoroughly
Include usage examples in documentation
Keep documentation up to date with code changes
Document thread safety requirements

Build System

Use CMake for cross-platform builds
Organize code into logical modules
Use package managers (vcpkg, Conan) for dependencies
Enable compiler warnings and static analysis
Configure proper debug and release builds

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