C++ Gotchas

Production C++ programming is complicated by numerous features of the language that behave or interact in unexpected ways - the Gotchas. Gotchas may cost programmers additional development time to track down obscure bugs, or result in superficially correct code that executes inefficiently.

Gotchas appear in all parts of the language. Some are the result of language design decisions made as much as 25 years ago. Gotchas affect the correctness, efficiency and portability of C++ software. A modest investment in understanding the Gotchas will repay itself many times over.

The course is presented as 1 day of lecture.

Intermediate and advanced C++ programmers, using or considering C++ for production software development. All material is specific to C++ coding practices. The knowledge gained will be useful in creating or evaluating C++ coding style guidelines.

The course presents a collection of over 50 Gotchas (and techniques for avoiding them) from different parts of the language, including:

• constructors and destructors
• function and operator overloading
• scope
• access control
• arrays
• const
• references
• inheritance and virtual functions
• type-safe linkage
• operators new and delete
• initialization
• multiple inheritance
• virtual base classes
• templates

Thomas A. Cargill, Ph.D.

• Background and Credentials
• Consulting Services

This course is available on-site at your location. Please call .profile Consulting Inc. at (303) 499-5940 or email us at cjm@profcon.com for pricing, instructor availability and scheduling.
This course is occasionally offered publicly. Tom Cargill has presented this course at C++-World Conferences, at Object-Expo in New York and London, and as an ACM Professional Development Seminar.