This question already has answers here: When should static_cast, dynamic_cast, const_cast and reinterpret_cast be used? (9 answers) Closed 7 years ago. I’ve been writing C and C++ code for almost twenty years, but there’s one aspect of these languages that I’ve never really understood. I’ve obviously used regular casts i.e. MyClass *m = (MyClass *)ptr; … Read more
What is the easiest way to convert from int to equivalent string in C++. I am aware of two methods. Is there any easier way? (1) int a = 10; char *intStr = itoa(a); string str = string(intStr); (2) int a = 10; stringstream ss; ss << a; string str = ss.str(); 2 29 C++11 … Read more
What exactly does putting extern “C” into C++ code do? For example: extern “C” { void foo(); } 1 16 extern “C” makes a function-name in C++ have C linkage (compiler does not mangle the name) so that client C code can link to (use) your function using a C compatible header file that contains … Read more
I just finished listening to the Software Engineering radio podcast interview with Scott Meyers regarding C++0x. Most of the new features made sense to me, and I am actually excited about C++0x now, with the exception of one. I still don’t get move semantics… What is it exactly? 1 11 I find it easiest to … Read more
I have a C++ application, running on Linux, which I’m in the process of optimizing. How can I pinpoint which areas of my code are running slowly? 1 19 If your goal is to use a profiler, use one of the suggested ones. However, if you’re in a hurry and you can manually interrupt your … Read more
What is a smart pointer and when should I use one? 1 14 UPDATE This answer is rather old, and so describes what was ‘good’ at the time, which was smart pointers provided by the Boost library. Since C++11, the standard library has provided sufficient smart pointers types, and so you should favour the use … Read more
Quote from The C++ standard library: a tutorial and handbook: The only portable way of using templates at the moment is to implement them in header files by using inline functions. Why is this? (Clarification: header files are not the only portable solution. But they are the most convenient portable solution.) 1 17 Caveat: It … Read more
C++11 introduced a standardized memory model, but what exactly does that mean? And how is it going to affect C++ programming? This article (by Gavin Clarke who quotes Herb Sutter) says that, The memory model means that C++ code now has a standardized library to call regardless of who made the compiler and on what … Read more
What is this idiom and when should it be used? Which problems does it solve? Does the idiom change when C++11 is used? Although it’s been mentioned in many places, we didn’t have any singular “what is it” question and answer, so here it is. Here is a partial list of places where it was … Read more
Note: The answers were given in a specific order, but since many users sort answers according to votes, rather than the time they were given, here’s an index of the answers in the order in which they make the most sense: The General Syntax of operator overloading in C++ The Three Basic Rules of Operator … Read more