C++ Truths

I think it is a good idea to have const-overloaded arrow operator in counted pointer idiom though the Coplien's book does not say about it. This is required to "carry forward" the const-ness from the handle object to the body pointer held inside the handle. Counted body idiom is useful when you do not want to add corresponding (mirror) functions in handle class when you add functions in the body class. Handle class can actually be template. (CORBA _var classes?) The arrow operator takes care of "automatic" forwarding. class String // this is handle { ... Stringrep *operator -> () const { return b_; } private: Stringrep *b_; } class Stringrep // this is body { void func (); // a non-const function. } main() { const String s (new Stringrep); s->func (); // invokes a non-const function of stringrep (body) when handle object is const. } In order to prevent this undetected mishap declare vonst-overloaded arrow operators. class String { ... const Strin...

Quite often I rediscover my own old posts and learn new things from it. This time I am revisiting the very first post http://cpptruths.blogspot.com/2005_06_19_cpptruths_archive.html I came up with a puzzle to "entertain" you guys! Predict the output of following program. You know where to look at for the explanation. const int FIRST_TIME = 1; template <typename T> void func (T &) { static int var; ++var; if (FIRST_TIME == var) cout << "Printed once." << endl; else cout << "Printed more than once." << endl; } int main(void) { int a1[4]; int a2[5]; func (a1); func (a2); } OUTPUT: Printed once. Printed once. !! I would rather have a static checker to guard me against such subtle things.

I whole heartedly agree with this article!! What's wrong with C++? by Bartosz Milewski src: http://www.relisoft.com/tools/CppCritic.html -------------------------------------------------- Some time ago NWCPP (Northwest C++ Users Group in Seattle) organized a public panel on the future of C++, with Scott Meyers, Herb Sutter, and Andrei Alexandrescu. I started thinking about C++ and realized that I wasn't that sure any more if C++ was the answer to all my problems. I wanted to ask the panelists some tough questions. But I was there for a big surprise--before I had the opportunity to say anything, they started the criticism of C++ in the earnest--especially Scott. One of the big issues was the extreme difficulty of parsing C++. Java and C#, both much younger languages, have a multitude of programming tools because it's so easy to parse them. C++ has virtually nothing! The best tool one can get is Microsoft Visual Studio, which is really pathetic in that department (I haven...

This time lets briefly look at three structural idioms discussed in Coplien's book, Advanced C++ programming styles and idioms. Handle and Body: Handle and body are logically one entity but physically two. This separation allows handle to be much smaller in size than the body. Handle and body are both classes. Because they are logically same entity, there are several consequences: handle can be passed instead of body wherever body is required (efficient). To be logically same, handle and body needs to have exactly same interface. Any addition to body class interface needs a change in the handle class (maintenance). Handle class delegates all function calls to the body. (extra function call). Handle manages memory and the body manages the abstraction. This type of structure is typically used in reference counting . Though hidden from the client, body class pollutes the global namespace. Important thing to note here is that though, both the classes are in global namespace the inst...

This time I am going to point you at two short, interesting articles on const integrity violation which is also applicable to volatile modifier. Basically it talks about the following feature of C++: GIVEN int *i; const int *p = i; // is allowed BUT const int** p = &i; // is not allowed !! AND const int*& p = i; // is also not allowed !! How to fix it? GIVEN int *i; const int *p = i; // is allowed BUT const int* const * p = &i; // is allowed !! AND const int* const & p = i; // is also allowed !! FAQ: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/const-correctness.html#faq-18.17 AND http://www.gimpel.com/html/bugs/bug1561.htm

const ness can be considered as addional level of type information and therefore we can overload methods in C++ based on only const properties. const-ness of a function should capture the abstract state of the object and not the physical bit state. Following class has 2 overloaded methods which differ only in the const-ness. Remember, subscript operators, if you need one you need the other. class Fred { ... }; class MyFredList { public: const Fred& operator[] (unsigned index) const; // first Fred& operator[] (unsigned index); // second ... }; A const object invokes first method therefore after returning the reference to internal data structure, you can not modify as it is const. A non const object invokes the second memeber function in which you can indeed modify returned Fred object. While returning references to internal data structure either return a const reference or return by value if you don't want it to be modified. An exhaustive inform...

The ISO C++ Standard specifies that all virtual methods of a class that are not pure-virtual must be defined and compilers are not bound (by standards) to warn you if you don't follow this rule. Based on this assumption, GCC will only emit the implicitly defined constructors, the assignment operator, the destructor and the virtual table of a class in the translation unit that defines its first such non-inline method. Therefore, if you fail to define this particular method, the linker complains. In case of gcc and ld (linker on Linux), the linker gives out an error message saying "undefined reference to `vtable for function_name' " . This error message is quite misleading. The solution is to ensure that all virtual methods that are not pure are defined. An exception to this rule is a pure-virtual destructor, which must be defined (empty body) in any case. Ch. 12, [class.dtor]/7.

Lets see how we can relate "the big three" of C++ (copy constructor, copy assignment operator and destructor) to the levels of expception safety. 1. Constructor (default, copy) should provide basic exception guarantee (no memory leakes) 2. copy assignment operator should provide strong exception guarantee (commit-or-rollback) 3. destructor should provide no-throw guarantee. (should not fail) 4. Containter templates should provide all above + exception neutrality (pass the exception thrown by parameter types). See some earlier posts on this blog for more info on exception safety levels. Also see http://www.boost.org/more/generic_exception_safety.html

I have atleast 2 good explanations for this apparently counter intuitive way of defining the interface. 1. SGI explanation: http://www.sgi.com/tech/stl/stack.html One might wonder why pop() returns void, instead of value_type. That is, why must one use top() and pop() to examine and remove the top element, instead of combining the two in a single member function? In fact, there is a good reason for this design. If pop() returned the top element, it would have to return by value rather than by reference: return by reference would create a dangling pointer. Return by value, however, is inefficient: it involves at least one redundant copy constructor call. Since it is impossible for pop() to return a value in such a way as to be both efficient and correct, it is more sensible for it to return no value at all and to require clients to use top() to inspect the value at the top of the stack. 2. std::stack < T > is a template. If pop() returned the top element, it would have to return b...

In C++, if you want to mimic malloc style behavior in pure C++ way then write Box *b = (Box *) operator new (sizeof (Box)); // statement 1 By this I mean the constructor of Box will not be invoked as you expect with malloc. Note that this is NOT equivalent to Box * b = new Box; // Statement 2 because doing that invokes the constructor. Statment 1 is know as "operator new"!! AND Statment 2 is know as "new operator"!! You have to match statement 1 by operator delete(b); // does not invoke destructor and statement 2 by delete b; // invokes destructor

In C++, writing a function with a compound return statement like this const Rational function (void) { .... return Rational (a,b); // statement 1 } can be more efficient than const Rational function (void) { .... Rational r(a,b); return r; // statement 2 } when used in the surrounding context such as main() { Rational c = function (); // initializing c. } because compilers can avoid "invisible" creation and destruction of temporaries when function returns an object by value. This is known as "return value optimization". In the optimized assembly code, object c is directly initialized by statement 1. You save upto 2 temporaries (and creation/destruction of them). One is the local object r and other one is created and destroyed when the function returns.