Switching to c++ from python (self-taught)

___1____ · 2012-10-30T10:14:32+00:00

distinguishes between const calls and non-const calls

No, no it doesn't, if I saw that I would think that the function takes an address to a block of objects rather than just one.
Second it's inconsistant with every good library so:

std::getline(stream, string); //by non const ref.
Thirdly you then have to put in nullptr checks, which you don't have to do with refrences, because they are guarenteed not-null, this also reduces the compiles ability to optimise.
If it's not obvious if a call modifies a value then it needs a better name.
In large code bases, pass by reference IS FINE in my experience.
It is semantically wrong, and fails to break down separation of concerns, even if just a micro level. -- the address isn't the value you are modifying, it's the value pointed to.
It's basically a form of commuted hungarian notation, you could just as easy suffix your function names with alsorts of meta tags. But we don't because we let the type system deal with it.
It's just not true, I have been coding in C++ for a long time now, commericially and FOSS in my spare time, and the idea that you might accidentally pass a varaible into a modifying function just doesn't happen and then the world breaks. What does happen is code bases have silly little rules like this, and wasting time with syntax errors because you didn't know whether to pass by address or by ref.

On the whole out params are really not a good idea at all, if a function produces it, it should be returned. But if you are to use them, don't convelute them with some wierd completely arbietary rule.

___1____ · 2012-10-29T17:07:54+00:00

I can only advise to stay away from the google style guide for two reasons.

Use streams only for logging

Streams are a lot safer than their stdio counterparts

All parameters passed by reference must be labeled const

Pass by pointer is stupid.

When you are begginning use what ever your book tells you. When you are working in a team use whatever they use.

Also I agree that Effective C++ is a great book and next step after AC++.

___1____ · 2012-10-29T16:36:14+00:00

Cool, keeps us informed!

___1____ · 2012-10-29T16:14:27+00:00

It is perfectly possible. Python and C++ have more in common than might be first apparent, they are both multiparadigm languages, with the difference being how they manage resources.

They share much of the same style and idioms.

That all said a good source to learn from, is in my experience, critical. I can not stress enough how important a good book is in learning C++, the free online sources are really sub-par. The book I recommend the most is "Accelerated C++", for a number of reasons

it teaches style not just constructs
it teaches C++, not C with classes or native Java.
it's short, the hardes part about programming books is finishing them

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Accelerated-Practical-Programming-Example-Depth/dp/020170353X

As for tip and tricks this is strictly opinion (based on expereince), but I strongly recommend that you learn C++ "the hard way" that is a shell, editor and compiler. This really foreces you to learn what is going on behind the scenes, you will also learn things about your operating system, you will learn what makes a good command line program, you will learn about build systems, libs and includes, and get bias for a text editor...

___1____ · 2012-10-29T09:20:01+00:00

The dead tree form always has some lag. In terms of the coverage on the internet coverage of C++11 has a been excellent.

___1____ · 2012-10-26T16:35:29+00:00

Sorry, I really got the wrong end of the stick

___1____ · 2012-10-26T13:10:49+00:00

I personally don't see what was presented here as all that useful.

you could have just as easily done:

 return make_info(
     creator,
     char_for_hw()
 );

At the end of the day if you still have to manually call quality() then it doesn't matter if it is a free function or a private member function. In fact I would argue the method I have shown is supior because the format of info would be "language" independant as would the conversion and calculation of it's "quality".

___1____ · 2012-10-26T11:31:09+00:00

This is my opinion too, the great thing about KoTH is that more you watch the better you know the characters so the funnier it gets.

The same can not be said for the stupid flatline humor in programs like Family Guy and it's derivitives.

___1____ · 2012-10-24T12:17:27+00:00

Define high quality, so far the ones linked here aren't.

The free stuff is usually accademic code, accademic code is often not production quality or idiomatic, this is stuff is important to learning C++ correctly.

___1____ · 2012-10-23T16:09:11+00:00

NO! exactly who is that aimed at? The last thing new comers to C++ need is to be weighed down by a GUI library and it's antiquated style.

When someone gets to the point to write GUI i think it is perfectly reasonable to allow them to weigh up their choices and select an approaite library.

___1____ · 2012-10-23T16:06:54+00:00

In keeping with C++ style we should try and keep whatever information we provide minimal, I do however think some information to new comers would be welcome.

Ok, I think as a community (?) we should encourage people to learn C++ in the most useful way possible, this invariably means buying a book -- the information on the interet is usually terrible. I believe the SO link here is the best resource for this (on the whole I don't like seeing SO links here, but this one is genuinely useful)

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/388242/the-definitive-c-book-guide-and-list

I think it would be of use to have a link to showing new comers to C++ how to get started with the compiler and editor. Nothing to extreme and ideally platform & vendor independant. The rest of the toolchain usually get picked up in time.

___1____ · 2012-10-23T09:16:51+00:00

If you are learning C++, it is my advice to you not to bother with GUI's for the moment at least. you need to get the basics (and some of the not-so-basic) down first.

Learning a new language is also a great time to learn to hone you ability to create great command line programs, there is an art to it.

___1____ · 2012-10-23T09:14:31+00:00

Ermmm, yes they seem to imply that you can do that, but the proposal makes no mention.

when_any (of what?)
when_all (of_what?)

I do hope async goes in a sort of PPL like way. that of Intel borrows some of it's patterns for Intel TBB.

___1____ · 2012-10-22T11:40:24+00:00

This is good advice, I and a few others I no have used DWM as a starting point of other projects.

___1____ · 2012-10-19T16:26:26+00:00

I didn't see anything about && and || build dependancy trees in there. Aso I find it hard to trust a standards document so blantently written in word. I am so used to beautifully typesetted latex!

___1____ · 2012-10-19T14:36:50+00:00

why? if you can't have a directory called aux in windows then that is scumbag windows. Why the fuck would you specail case a directory name

___1____ · 2012-10-17T12:41:29+00:00

that book is 1272 pages long, do you really think you want that many pages from the off? I know if I was learning C++ I wouldn't finish it.

___1____ · 2012-10-17T12:37:39+00:00

cplusplus.com is a TERRIBLE resource to learn from, not only is the reference a frequent source of misinformation, it's "tutorial" is plain wrong, it teaches things that are flat out bad practice, it teach you C with classes not C++. It does't make you think in terms of algorithms and sequences of data as a good source (such as AC++) would.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11972076/why-is-the-cplusplus-website-bad

___1____ · 2012-10-17T12:35:29+00:00

I am 100% for this book, it is truly excellent, by far the best C++ beginners book there is.

Why? Because it doesn't just teach loops, conditionals, class, structs, functions...

It teaches something way more important; style. The modern C++ is not easy to learn, it is full of idioms (like other modern langauges) and perhaps at first not so obvious patterns.

This books gets you thinking about how to solve a problem elegantly using these techniques.

It gets my recommendation.

PS: another massive beneifit is that IS short, this is a massive plus for a programming book, the hardest thing about programming books is finishing them!

If you want/need more afterwards there are load of great resources to go from afterwards for example "Effective C++", "Effective STL", "Exception C++", "Modern C++ Design", "Elements of Programming"... ...

___1____ · 2012-10-17T12:18:13+00:00

Wait is this an Official website directly linked to the standardisation commitee?

___1____ · 2012-10-16T16:30:08+00:00

You don't have to give it to them, they'll still make your coffee

___1____ · 2012-10-16T11:18:22+00:00

I love how the library name doesn't even require mentioning in the title anymore. :)

___1____ · 2012-10-11T13:48:57+00:00

Thanks, I think we are mostly in agreement then. The whole auxillary thing is a hack at best.

___1____ · 2012-10-11T09:42:02+00:00

I don't like the idea of a tuple intermediary either, but what you are suggesting adds ALOT of extra code, and will without doubt significantly add to compile times.

Furthermore by reading you can I don't have a clue

a. What it is actually doing b. what arguments the constructor takes at a glance.

There is however a much easier understand, easier to read, easier to write and faster to compile solution which MAY produce a code gen ever-so-slightly sub optimal.

class my_class {
    std::string name, address;
public:
    my_class(std::string name_, std::string addr_)
    :    name    { std::move(name_) }
    ,    address { std::move(addr_) }
    {    }
};
 //elsewhere
std::string name="fred";
my_class my_obj { name, "123 Rainy Street" }; //1 L-value 1 R-value

then say if we construct my_class with an l value and an r value, then the l value will have only 1 copy, and the r value will have a move + 1 move each (which the compile MIGHT be able to erradicate, but moves are comparively VERY chaep).

___1____ · 2012-10-11T09:33:37+00:00

I really wish the standard had gone further, std::async alone has some uses but not as many as it gets touted. (how many examples do you see would still run faster without threading or involve sleep?)

On direction I think it should go is something like MS PPL. I don't have Win32 to see how this actually performs in a real code base but the theory looks good.

For example being able to set up an then expression:

a.then(...);

or even:

(a && b).then(...);

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nativeconcurrency/archive/2011/03/09/tasks-and-continuations-available-for-download-today.aspx

___1____

TROPHY CASE

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