What's new with C++ since, oh, before the dot-com bubble? Learn more in this Lunch and Learn, with a refresher of C++ basics, C++/CLI for C# developers, and the new features of C++11/14 and possibly C++17.

1. Modern C++
Lunch and Learn From an Amateur
By Paul Irwin

2. Ancient History
• C created by Dennis Ritchie, 1972 [9]
• “C with Classes” created by Bjarne Stroustrup, 1979
[9]
• Renamed to C++, 1983 [9]
• The C++ Programming Language, 1985 [9]
• The C++ Programming Language 2nd Ed. and C++ 2.0,
1989 [9]
• ISO Standardization as C++98, 1998 [9]
• Minor ISO revision in C++03, 2003 [9,4]

3. C++ is “C with Classes”
• Often, C can be used in C++ [1]
• C is fast, portable, and versatile [1]
• Therefore so is C++
• C has only structs to define composite types
• Passed by-value unless with a pointer
• No inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation
• So not object-oriented
• C++ adds classes that bring OO to C
• But, knowing C is not a prerequisite for learning
C++ [1]

4. C++ invalidates some C approaches
• Macros are almost never necessary [1]
• Don’t use malloc() [1]
• Avoid void*, pointer arithmetic, unions, and casts
[1]
• Minimize use of arrays and C-style strings [1]
• C does not provide a native Boolean type [2]

5. When Should I C++?
• For Performance
• Raw algorithms
• C++/CLI code called from C#
• For Interop
• Got a native lib on your hands? Create a C++/CLI interop DLL.
• For Portability
• C++ can run on just about any device, any platform, any CPU
that matters
• For Resource Optimization
• With nearly identical simple demo apps in C++ and C#, C++ used
~90% less memory
• Instant memory cleanup – all objects are “IDisposable“ [4]
• Important for embedded devices, mobile, certain server
applications

6. C-style Code
Problems:
• What if string is > 99 chars?
• What if 0 is in middle of string?
• What if char* is dangerous?
• What if you forget to null-terminate?

7. C++ Standard Library std::string
• Anytime you see “using namespace std” or “std::”,
that is the C++ standard library
• #include <string>

8. C++ Classes Primer
C# developers go “HOLD ON A DAMN SECOND!”
“Where’s the new keyword?”

9. Stack vs Heap
• Person p(123, “Paul”);
• Calls ctor Person(int id, string name)
• Allocates on local function stack
• No pointer!
• Destroyed at end of scope – no memory management! – thanks “}”
• Person* p = new Person(123, “Paul”);
• Calls ctor Person(int id, string name)
• Allocates on free heap space
• Notice that little asterisk (grumble grumble)
• Yes, it’s a damn pointer.
• Not destroyed at end of scope – whoops, memory leak!
• Remember: C++ does not have garbage collection!
• We’ll come back to this…

10. .NET vs C++
• .NET Struct ~== C++ class on stack
• C#: var kvp = new KeyValuePair<int, string>(123, “Paul”);
• C++: KeyValuePair<int, string> kvp(123, “Paul”);
• .NET Class ~== C++ class on heap
• C#: Person p = new Person(123, “Paul”);
• C++: Person* p = new Person(123, “Paul”);
• .NET Interface ~== C++ … well …
• Pure virtual functions (virtual void foo() = 0;)
• Macros
• Non-Virtual-Interfaces (NVI)
• … and down the rabbit hole you go

11. Pointer Primer

12. C++ Templates Primer
• vector<int> better than int[]
• Looks like a generic type – kinda is, kinda isn’t
• Created at compile time

13. C++/CLI Primer
Notice:
• CLR namespaces like C++ namespaces
• ^ means CLR type
• gcnew means allocate in CLR heap,
garbage collected (hence “gc”)
• C-style string to String^
• -> operator for dereference call:
rx is a .NET reference type
• :: scope operator for static
instances/methods

14. C++/CLI Primer: Classes
Notice:
• ref keyword means CLR type
• No need for Int32^
• property keyword for CLR properties
• Mix-and-match C++/CLI and C++

15. Modern History
• After C++03…
• C++0x draft – expected to be released before 2010
• C++0x -> C++11 – a wee bit late
• First major release of C++ since C++98 – 13 years!
• C++14 Working Draft
• Minor release, 3 year cadence [4]
• C++17 (expected)
• Next major release, 3 year cadence [4]

16. C++11: move semantics
• Prior to C++11, this code could
result in a deep copy of v
• v is created on the stack
• We fill v with values
• “return v” copies all values into v2
when called – O(n)
• C++11 now implicitly “moves” v
into v2
• Much better performance, esp. with
large objects – O(1)
• Further reading: std::move [3]

17. C++11: initializer lists
• From previous slide, now we
can do this instead
• Calls ctor on vector<int>
taking initializer_list<int>
• You can return objects this
way too [3]
• Neat! But may still want ctors
• You can write methods that
take initializer_list<T> [3]

18. C++11: type inference
• “var” spelled “auto” [4]

19. C++11: range-based for loop
• Makes the previous slide look bad

20. C++11: lambda functions (!!!)
• YAY
So this clearly prints even numbers to the console.
And actually, you really should be using range-based for here.
But what’s up with that [] syntax?

21. C++11: lambda functions (cont’d)
• [](int x) { return x + 1; }
• Captures no closures [5]
• [y](int x) { return x + y; }
• Captures y by value (copy) [5]
• [&](int x) { y += x; }
• Capture any referenced variable (y here) by reference [5]
• [=](int x) { return x + y; }
• Capture any referenced variable (y here) by value (copy) [5]
• [=, &y](int x) { y += x + z; }
• Capture any referenced variable (z here) by value (copy); but capture
y by reference [5]
• [this](int x) { return x + _privateFieldY; }
• Capture the “this” pointer in the scope of the lambda [5]

22. C++11: lambda functions (cont’d)

23. C++11: strongly typed enums
• In C++03, enums are not type safe [6]
• C++11 adds “enum class” for type safety [3]

24. C++11: std::thread

25. C++11: std::tuple

26. C++11: std::regex

27. C++11: shared_ptr, unique_ptr
• Consider: Person* GetPerson() { … }
• What should be done with the results? [7]
• Who owns the pointer?
• If I “delete” it, what will happen downstream?
• Enter std::shared_ptr and std::unique_ptr [7]
• shared_ptr: reference-counted ownership of pointer
• unique_ptr: only one unique_ptr object can own at a given
time
• unique_ptr deprecates auto_ptr

28. C++11: std::make_shared
• Forwards arguments to constructor parameters
Notice:
• Return types and parameter types
are explicit and clear
• -> still used like with raw
pointers
• NO DAMN ASTERISKS!
• When DealWithPersons’ scope ends
(“}”), no more references, so
pointer is cleaned up
automatically
• Could also call “return
shared_ptr<Person>(new
Person(…))” in MakePerson

29. C++14: std::make_unique
• Oops! std::make_unique was not in the C++11 standard.
• Same usage as make_shared, supported in VS2013

30. C++14: return type deduction

31. C++14: binary literals
• 0b10010010
• Also coming to C#!

32. C++14: generic lambdas
• Use auto to make a generic lambda [8]

33. C++17?: pattern matching
int eval(Expr& e) // expression evaluator
{
Expr* a,*b;
int n;
match (e)
{
case (C<Value>(n)): return n;
case (C<Plus>(a,b)): return eval(*a) + eval(*b);
case (C<Minus>(a,b)): return eval(*a) - eval(*b);
case (C<Times>(a,b)): return eval(*a) * eval(*b);
case (C<Divide>(a,b)): return eval(*a) / eval(*b);
}
}
// From [10], possible syntax mine (not indicative of any proposed syntax I’ve seen)

34. C++17?: async/await
future<void> f(stream str) async
{
shared_ptr<vector> buf = ...;
int count = await str.read(512, buf);
return count + 11;
}
future g() async
{
stream s = ...;
int pls11 = await f(s);
s.close();
}
// Code from [11]
Notice:
• future<T> equivalent to Task<T>
• async/await very similar to C#
• std::future already in the
standard since C++11!

35. C++17?: modules
// File_1.cpp:
export Lib:
import std;
using namespace std;
public:
namespace N {
struct S {
S() {
cout << “S()n”;
}
};
}
// File_2.cpp:
import Lib; // no guard needed
int main() {
N::S s;
}
// Code modified from [12]

36. References
1. The C++ Programming Language, Special Edition, B. Stroustrup, 1997
2. Differences Between C and C++, http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial/c-vs-c++.html
3. C++11, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%2B%2B11
4. Modern C++: What You Need To Know [Video], http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-661
5. C++11 – Lambda Closures, The Definitive Guide, http://www.cprogramming.com/c++11/c++11-
lambda-closures.html
6. C++ Enumeration Declarations, http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/2dzy4k6e.aspx
7. Smart Pointers, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_pointer
8. C++14, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%2B%2B14
9. C++, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%2B%2B
10. C++14 and early thoughts about C++17 [Slides PDF], B. Stroutstrup,
https://parasol.tamu.edu/people/bs/622-GP/C++14TAMU.pdf
11. Resumable Functions – Async and await – Meeting C++,
http://meetingcpp.com/index.php/br/items/resumable-functions-async-and-await.html
12. Modules in C++, D. Vandevoorde, http://www.open-std.
org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2007/n2316.pdf