C++ Basics

Template and Generic Programming

Aims

• An understanding template purpose and semantics.
• A working knowledge of function and type template syntax in C++
• An understanding static polymorphism and how it is implemented using CRTP.
• An introduction to type traits, the basis of C++ metaprogramming.
• An understanding of different approaches to compile-time conditional coding.
• An understanding of policy classes.
• An understanding of how to implement perfect forwarding with variadic parameters and forwarding references.
• An understanding of how to determine the types of variables whose types are deduced.
• An understanding of the goals of Generic Programming.
• An understanding of the process of developing code using the Generic Programming paradigm.
• An understanding of how to use the STL to model and solve a real-world problem.
• Familiarity with the algorithms provided in the Standard Library.

Outlines

• Template Syntax and Mechanics
  • Motivation
  • Template Instantiation
  • Argument Deduction
  • Two-phase Compilation
  • Dependent Types
  • Non-Type Template Parameters
  • Overloading Function Templates
    • Function Template Partial Ordering
  • Class Templates
    • Explicit Specialization
    • Partial Specialization
    • Dependent Base
• Modern Template Techniques
  • The Template Challenge
  • CRTP – Static Polymorphism
  • Type Traits – Basic Metaprogramming
  • Compile-time Conditional Overloading
  • Policy Classes
  • Perfect Forwarding
  • Viewing Deduced Types
• Introduction to Generic Programming
  • Alex Stepanov
  • Programming = Math + Memory
  • Algorithms
  • Abstraction
  • Generic Library Design
  • Generalizing Linear Search
  • Concepts and Models
    • Valid Expressions
    • Associated Types
    • Associate Semantics
  • Fundamental Concepts
  • Iterator Concepts
    • Input Iterator
    • Output Iterator
    • Forward Iterator
    • Bidirectional Iterator
    • Random Access Iterator
• Using the Standard Template Library
  • Example Domain: Graphs
• Survey of the Standard Algorithms
  • Non-modifying and Modifying
  • Minimum and Maximum
  • Permutation, Sorting, and Partitioning
  • Set, Heap, and Numeric