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https://github.com/sftrabbit/CppPatterns-Patterns

A repository of modern C++ patterns curated by the community.
https://github.com/sftrabbit/CppPatterns-Patterns

Last synced: about 1 year ago
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A repository of modern C++ patterns curated by the community.

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README 

          
# C++ Patterns - Patterns



[C++ Patterns](https://cpppatterns.com/) is a repository of code patterns

illustrating a modern

and idiomatic approach to writing C++. The aim is to provide

beginner to intermediate C++ developers a reference for solving common

problems in C++. As the C++ language and library evolve, which they

have been doing rapidly since the release of C++11, these patterns

will be updated to match the current state-of-the-art in idiomatic C++

development.



This repository contains the source for the patterns themselves, which

is used when building the C++ Patterns web front-end. For the front-end

source, see [sftrabbit/CppPatterns-Web](https://github.com/sftrabbit/CppPatterns-Web).



## Contributing



To contribute new patterns or edit existing ones, please fork this

repository and submit pull requests for your changes. Please read

the following guidelines before contributing.



### TODO list



For sample ideas, please see the

[issues page](https://github.com/sftrabbit/CppPatterns-Patterns/issues)

for suggestions. If you don't feel like writing patterns yourself,

feel free to add suggestions to this page.



## Guidelines



### What makes a good pattern?



A good pattern:



- uses only modern C++ language and standard library features.

- is generic and therefore widely applicable.

- is understandable for C++ beginners.

- acts as a starting point for learning about C++ features.



### File names



Each pattern is a `.cpp` file that exists within a category and a

section. In the repository, these files have the following path:



    //.cpp



The categories are very broad and it is not expected that new

categories will be added any time soon. If your pattern does not

fit into an existing section, feel free to create a new section.

Every category and section contains a `TITLE` file, giving the

name of that category or section.



When the web front-end is built, numeric prefixes are stripped from

category names and the section is removed. For example, the following

pattern source:



    1-common-tasks/classes/pimpl.cpp



is given the following page in the web front-end:



    common-tasks/pimpl.html



The purpose of removing the section directory is to ensure URLs do

not change when moving patterns between sections. For this reason,

all pattern file names within a category must be unique.



Even if the title of a pattern changes, please avoid changing the

file name. If the pattern changes significantly enough for the

file name to change, then it should be a new pattern.



### File format



Every pattern `.cpp` file must be structured as follows:



    // Title

    // Tag1, Tag2



    Example code



    // Intent paragraph

    //

    // Description paragraph #1

    //

    // Description paragraph #2



    Hidden code



The title comment and tags comment must each be a single line. The

tags comment is optional. The tags line should be a comma separated

list of tags.



The intent and description are processed as an extended form of

[Markdown](http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/), which means

that they support formatting such as italics, bold text, links, lists,

and line references.



The example code section is displayed on the pattern page and should

contain everything required to understand the pattern. The hidden code

section should contain any additional code that is required in order

for the file to compile and is not shown on the pattern page.



Please keep to a width of approximately 70 characters for those who

might view the source without wrapping.



### Markdown extensions



The pattern description is processed as a form of Markdown with the

following extensions:



1.  Line references are added with the `[XX-YY]` syntax. The `-YY` is

    optional and used to denote a range of lines. An exclamation mark

    after the opening bracket causes the output to be capitalized.



    The numbers provided should denote line numbers in the original

    `.cpp` file. They will be offset automatically when building the

    web front-end.



    For example, `[10]` may expand to `line 8`, `[10-14]` may expand

    to `lines 8-12`, and `[!15]` may expand to `Line 13` (note the

    capital L).



2.  To simplify links to [cppreference.com](http://en.cppreference.com/w/),

    any link whose URL begins with `c/` or `cpp/` will automatically link

    to the appropriate page on cppreference.com.



### Code style



The only strict requirement on code style is that it should be

idiomatic and modern C++. The exact formatting of code is not too

important - in fact, variations in style can be useful.



There are a few simple guidelines:



-   Avoid using `auto` for two reasons: firstly, the patterns are

    intended to be used as a reference for beginner C++ developers,

    and the types involved are important to help with their

    understanding; secondly, a consensus has not been reached on when

    it is appropriate to use `auto`.



-   Use the uniform initialisation syntax where possible.



-   Name entities with generic names (`foo`, `bar`, `func`, `x`, etc.).



-   Keep the example code as simple as possible. Give the bare minimum

    required to understand the pattern.



-   Do not use inline comments for explaining the pattern - that's what

    the pattern description should do. Use inline comments only as a

    placeholder for omitted code.



### Writing style



The writing style for the intent and description are also not strict.

However, there are a few guidelines that should be kept in mind:



-   Use the personal pronoun "we" when describing the pattern, as

    though you and the reader wrote this code together. It helps

    to make the description more personable.



-   Use line references whenever appropriate. It allows the reader

    cross-reference between the code and the description.



-   The intent should be a simple sentence or two describing what

    the purpose of the pattern is.