C++ Tutorials

C++ Tutorials Roadmap

Section 1: Introduction to C++ and Transitioning from C

  • Introduction to C++:
    • What is C++?
    • History and Evolution of C++.
    • Why learn C++? (Performance, System Programming, Game Development, High-Frequency Trading, etc.).
    • C++ as a superset of C (mostly).
    • Compilation process in C++ (similar to C, but with additional steps for C++ features).
    • Setting up a C++ development environment (Compiler like GCC/Clang, IDE).
  • Basic C++ Program Structure:
    • Writing and compiling "Hello, World!" in C++.
    • Understanding #include .
    • Using std::cout for output.
    • Understanding namespaces (using namespace std; - discuss pros and cons).
  • Input and Output (I/O) with iostream:
    • Using std::cin for input.
    • Using std::cout and std::cerr for output.
    • Formatted output with manipulators (e.g., std::fixed, std::setprecision).
  • Differences and Similarities with C:
    • Data types (same basic types, but with added boolean type bool).
    • Variables and constants (const with more flexibility, constexpr).
    • Operators (mostly the same, with some overloaded operators).
    • Control flow statements (same if, switch, for, while, do-while).
    • Functions (similar, but with function overloading and default arguments).
    • Arrays and pointers (similar concepts, but with C++-specific features).
    • Memory management (malloc/free vs. new/delete).
  • C++ Comments:
    • Single-line comments (//).
    • Multi-line comments (/* ... */).

Section 2: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in C++

  • Introduction to OOP Concepts:
    • Encapsulation.
    • Abstraction.
    • Inheritance.
    • Polymorphism.
  • Classes and Objects:
    • Defining a class (data members and member functions).
    • Creating objects (instances of a class).
    • Access specifiers (public, private, protected).
    • Understanding the role of access specifiers in encapsulation.
  • Constructors and Destructors:
    • Understanding constructors (initializing objects).
    • Default constructor.
    • Parameterized constructors.
    • Copy constructor.
    • Understanding destructors (cleaning up resources).
    • The Rule of Three/Five (Copy Constructor, Copy Assignment Operator, Destructor, Move Constructor, Move Assignment Operator).
  • Member Functions:
    • Defining member functions inside and outside the class.
    • Inline functions.
    • const member functions.
    • static data members and member functions.
  • Inheritance:
    • Understanding inheritance (creating new classes from existing ones).
    • Base classes and derived classes.
    • Types of inheritance (public, protected, private).
    • Multiple inheritance (discuss complexities and alternatives).
    • Virtual base classes.
  • Polymorphism:
    • Understanding polymorphism (one name, multiple forms).
    • Function overloading (same function name, different parameters).
    • Operator overloading (redefining operators for custom types).
    • Virtual functions (runtime polymorphism).
    • Abstract classes and pure virtual functions.
  • Encapsulation and Data Hiding.
  • Abstraction and Interfaces.

Section 3: Pointers, References, and Memory Management (C++ Perspective)

  • Pointers in C++:
    • Similarities and differences with C pointers.
    • nullptr (C++11 and later) vs. NULL.
  • References:
    • Understanding references (aliases for variables).
    • Declaring and initializing references.
    • Differences between pointers and references.
    • Lvalue references and Rvalue references (C++11 and later).
  • Dynamic Memory Allocation with new and delete:
    • Allocating single objects (new Type;).
    • Allocating arrays of objects (new Type[size];).
    • Deallocating single objects (delete ptr;).
    • Deallocating arrays of objects (delete[] ptr;).
    • Handling allocation failures (std::bad_alloc).
  • Smart Pointers (C++11 and later):
    • Understanding the need for smart pointers (managing memory automatically).
    • std::unique_ptr (exclusive ownership).
    • std::shared_ptr (shared ownership).
    • std::weak_ptr (non-owning reference for shared_ptr).
    • Using smart pointers to prevent memory leaks.
  • Dangling Pointers and Memory Leaks in C++.

Section 4: The Standard Template Library (STL)

  • Introduction to the STL:
    • What is the STL? (Containers, Algorithms, Iterators, Functors, Adaptors).
    • Benefits of using the STL (reusability, efficiency).
  • STL Containers:
    • Sequence Containers:
      • std::vector (dynamic array).
      • std::list (doubly linked list).
      • std::deque (double-ended queue).
      • std::array (fixed-size array - C++11).
      • std::forward_list (singly linked list - C++11).
    • Associative Containers:
      • std::set (sorted unique elements).
      • std::multiset (sorted elements, allows duplicates).
      • std::map (key-value pairs, sorted by key).
      • std::multimap (key-value pairs, sorted by key, allows duplicate keys).
    • Unordered Associative Containers (C++11):
      • std::unordered_set (unique elements, hash-based).
      • std::unordered_multiset (elements, hash-based, allows duplicates).
      • std::unordered_map (key-value pairs, hash-based).
      • std::unordered_multimap (key-value pairs, hash-based, allows duplicate keys).
    • Container Adaptors (Stack, Queue, Priority Queue).
  • STL Iterators:
    • Understanding iterators (generalizing pointer concepts).
    • Different iterator categories (input, output, forward, bidirectional, random access).
    • Using iterators to traverse containers.
  • STL Algorithms:
    • Common algorithms (sorting, searching, transforming, counting, etc.).
    • Using algorithms with iterators and containers.
    • Understanding algorithm complexity.
  • Functors (Function Objects).

Section 5: Advanced C++ Features

  • Operator Overloading:
    • Overloading various operators (+, -, *, /, ++, --, ==, !=, <,>, <=, >=, <<,>>, [], (), etc.).
    • Overloading as member functions vs. non-member functions.
    • Friend functions and classes.
  • Templates:
    • Understanding templates (writing generic code).
    • Function templates.
    • Class templates.
    • Template specialization.
    • Template metaprogramming (brief introduction).
  • Exception Handling:
    • Understanding exceptions (handling runtime errors).
    • try, catch, and throw keywords.
    • Standard exceptions (std::exception and its derivatives).
    • Custom exceptions.
    • Resource Acquisition Is Initialization (RAII) - using objects to manage resources and prevent leaks in the presence of exceptions.
  • File Input and Output (File Handling) with fstream:
    • Using std::ifstream (input file stream).
    • Using std::ofstream (output file stream).
    • Using std::fstream (input/output file stream).
    • Opening and closing files.
    • Reading and writing data to files.
    • Binary file I/O.
  • Namespaces:
    • Understanding namespaces (organizing code and avoiding naming conflicts).
    • Defining and using namespaces.
    • Namespace aliases.
  • Type Information (RTTI - Runtime Type Information):
    • dynamic_cast (safe downcasting).
    • typeid operator.
  • C++ Casts:
    • static_cast.
    • dynamic_cast.
    • const_cast.
    • reinterpret_cast.
  • Lambda Expressions (C++11):
    • Understanding anonymous functions.
    • Capture clauses.
    • Using lambdas with STL algorithms.
  • Move Semantics (C++11):
    • Understanding rvalue references.
    • Move constructors and move assignment operators.
    • std::move and std::forward.
    • Optimizing resource management.
  • Concurrency and Multithreading (C++11 and later):
    • Introduction to threads (std::thread).
    • Mutexes (std::mutex) and locks (std::lock_guard, std::unique_lock).
    • Condition variables (std::condition_variable).
    • Atomic operations (std::atomic).
    • Futures and promises (std::future, std::promise).
  • Variadic Templates (C++11).

Section 6: Best Practices and Modern C++

  • Coding Style and Conventions.
  • Debugging C++ Programs.
  • Memory Management Best Practices (Preferring Smart Pointers, RAII).
  • Using the C++ Standard Library Effectively.
  • Understanding and Avoiding Common Pitfalls.
  • Introduction to Build Systems (CMake, Makefiles).
  • Unit Testing in C++.
  • Exploring Different C++ Standards (C++11, C++14, C++17, C++20, C++23).
  • Performance Considerations in C++.

Section 7: Project Building and Further Exploration

  • Building Larger C++ Projects.
  • Working with External Libraries.
  • Introduction to Design Patterns in C++.
  • Exploring Specific Domains (e.g., GUI Development with Qt/wxWidgets, Game Development with game engines, System Programming).
  • Contributing to Open Source C++ Projects (Optional).
  • Practice and Problem Solving (Coding Challenges, Personal Projects).