C++ Best Practices #

Modern C++ (C++17+) #

• Use smart pointers (unique_ptr, shared_ptr) over raw pointers
• Use RAII for resource management
• Prefer std::string and std::vector over C arrays
• Use auto for complex types, explicit types for clarity

// GOOD: Modern C++ with smart pointers
auto config = std::make_unique<Config>();
auto users = std::vector<User>{};

// BAD: Manual memory management
Config* config = new Config();
// ... forgot to delete

Error Handling #

• Use exceptions for exceptional cases
• Use std::optional for values that may not exist
• Use std::expected (C++23) or result types for expected failures

// GOOD: Optional for missing values
std::optional<User> findUser(const std::string& id) {
    auto it = users.find(id);
    if (it == users.end()) {
        return std::nullopt;
    }
    return it->second;
}

Security #

• Validate all input boundaries
• Use std::string_view for non-owning string references
• Avoid C-style casts; use static_cast, dynamic_cast
• Never use sprintf; use std::format or streams