C++ Unleashed: From Zero to Hero

Welcome to C++ Unleashed: From Zero to Hero, a comprehensive and modern tutorial crafted to guide you from the fundamentals to the advanced intricacies of C++ programming. Inspired by the depth and clarity of The Rust Programming Language, this tutorial strives to incorporate the most current features and best practices in the C++ ecosystem. Whether you’re a novice eager to learn C++ from scratch or an experienced developer aiming to refine your skills, this guide offers valuable insights, practical examples, and up-to-date content to accelerate your journey.

Please note that while every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and completeness, this tutorial is a work in progress. We encourage readers to actively participate by identifying and reporting any errors or areas for improvement. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us create the most effective and reliable learning resource possible.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

   • What is C++?
   • Why Choose C++?
   • What is xmake?
   • What You’ll Learn

2. Getting Started

   • Environment Setup
   • Your First Program: Hello, World!
   • Variables and Data Types
   • Comments in C++

3. Control Structures

   • Conditional Statements (if, switch)
   • Loops (for, while, do-while)
   • Jump Statements (break, continue, return, goto)

4. Functions

   • Function Definition and Calls
   • Parameter Passing
   • Return Values
   • Default Arguments
   • Function Overloading
   • Recursive Functions
   • Lambda Expressions

5. Arrays and Strings

   • Arrays
   • Limitations of C-Style Arrays
   • std::array
   • C-Style Strings
   • The std::string Class
   • String Operations
   • Converting Between Strings and Numbers

6. Pointers and References

   • Basics of Pointers
   • References and Their Uses
   • Smart Pointers (unique_ptr, shared_ptr, weak_ptr)

7. Object-Oriented Programming

   • Classes and Objects
   • Constructors and Destructors
   • Copy and Move Semantics
   • Inheritance and Polymorphism
   • Operator Overloading
   • Union and Struct as Special Classes
   • Type Conversions (static_cast, dynamic_cast, const_cast, reinterpret_cast)
   • Variable Modifiers (const, static, mutable, volatile)
   • Virtual Functions and Abstract Classes

8. Templates and Generic Programming

   • Function Templates
   • Class Templates
   • Template Specialization
   • Variadic Templates
   • Concepts (C++20)

9. Modern C++ Features

   • Auto Type Deduction (auto)
   • Range-Based For Loops
   • Type Aliases (using)
   • constexpr, consteval, and constinit
   • decltype
   • std::variant and std::optional
   • nullptr

10. Standard Template Library (STL)

    • Containers (vector, list, map, etc.)
    • Algorithms and Iterators
    • Function Objects (Functors)
    • Custom Containers

11. Error Handling and Exceptions

    • The Concept of Exceptions
    • try, catch, throw
    • Custom Exceptions
    • Best Practices for Error Handling

12. Concurrency and Multithreading

    • Introduction to Concurrency
    • Threads and std::thread
    • Mutexes and Locks (std::mutex, std::lock_guard)
    • Condition Variables (std::condition_variable)
    • Atomic Operations (std::atomic)
    • Futures and Promises (std::future, std::promise)
    • Asynchronous Programming (std::async)

13. Advanced Template Programming

    • Template Metaprogramming
    • Type Traits and std::type_traits
    • SFINAE and std::enable_if
    • CRTP (Curiously Recurring Template Pattern)
    • Variadic Templates and Parameter Packs

14. C++20 Features

    • Modules
    • Concepts
    • Ranges Library
    • Coroutines
    • Three-Way Comparison Operator (<=>)
    • std::span and Other New STL Components

15. Filesystem

    • Filesystem Library (std::filesystem)
    • File Operations and Path Manipulation

16. Best Practices and Design Patterns

    • Modern C++ Idioms
    • RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization)
    • Design Patterns in C++ (Singleton, Factory, Observer, etc.)
    • Code Optimization Techniques
    • Writing Efficient and Maintainable Code

17. Testing, Debugging, and Building

    • Unit Testing Without External Libraries
    • Test-Driven Development (TDD)
    • Debugging Tools and Techniques (GDB, Valgrind)
    • Profiling and Performance Analysis
    • Advanced xmake Usage
    • Continuous Integration and Deployment

18. Using xmake to Build Projects

    • Creating the xmake.lua File
    • Building and Managing Dependencies
    • Custom Build Configurations
    • Packaging and Distribution

19. Practical Projects

    • Project Ideas (Command-Line Tools, Games, Libraries)
    • Implementing Projects
    • Managing Larger Codebases
    • Documenting and Sharing Your Work

20. Conclusion and Next Steps

    • Key Takeaways
    • Best Practices in C++
    • Recommended Resources and Learning Paths
    • Staying Updated with Modern C++
    • Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Next chapter: Introduction