Calendar Description

In-depth study of the language C++ from a software engineering perspective, with emphasis on features supporting the development of large efficient and reusable systems. Topics include: encapsulation, templates, references, constructors and destructors, overloading, memory management, exception handling, and the standard template library.

Assumed Background

Able to understand an assignment description and identify the objects that are required

Understand and apply basic programming conventions:
- proper variable names
- appropriate commenting
- indentation using established style

Understand and apply basic programming constructs:
- Variables
  - primitive data types
  - scope
  - storage class
- Functions
  - pass-by-value
  - pass-by-reference
- Program memory organization
  - function call stack, contents of stack frame
  - heap
  - data segment
  - code segment
- Memory management
  - static vs. dynamic memory allocation
  - pointers, double pointers
  - garbage collection

Familiarity with shell environment

Able to build programs across multiple header and source files

Able to program with system calls:
- stream and file I/O
- signal handling
- multiprocess programming
- inter-process communications (sockets, RPC)

Able to research and understand standard library function and system call documentation

Learning Objectives

Gain experience in design techniques for small to medium size object-oriented programming assignments

Gain proficiency with basic and intermediate-level C++ programming

Identify standard design patterns and programming idioms in existing code.

Topics

Software Design Techniques

Able to identify the required objects
Able to apply concepts of encapsulation to organize the required objects
Able to identify opportunities for code reuse and implement them

Basics of C/C++

Understand fundamental programming constructs (review):
- variables (scope, storage class)
- program memory organization (call stack, heap)
- memory management (pointers, memory allocation)
Able to use references, and understand difference between references and pointers

C++ Basic Classes and Objects

Understand and be able to construct basic class definitions, using the following:
- data members, member functions
- encapsulation using access specifiers, constant members
- constructors, destructors
- friend functions, friend classes

Understand and be able to use dynamic memory management

Inheritance
- able to setup appropriate inheritance hierarchy
- understand how to use:
  - types of inheritance
  - multiple inheritance

Able to organize code with multiple classes
- separating class definition and interface from implementation

C++ Advanced Features

Overloading
- understand how to overload functions and operators
- able to overload different types of operators
  - stream insertion/extraction
  - unary, binary
  - increment/decrement, prefix/postfix
- understand how to cascade function calls and recognize when it is appropriate
Templates
- understand reason for generic programming
- able to define function templates, class templates
Polymorphism
- understand use of virtual, pure virtual functions
- understand difference between static and dynamic binding, and how to implement each one
- know how to use RTTI functionality, especially dynamic casting
STL
- understand the basics of containers, iterators, algorithms, and how to use them
Files and streams
- understand basic operations
- recognize basic overloaded operators on streams
Exception handling
- understand when and how to use exception handling
- know how to define multiple catch blocks
- understand how to gracefully unwind the function call stack when an exception is thrown