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Discovering Modern C++, 2nd edition

Published by Addison-Wesley Professional (December 17, 2021) © 2022

  • Peter Gottschling

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Discovering Modern C++, Second Edition by Peter Gottschling is an intensive introduction that guides you smoothly to sophisticated approaches based on advanced features. Thoroughly updated for C++17 and C++20, this Second Edition introduces key concepts using examples from many technical problem domains, drawing on his extensive experience training professionals and teaching C++ to students of physics, math, and engineering.

This book is designed to help students get started rapidly and then master increasingly robust features, from lambdas to expression templates. You will also learn how to take advantage of the powerful libraries available to C++ programmers: both the Standard Template Library (STL) and scientific libraries for arithmetic, linear algebra, differential equations, and graphs. In this Second Edition, Gottschling also presents thorough and expert coverage of multi-threading and variadic templates.
Throughout, Gottschling demonstrates how to write clear and expressive software using object orientation, generics, metaprogramming, and procedural techniques. By the time you are finished, you will have mastered all the abstractions you need to write C++ programs with exceptional quality and performance.
  • Expanded and updated: introduces C++ 17 and C++ 20 features, plus improved and expanded coverage of multi-threading and variadic templates
  • Helps you get started fast and quickly master increasingly robust features, from lambdas to expression templates
  • Presents correct, clean, and modern C++ code examples throughout, demonstrating how to use C++ well even if you are new to it
  • Shows how to take advantage of the powerful Standard Template Library (STL) and scientific libraries for arithmetic, linear algebra, differential equations, and graphs
  • Demonstrates how to write clear and expressive software using object orientation, generics, metaprogramming, and procedural techniques
This Second Edition -- 60-70 pages longer -- covers C++17 and C++ 20 features added to the language since the first edition. It also includes a more comprehensive discussion of multi-threading and variadic templates.

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Preface xix
Acknowledgments xxv
About the Author xxvii

Chapter 1: C++ Basics 1
1.1 Our First Program 1
1.2 Variables 4
1.3 Operators 12
1.4 Expressions and Statements 22
1.5 Functions 30
1.6 Error Handling 35
1.7 I/O 41
1.8 Arrays, Pointers, and References 52
1.9 Structuring Software Projects 64
1.10 Exercises 69

Chapter 2: Classes 71
2.1 Program for Universal Meaning, Not Technical Details 71
2.2 Members 73
2.3 Setting Values: Constructors and Assignments 78
2.4 Destructors 105
2.5 Method Generation Summary 111
2.6 Accessing Member Variables 112
2.7 Operator Overloading Design 117
2.8 Exercises 126

Chapter 3: Generic Programming 129
3.1 Function Templates 129
3.2 Namespaces and Function Lookup 138
3.3 Class Templates 147
3.4 Type Deduction and Definition 154
3.5 Template Specialization 162
3.6 Non-Type Parameters for Templates 174
3.7 Functors 177
3.8 Lambda 185
3.9 Variable Templates 190
3.10 Programming with Concept(s) 192
3.11 Variadic Templates 200
3.12 Exercises 208

Chapter 4: Libraries 211
4.1 Standard Template Library 211
4.2 Numerics 239
4.3 Meta-programming 252
4.4 Utilities 256
4.5 The Time Is Now 267
4.6 Concurrency 270
4.7 Scientific Libraries Beyond the Standard 282
4.8 Exercises 285

Chapter 5: Meta-Programming 289
5.1 Let the Compiler Compute 289
5.2 Providing and Using Type Information 297
5.3 Expression Templates 318
5.4 Meta-Tuning: Write Your Own Compiler Optimization 328
5.5 Optimizing with Semantic Concepts 354
5.6 Turing Completeness 359
5.7 Exercises 362

Chapter 6: Object-Oriented Programming 365
6.1 Basic Principles 365
6.2 Removing Redundancy 379
6.3 Multiple Inheritance 380
6.4 Dynamic Selection by Sub-typing 387
6.5 Conversion 389
6.6 Advanced Techniques 397
6.7 Exercises 405

Chapter 7: Scientific Projects 407
7.1 Implementation of ODE Solvers 407
7.2 Creating Projects 418
7.3 Modules 430
7.4 Some Final Words 434

Appendix A: Clumsy Stuff 435
A.1 More Good and Bad Scientific Software 435
A.2 Basics in Detail 441
A.3 Real-World Example: Matrix Inversion 449
A.4 Class Details 458
A.5 Method Generation 462
A.6 Template Details 474
A.7 More on Libraries 479
A.8 Dynamic Selection in Old Style 480
A.9 More about Meta-Programming 481
A.10 Linking to C Code 489

Appendix B: Programming Tools 491
B.1 g++ 491
B.2 Debugging 492
B.3 Memory Analysis 496
B.4 gnuplot 498
B.5 Unix, Linux, and Mac OS 498

Appendix C: Language Definitions 501
C.1 Value Categories 501
C.2 Operator Overview 502
C.3 Conversion Rules 504

Bibliography 507
Subject Index 513
Peter Gottschling is founder of SimuNova, a company that develops the Matrix Template Library (MTL4) and offers C++ training. He is a member of the ISO C++ standards committee, vice-chair of Germany's programming language standards committee, and founder of the C++ User Group in Dresden. He earned his Ph.D. in computer science at Technische Universität Dresden in 2002.

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