Lesson 24 of 25

C++ Best Practices

Modern C++ Guidelines

Following modern C++ best practices leads to safer, more efficient, and more maintainable code.

  • Use smart pointers instead of raw new/delete
  • Prefer references over pointers when possible
  • Use const wherever applicable
  • Use auto for complex types, explicit types for clarity
  • Prefer range-based for loops
  • Use std::string instead of C-style char arrays
  • Enable compiler warnings: -Wall -Wextra -Werror

Performance and Safety

C++ gives you control over performance but requires careful attention to safety.

  • Pass large objects by const reference
  • Use move semantics for efficient transfers
  • Avoid premature optimization — profile first
  • Use RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization)
  • Prefer stack allocation over heap when possible
  • Use std::array over C arrays, std::vector for dynamic sizes