Book Image

The C++ Workshop

By : Dale Green, Kurt Guntheroth, Shaun Ross Mitchell
Book Image

The C++ Workshop

By: Dale Green, Kurt Guntheroth, Shaun Ross Mitchell

Overview of this book

C++ is the backbone of many games, GUI-based applications, and operating systems. Learning C++ effectively is more than a matter of simply reading through theory, as the real challenge is understanding the fundamentals in depth and being able to use them in the real world. If you're looking to learn C++ programming efficiently, this Workshop is a comprehensive guide that covers all the core features of C++ and how to apply them. It will help you take the next big step toward writing efficient, reliable C++ programs. The C++ Workshop begins by explaining the basic structure of a C++ application, showing you how to write and run your first program to understand data types, operators, variables and the flow of control structures. You'll also see how to make smarter decisions when it comes to using storage space by declaring dynamic variables during program runtime. Moving ahead, you'll use object-oriented programming (OOP) techniques such as inheritance, polymorphism, and class hierarchies to make your code structure organized and efficient. Finally, you'll use the C++ standard library?s built-in functions and templates to speed up different programming tasks. By the end of this C++ book, you will have the knowledge and skills to confidently tackle your own ambitious projects and advance your career as a C++ developer.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)

Syntax

Creating templates involves the use of a new C++ keyword: template. This keyword lets the compiler know that this class or function is intended to be used as a template, and that instances of a template parameter in a template definition should be replaced with the actual data type provided by a template instantiation:

template <typename T>
template <class T>

In the preceding examples, T is the template parameter. Anywhere that type T is used within a template class or function, it will be replaced by the actual type. This will become clearer with some examples. T is a very common name for a template parameter, but the name can be anything you wish.

Template Classes

An example of a very simple template class is provided here:

template<typename T>
class Position
{
public:
    Position(T x, T y) 
    {
        m_x = x;
        ...