The compiler is to blame for everything -- Andrey Karpov

By Andrey Karpov | Jun 4, 2015 11:48 PM | Tags: errors compilers compiler bugs basics

Many programmers are very fond of blaming the compiler for different errors. Let's talk about it.

The compiler is to blame for everything

by Andrey Karpov

From the article:

When a programmer tells you that the compiler causes an error, it is a lie in 99% of cases. When you start investigating the problem, you usually find out the following reasons:

• an array overrun;
• an uninitialized variable;
• a misprint;
• a synchronization error in a parallel program;
• a non-volatile variable used;
• code leading to undefined behavior;
• etc.

CppCast Episode 14: Better Code Concurrency with Sean Parent

By robwirving | Jun 4, 2015 11:42 PM | Tags: None

Episode 14 of CppCast the only podcast by C++ developers for C++ developers. In this episode Rob and Jason are joined by Sean Parent to talk about his recent C++Now! talk where he presented a new futures library.

CppCast Episode 14: Better Code Concurrency with Sean Parent

by Rob Irving and Jason Turner

About the interviewee:

Sean Parent is a principal scientist and software architect for Adobe’s mobile digital imaging group. Sean has been at Adobe since 1993 when he joined as a senior engineer working on Photoshop and later managed Adobe’s Software Technology Lab. In 2009 Sean spent a year at Google working on Chrome OS before returning to Adobe. From 1988 through 1993 Sean worked at Apple, where he was part of the system software team that developed the technologies allowing Apple’s successful transition to PowerPC.

CppCon 2014 Modern Template Metaprogramming: A Compendium, Part I--Walter E. Brown

By Adrien Hamelin | Jun 3, 2015 08:00 PM | Tags: intermediate experimental

Have you registered for CppCon 2015 in September? Don’t delay – Early Bird registration is open now.

While we wait for this year’s event, we’re featuring videos of some of the 100+ talks from CppCon 2014 for you to enjoy. Here is today’s feature:

Modern Template Metaprogramming: A Compendium, Part I

by Walter E. Brown

(watch on YouTube) (watch on Channel 9)

Summary of the talk:

Template metaprogramming has become an important part of a C++ programmer's toolkit. This talk will demonstrate state-of-the-art metaprogramming techniques, applying each to obtain representative implementations of selected standard library facilities.

Along the way, we will look at void_t, a recently-proposed, extremely simple new new type_traits candidate whose use has been described by one expert as "highly advanced (and elegant), and surprising even to experienced template metaprogrammers."

Schedule for Meeting C++ 2015 is online

By Meeting C++ | Jun 3, 2015 02:25 AM | Tags: None

Yesterday I released the Schedule for Meeting C++ 2015:

Schedule for Meeting C++ 2015

by Jens Weller

Please note, that the Track D will be released later, it will contain lightning talks, a code dojo and talks from the sponsors.

Simple C++11 metaprogramming--Peter Dimov

By Adrien Hamelin | Jun 2, 2015 12:05 PM | Tags: c++14 advanced

If you like to play with templates, read this article:

Simple C++11 metaprogramming

by Peter Dimov

From the article:

The wide acceptance of Boost.MPL made C++ metaprogramming seem a solved problem. Perhaps MPL wasn't ideal, but it was good enough to the point that there wasn't really a need to seek or produce alternatives.

C++11 changed the playing field. The addition of variadic templates with their associated parameter packs added a compile-time list of types structure directly into the language...

Holier Than Thou--Tony “Bulldozer00” (BD00) DaSilva

By Adrien Hamelin | Jun 2, 2015 11:51 AM | Tags: advanced

A rare but possible problem that can occur with long running programs:

Holier Than Thou

by Tony DaSilva

From the article:

Since C++ (by deliberate design) does not include a native garbage collector or memory compactor, programs that perform dynamic memory allocation and de-allocation (via explicit or implicit use of the “new” and “delete” operators) cause small “holes” to accumulate in the free store over time. I guess you can say that C++ is “holier than thou“. :( ...

CppCon 2014 Practical Functional Programming in C++--Bryce Adelstein-Lelbach

By Adrien Hamelin | Jun 1, 2015 08:09 AM | Tags: intermediate

Have you registered for CppCon 2015 in September? Don’t delay – Early Bird registration is open now.

While we wait for this year’s event, we’re featuring videos of some of the 100+ talks from CppCon 2014 for you to enjoy. Here is today’s feature:

Practical Functional Programming in C++

by Bryce Adelstein-Lelbach

(watch on YouTube) (watch on Channel 9)

Summary of the talk:

To the untrained eye, pure functional programming may appear to be out of place in our traditionally imperative C++ world. However, the functional paradigm has become increasing prominent in production C++ codes, especially when implementing asynchronous execution.

This talk is intended as a primer for attendees who are either unfamiliar with functional programming or have doubts its practical uses in modern C++.

Examples from different sectors of industry/academia will be presented throughout.

No prior functional programming knowledge will be needed. While this talk will cover some theory, coverage of non-C++ programming languages will be minimal. The focus of this talk will be the application of theories from FP to C++, not FP itself.

GoingNative 38: The future of C++[17] - Updates from Lenexa--Gabriel Ha

By Adrien Hamelin | Jun 1, 2015 08:06 AM | Tags: intermediate experimental

A nice recapitulative video of what C++17 could be:

GoingNative 38: The future of C++[17] - Updates from Lenexa

by Gabriel Ha

From the video:

A few weeks ago, the ISO C++ Committee met in Lenexa, Kansas to hash out the future of the C++ language, specifically for C++17. We're honored to speak to two (previously featured) Microsoft delegates to the committee -- Gabriel "Gaby" Dos Reis and Artur Laksberg -- who took the time to give us a very nice overview of the major things that went down at the meeting!

docopt.cpp: A C++11 Port--Jared Grubb

By Adrien Hamelin | Jun 1, 2015 08:02 AM | Tags: intermediate efficiency

A nice library to help you ship a program:

docopt.cpp: A C++11 Port

by Jared Grubb

From the article:

Isn't it awesome how getopt (and boost::program_options for you fancy folk!) generate help messages based on your code?! These timeless functions have been around for decades and have proven we don't need anything better, right?

Hell no! You know what's awesome? It's when the option parser is generated based on the beautiful help message that you write yourself! This way you don't need to write this stupid repeatable parser-code, and instead can write only the help message--the way you want it...

CppCon 2014 Microsoft w/ C++ to Deliver Office Across Different Platforms, Part II—Zaika Antoun

By Adrien Hamelin | May 29, 2015 08:00 AM | Tags: performance efficiency

Have you registered for CppCon 2015 in September? Don’t delay – Early Bird registration is open now.

While we wait for this year’s event, we’re featuring videos of some of the 100+ talks from CppCon 2014 for you to enjoy. Here is today’s feature:

Microsoft w/ C++ to Deliver Office Across Different Platforms, Part II

by Zaika Antoun

(watch on YouTube) (watch on Channel 9)

Summary of the talk:

What does it take to target multiple major mobile devices (as well as traditional environments) with portable, efficient, single-source code? This talk demonstrates architectures, techniques, and lessons learned rooted in actual experience with using C++ to deliver several major cross-platform projects across iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) and the SQL Server PowerBI. Each presents a different case study: For example, Office already used C++, whereas PowerBI was originally written in Silverlight and then rewritten in C++; Office is a set of user-facing apps, whereas PowerBI is a system component. Although some of these are demanding first-tier “Cadillac” applications, we expect this experience to be a model for the future as more and more apps fall into this category and use C++ to target many popular platforms from (mostly) a single source base. This talk will cover the following key topics and tradeoffs: Rich vs. reach, including access to latest OS features (e.g., iOS 8 additions) and hardware features (e.g., vector units, GPUs). Consistency of functionality. Client code vs. server/service web code. Sharing vs. quality, including dialing appropriately between more shared code and high quality code. Drawing the line between the bulk of C++ code and interfacing with non-C++ for UX and PALs (platform adaptation/abstraction layers) for target-specific user interface and system services. Architecting PALs, including why “mini-PALs” rather than an “über-PAL.” Forces “doing the right thing” and good architecture with composable components. How C++ enables things not feasible using other technologies. Velocity and enabling faster cross-platform development and deployment. Cost of maintenance, including time, size, and complexity (both breadth and depth). And, last but not least, developing in a single modern C++ source base built with different evolving C++ compilers, including VC++ and Clang/LLVM.