Modern C++ Tutorial

Overview: This lesson covers the technical foundation of the C++ development environment and its historical relationship with the C language. It details how C++ standards (C++98 to C++1x) overlap with C standards (C89 to C11) and provides the specific mechanisms, such as extern "C", required to successfully compile and link mixed C and C++ codebases.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify and verify the C++ compiler environment and target architecture using command-line tools.
• Explain the standard compatibility and overlapping history between C (C89, C99, C11) and C++ (C++98, C++1x).
• Implement functional cross-language linking by using extern "C" headers and multi-stage compilation workflows.

Overview: This lesson explores the evolution of C++ from C++11 through C++20, focusing on enhancements that improve code clarity, type safety, and template flexibility. Students will master modern syntax features like type inference, compile-time evaluation with constexpr, and advanced template techniques including variadic templates and fold expressions.

Learning Outcomes:

• Resolve pointer ambiguity using nullptr and implement compile-time logic using constexpr and if constexpr.
• Simplify complex declarations using auto, decltype, and type aliasing (using) while ensuring robust object-oriented design with override and final.
• Design highly generic code using variadic templates, fold expressions, and non-type template parameter deduction.

Overview: This lesson covers critical runtime enhancements introduced in modern C++ (C++11/14), focusing on functional programming constructs and efficient resource management. Students will master Lambda expressions—including C++14 generic and expression captures—and delve into the mechanics of Move Semantics, Value Categories (Lvalues/Rvalues), and Perfect Forwarding to eliminate unnecessary deep copies in high-performance applications.

Learning Outcomes:

• Define and implement Lambda expressions using various capture modes (Value, Reference, Expression, and Generic).
• Utilize std::function and std::bind to create flexible function wrappers and partial function applications.
• Categorize expressions into Lvalues, Prvalues, and Xvalues, and apply Move Semantics to optimize class resource management.

Overview: This lesson introduces std::array, a container introduced in C++11 as a modern alternative to traditional C-style arrays. It explores the benefits of using a fixed-size container that encapsulates raw arrays while providing a safer, STL-compatible interface and stack-based memory allocation.

Learning Outcomes:

• Differentiate between the memory models and use cases of std::array (fixed size, stack) and std::vector (dynamic size, heap).
• Correctly initialize and manage std::array using member functions like .size() and .empty().
• Apply Standard Template Library (STL) algorithms and range-based loops to std::array objects.

Overview: This lesson introduces Resource Acquisition Is Initialization (RAII) as the foundational philosophy of modern C++ memory management. It covers the transition from manual pointer handling to automated management using std::unique_ptr for exclusive ownership, std::shared_ptr for reference-counted sharing, and std::weak_ptr for breaking circular dependencies.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand and apply the RAII principle to ensure resources are released when they go out of scope.
• Implement shared and exclusive ownership models using std::shared_ptr and std::unique_ptr.
• Identify and resolve memory leaks caused by circular references using std::weak_ptr.

Overview: This lesson covers the implementation of Regular Expressions using the C++11 standard library (std::regex) and their practical application in parsing HTTP requests. Students will learn the syntax of regex quantifiers, the use of std::smatch for result capturing, and the architectural integration of these tools within a template-based Web Server environment.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify and apply regular expression special characters (quantifiers) to define string patterns.
• Utilize std::regex and std::smatch to validate filenames and extract data from strings.
• Implement core server logic, including HTTP request parsing and resource mapping using modern C++ memory models and containers.

Overview: This lesson covers the fundamental shift in C++11 toward a standardized multi-threading model. It transitions from basic thread management and RAII-based locking to advanced synchronization primitives like futures and condition variables, concluding with the rigorous C++11 memory model, atomic operations, and memory consistency guarantees.

Learning Outcomes:

• Manage thread lifecycles and protect shared resources using std::thread, std::mutex, and RAII wrappers (std::lock_guard, std::unique_lock).
• Implement asynchronous workflows and thread communication using std::future, std::packaged_task, and std::condition_variable.
• Apply std::atomic types and select appropriate std::memory_order strategies to ensure memory visibility and prevent illegal instruction reordering.

Overview: This lesson explores the evolution of the C++ Standard Library, focusing on the high-level features introduced in C++11 and subsequent standards. It highlights the transition from platform-specific or low-level implementations to standardized, high-level utilities like std::filesystem and concurrency tools.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the key concurrency components added to the Standard Library in C++11.
• Recognize std::filesystem as a major addition for modern path and file management.
• Understand the role of high-level abstractions in modernizing C++ development.

Overview: This lesson covers a selection of impactful features introduced in C++11 and refined in later standards to improve type safety, performance, and code readability. Students will learn about the long long int type, exception specifications with noexcept, enhanced string and user-defined literals, and fine-grained control over memory alignment via alignof and alignas.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify and implement the long long int type for extended integer precision.
• Apply the noexcept specifier to optimize exception handling and use the noexcept operator to query function safety.
• Utilize Raw String Literals to simplify complex string definitions and create User-defined Literals for custom type suffixes.

Overview: This lesson introduces the "Big Four" pillars of C++20: Concepts, Modules, Coroutines, and Ranges. These features represent the most significant evolution of the language since C++11, focusing on improving template safety, compilation efficiency, asynchronous programming, and functional-style data processing.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify and describe the four major features introduced in the C++20 standard.
• Explain the role of Concepts and Constraints in improving template error handling and design.
• Differentiate between the traditional header-based approach and the new Modules system.