Effective C++ by Scott Meyers (Short Summary)
  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1 - Accustoming Yourself to C++
    • Item 1 - View C++ as a federation of languages.
    • Item 2 - Prefer consts, enums, and inlines to #defines.
    • Item 3 - Use const whenever possible.
    • Item 4 - Make sure that objects are initialized before they’re used.
  • Chapter 2 - Constructors, Destructors, and Assignment Operators
    • Item 5 - Know what functions C++ silently writes a calls.
    • Item 6 - Explicitly disallow the use of compiler-generated functions you do not want.
    • Item 7 - Declare destructors virtual in polymorphic base classes.
    • Item 8 - Prevent exceptions from leaving destructors.
    • Item 9 - Never call virtual functions during construction or destruction.
    • Item 10 - Have assignment operators return a reference to *this.
    • Item 11 - Handle assignment to self in operator=.
    • Item 12 - Copy all parts of an object.
  • Chapter 3 - Resource Management
    • Item 13 - Use objects to manage resources.
    • Item 14 - Think carefully about copying behavior in resource-managing classes.
    • Item 15 - Provide access to raw resources in resource-managing classes.
    • Item 16 - Use the same form in corresponding uses of new and delete.
    • Item 17 - Store newed objects in smart pointers in standalone statements.
  • Chapter 4 - Designs and Declarations
    • Item 18 - Make interfaces easy to use correctly and hard to use incorrectly.
    • Item 19 - Treat class design as type design.
    • Item 20 - Prefer pass-by-reference-to-const to pass-by-value.
    • Item 21 - Don't try to return a reference when you must return an object.
    • Item 22 - Declare data members private.
    • Item 23 - Prefer non-member non-friend functions to member functions.
    • Item 24 - Declare non-member functions when type conversions should apply to all parameters.
    • Item 25 - Consider support for a non-throwing swap.
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Chapter 2 - Constructors, Destructors, and Assignment Operators

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Almost every class you write will have one or more constructors, a destructor, and a copy assignment operator. Little wonder. These are your bread-and-butter functions, the ones that control the fundamental operations of bringing a new object into existence and making sure it’s initialized, getting rid of an object and making sure it’s properly cleaned up, and giving an object a new value. Making mistakes in these functions will lead to far-reaching — and unpleasant — repercussions throughout your classes, so it’s vital that you get them right. In this chapter, I offer guidance on putting together the functions that comprise the backbone of well-formed classes.

Know what functions C++ silently writes a calls.

Explicitly disallow the use of compiler-generated functions you do not want.

Declare destructors virtual in polymorphic base classes.

Prevent exceptions from leaving destructors.

Never call virtual functions during construction or destruction.

Have assignment operators return a reference to *this.

Handle assignment to self in operator=.

Copy all parts of an object.

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