C++ for C Programmers

Overview

C++ is undoubtedly one of the most popular programming languages for software development. It brings language enhancements and object-oriented programming support to C++. However, C++ is a large and sometimes difficult language, and even with a C background, a programmer needs to understand C++ programming style as well as C++ constructs to get the best out of it. QA Training's highly successful C++ for C Programmers course has a thorough theoretical and practical coverage of the language. This helps to eliminate the misconceptions and poor programming practice that can cause so many problems.

For experienced C programmers, the course will illustrate how to get the benefits of good software engineering and code reuse by using standard C++ and object-oriented programming techniques in real-world programming situations. There will be ample opportunity to apply these techniques during the practical sessions.

Delegates without extensive C experience should attend our C++ for non-C Programmers course instead.

This is a hands on course with a mix of tuition and practical sessions for each technical chapter which reinforce the C++ syntax and object-oriented programming techniques covered in the course.

Prerequisites

• C Programmers wishing to learn or improve in C++.
• Delegates must have solid experience of C including structures (i.e. struct and/or class); Declaration and use of pointers; Function declaration, definition and use with call by value or call by pointer; Dynamic memory allocation (i.e. malloc and free, or new and delete); Multiple source file projects (requiring project files or makes files). You should also have a good appreciation of object-oriented principles or have attended our Object-Oriented Primer course.
• Delegates with less than four months or no recent experience of C should attend the C++ for non-C Programmers course instead.

Delegates will learn how to

• Define classes.
• Write class member functions.
• Use constructors, destructors and dynamic memory.
• Write code that is efficient and robust.
• Build new classes from other classes using inheritance, composition and association.
• Use template classes.
• Use operator overloading.
• Design and write classes with polymorphic behaviour.

Course Outline.

Course Introduction

• Course Prerequisites
• Course Objectives
• Course Delivery
• Course Practicals
• Course Structure

An Overview of OO Programming and C++

• Review of OOP principles
• Behaviour, state, identity, inheritance, polymorphism
• History and evolution of C++
• Key features of C++
• C++ as a better and safer C

The Class Approach

• Grouping of data and functionality
• Syntax of a class declaration
• Syntax of use
• Public and private
• Abstract Data Types
• Program structure

Providing Class Functionality

• Member functions
• Function overloading
• Default arguments
• Ambiguities
• Anonymous arguments
• Resolving scope conflicts
• The Scope resolution operator
• The this pointer

Object birth and death

• Life of an object
• Constructors
• operator new
• Death of an object
• Destructors
• operator delete
• Dynamic arrays

Efficiency and Integrity Issues

• Enumerations
• Const declarations
• Const member functions
• Const member data
• Inline function mechanism
• Reference variables

Composite Classes

• An opportunity for reuse
• Scoping and initialisation
• Order of construction
• Member Initialisation lists
• Use of fundamental classes

Associative Classes

• Delegating class functionality
• Dynamic associations
• Custody and lifetime
• Constant associations

Operator Overloading

• Operator functions
• Unary operators
• Binary operators
• Global operators
• Member operators
• Subscript operators
• Input operators
• Output operators
• Guidelines

Class Properties

• Static data members
• Static member functions
• Nested types
• Forward declarations
• Friend classes

Container Classes

• Organising collections of objects
• Template classes
• vector
• list
• Iterators
• Template functions
• Algorithms
• Using the Standard Library

Copying and Conversions

• The copy assignment operator
• Copy constructors
• Conversions to a class object
• Conversions from a class object

Inheritance

• Extension of existing classes
• Notation, syntax, terminology
• Protected members
• Scoping and initialisation
• Multiple inheritance
• Abstract base classes
• Guidelines

Polymorphism

• Modified class behaviour
• Virtual functions
• virtual destructors
• Late binding
• Inside the virtual function mechanism
• Pure virtual functions
• Use of pointers to base type
• Guidelines

The Way Ahead

• Review
• Support after this course
• Further C information sources
• Future evolution of C++ Appendices
• C++ 11 Standard Enhancements
• Namespaces
• Overview of exception handling
• Smart pointers
• Customised memory management
• Interfacing with C
• Class design recommendations