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Effective C++ 3rd Edition - Code Examples

Welcome to the documentation and code companion for Scott Meyers' Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs (3rd Edition).

What This Is​

This project provides:

  • Working C++20 code examples for each of the 55 Items in the book
  • Explanations and notes for each concept
  • Cross-references between related Items
  • A modern CMake build system that works on Windows, Linux, and macOS

Building the Examples​

Prerequisites​

  • CMake 3.20+
  • A C++20 compatible compiler:
    • MSVC 2022 (Windows)
    • GCC 11+ (Linux)
    • Clang 14+ (macOS)

Quick Start​

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/henrytien/effective-cpp-3rd.git
cd effective-cpp-3rd

# Configure and build all examples
cmake -B build
cmake --build build --config Release

# Build only a specific item
cmake -B build -DBUILD_ALL_ITEMS=OFF -DBUILD_ITEM_31=ON
cmake --build build --config Release

Generate Visual Studio Solution​

cmake -B build -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64
# Open build/EffectiveCpp3rd.sln in Visual Studio

Book Structure​

The 55 Items are organized into 9 chapters:

  1. Accustoming Yourself to C++ (Items 1-4)
  2. Constructors, Destructors, and Assignment Operators (Items 5-12)
  3. Resource Management (Items 13-17)
  4. Designs and Declarations (Items 18-25)
  5. Implementations (Items 26-31)
  6. Inheritance and Object-Oriented Design (Items 32-40)
  7. Templates and Generic Programming (Items 41-48)
  8. Customizing new and delete (Items 49-52)
  9. Miscellany (Items 53-55)

Acknowledgments​

All credit for the content and wisdom goes to Scott Meyers. If you find these examples helpful, please purchase the book.