C++ and Object-Oriented Programming

Key Learning Areas

• Learn the basic structural elements of a C++ program
• Learn a disciplined approach to program design
• Learn to compose types and implement encapsulation
• Learn the role of copy constructors
• Learn techniques for handling memory allocation errors
• Learn how to model your problem domain
• Learn the features of virtual functions and dynamic binding
• Learn the C++ exception mechanism
• Learn the RTTI mechanism
• Learn the principles behind generic programming
• Learn how to write simple template functions and classes.
• Use the iostream library for input and output

Course Outline

Concepts

• Learn how the object model provides the framework for abstraction, encapsulation, and instantiation

Classes in C++

• Use member data to represent data encapsulated in a class
• Use member functions to implement a class’s operations and provide access to its data
• Use the 'this' pointer to refer to the invoking object
• Implement an abstract data type using C++ classes
• Organize code for C++ classes into code files and header files
• Write simple test programs to exercise each member function of a class

Functions in C++

• Use function prototypes in your code
• Take advantage of C++ support for strong type checking
• Make use of automatic conversion of parameters in function calls when there is a prototype
• Use inline functions
• Use default arguments
• Learn the benefits of overloading
• Learn the standard C/C++ call by value mechanism for passing parameters in functions calls

Constructors and Destructors

• Learn the use and benefit of constructors
• Use multiple constructors in a class, including the default constructor
• Learn the use and benefit of destructors
• Simplify a class by using default arguments in a constructor

Memory Management

• Learn the use of static, automatic (stack) and heap memory
• Use new and delete to manage memory
• Provide constructors and destructors to support dynamic objects
• Discuss techniques for handling memory allocation errors
• Hide details of memory management in a class

Argument Passing

• Use reference declarations to alias variables
• Use references in argument passing
• Learn the role of copy constructors
• Use constant types in your programs

Operator Overloading

• Use overloaded operators in your code
• Learn the semantics of assignment
• Distinguish between initialization and assignment
• Overload the assignment operator
• Implement type conversions by overloading cast operators and by constructors

Access Control

• Use C++ scoping facilities
• Use constants through enumeration types and through the const keyword
• Define "static members" and use them in your code
• Control access to member data and functions through public, private, and protected access specifiers
• Define "friend" function and explain how a friend function differs from a member function

Inheritance

• Use inheritance to model your problem domain and achieve greater code reuse
• Use C++ class derivation to implement inheritance
• Use public, protected and private to control access to class members
• Use an initialization list for proper base class initialization and embedded member initialization
• Determine order of invocation of constructors and destructors
• Distinguish between use of inheritance and composition

Polymorphism and Virtual Functions

• Learn the features of virtual functions and dynamic binding
• Learn pointer conversion in C++ inheritance and use pointers in connection with virtual functions
• Use polymorphism in C++ to write better structured, more maintainable code
• Provide virtual destructors for classes using virtual functions
• Specify abstract classes using pure virtual functions

Exception Handling

• Learn the C++ exception mechanism and contrast it with handling errors by function return codes as in C
• Learn the concepts of context and stack unwinding
• Review the automatic cleanup process that occurs with C++ exception handling
• Describe how matching of a thrown exception is done in the case of multiple catch handlers

Runtime Type Information

• Learn the C++ runtime type information (RTTI) mechanism
• Use RTTI for special purposes in programs where the standard virtual function mechanism is not adequate
• Use dynamic cast to achieve type safety in working with pointer conversions
• Describe the C++ cast notation and discuss its benefits

Templates

• Review the C++ template mechanism and implement programs using templates
• Learn how to write simple template functions and classes
• Understand the principles behind generic programming
• Implement a general array class in C++ using template
• Review the basic elements of the Standard Template Library

File I/O

• Use the iostream library for input and output
• Use formatted I/O with iostreams
• Outline the inheritance hierarchy of the principal streams classes
• Overload operators >> and << to do I/O in your own classes

Who Benefits

To gain the most benefit from this course, students should have experience programming in C

Prerequisites

Experience programming in a modern object-oriented language such as Java or C# is also sufficient