Exception-Safe Coding in C++
My talk at the 2012 C++ Now! Conference (better known as BoostCon) won Best Tutorial.
This talk was a longer version (three hours in two parts) so I was able to cover some of the material that I removed in order to (almost) fit into the Code Camp seventy-five minute restriction. This additional time also allowed me to update my talk for the exceptions-related changes in the new C++11 Standard.
The BoostCon sessions were recorded and I'll put a link to them here when they are posted by the conference.
For the first time, I'm making my slides available.
Are you 100% confident that your code is exception-safe?
Safe usage of exceptions is a non-trivial problem that the industry has struggled with for the better part of two decades. If you have fear, uncertainty, or doubt about exception safety or just want to see the best practices for using exceptions in C++, this session is for you. We’ll start with “What is the problem we are trying to solve?” and discuss alternatives, acknowledge the challenges associated with with exception usage, and cover some well-meaning but misguided attempts at safety. I will then present a set of guidelines that are the basis for safe exception usage and solid implementation techniques, including how to transition from an exception-unsafe legacy code base.
When we are finished you will know how to produce code that is easier to write, easier to understand, faster, and 100% robust in the face of exceptions.
Handouts
Video