Tooling and Testing

Recommended compiler flags

GCC / Clang

-std=c++23 -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -Wconversion -O2

Debug builds

-g -O0 -fsanitize=address,undefined

Build tools

• CMake: de facto standard build system
• Ninja: fast backend often used with CMake
• compile_commands.json: useful for IDEs and linters

Formatting and linting

• clang-format
• clang-tidy
• Include-what-you-use

Fast workflow example

clang-format -i src/main.cpp
clang-tidy src/main.cpp -- -std=c++23

Formatting keeps style consistent. Linting highlights suspicious patterns before they become bugs or review comments.

Testing patterns

• Arrange, act, assert
• Prefer deterministic tests
• Test public behavior, not private implementation details
• Add regression tests for every bug fix

Tiny Arrange-Act-Assert example

TEST(parse_port, rejects_empty_input) {
	auto result = parse_port("");
	ASSERT_FALSE(result.has_value());
}

Helpful libraries

• Catch2
• GoogleTest
• doctest

Best-practice reminders

• Turn warnings into errors in CI when practical.
• Keep debug and release configurations separate.
• Use sanitizers early; they catch real bugs fast.

End-to-end local quality loop

g++ -std=c++23 -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -g -fsanitize=address,undefined src/main.cpp -o build/app
./build/app
clang-tidy src/main.cpp -- -std=c++23
ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

This sequence covers compilation, runtime checks, static analysis, and tests without requiring a huge build system.

Useful clang-tidy checks

• modernize-*
• performance-*
• bugprone-*
• readability-*

Start broad, then suppress intentionally noisy rules in project configuration.

CMake workflow essentials

cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja
cmake --build build
ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

• Keep builds out of the source tree.
• Generate compile_commands.json for language tools.
• Let CI run formatting, static analysis, tests, and sanitizers separately.

Practical tool selection

• warnings: first line of defense
• sanitizers: runtime memory and UB checks
• clang-tidy: structural and style-oriented checks
• tests: prove behavior stays correct over time

Debugging checklist

• Reproduce with the smallest failing input.
• Turn on sanitizers before chasing complex theories.
• Inspect optimized-vs-debug differences only after you have a clear reproducer.

CI habit worth adopting early

Even small projects benefit from one automated check that builds, runs tests, and fails on warnings or sanitizer findings. Catching issues before merge is much cheaper than debugging them later.