Modern C++ Best Practices

Prefer clarity over cleverness

Simple code is easier to debug, review, and extend.

Good defaults

• Use const by default
• Use std::vector by default for dynamic lists
• Use std::string_view for non-owning text parameters when lifetime is safe
• Use std::unique_ptr for exclusive ownership
• Use algorithms over hand-written loops when intent is clearer

Design guidance

• Make illegal states hard to represent
• Keep classes small and focused
• Avoid hidden ownership rules
• Minimize global state

Tooling guidance

• Compile with strong warnings
• Run sanitizers in debug builds
• Add tests for bug fixes
• Format automatically

API design guidance

• Make ownership obvious in types and function signatures.
• Prefer returning values over output parameters.
• Use std::span and std::string_view for read-only borrowed data when lifetimes are clear.
• Mark must-check return values with [[nodiscard]].

Error-handling guidance

• Use exceptions for exceptional failures that should unwind through multiple layers.
• Use std::optional when "no result" is normal.
• Use std::expected when callers should process structured error information.

Modern feature adoption

Adopt features that improve readability and correctness first: concepts, std::span, std::jthread, std::format, and std::expected typically pay off faster than large architecture rewrites.