Build, Debug, and Test

Compile with warnings, debug with symbols, and use sanitizers to catch bugs early.

Build, Debug, and Test

Compiler flags

For local work, start with strong warnings.

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

Debugging

Add debug symbols and disable heavy optimization while diagnosing problems.

-g -O0

Sanitizers

-fsanitize=address,undefined

These catch memory and undefined-behavior bugs that might otherwise look random.

Testing advice

Create a minimal failing test first
Fix the code
Keep the test as a regression check

A practical CMake loop

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

This is the default workflow many modern C++ projects settle on, even when the codebase grows.

Sanitizer strategy

AddressSanitizer: memory errors and use-after-free
UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer: undefined behavior such as signed overflow in suspicious cases
ThreadSanitizer: data races in concurrent code

Run them in dedicated builds instead of combining every tool in one configuration.

Better bug reports

When you find a bug, record the failing input, compiler, build flags, and exact observed output. That information turns debugging from guessing into engineering.