C++ coding standards based on the C++ Core Guidelines (isocpp.github.io). Use when writing, reviewing, or refactoring C++ code to enforce modern, safe, and idiomatic practices.
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Comprehensive coding standards for modern C++ (C++17/20/23) derived from the C++ Core Guidelines. Enforces type safety, resource safety, immutability, and clarity.
enum vs enum class, raw pointer vs smart pointer)These themes recur across the entire guidelines and form the foundation:
const/constexpr; mutability is the exception| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| P.1 | Express ideas directly in code |
| P.3 | Express intent |
| P.4 | Ideally, a program should be statically type safe |
| P.5 | Prefer compile-time checking to run-time checking |
| P.8 | Don't leak any resources |
| P.10 | Prefer immutable data to mutable data |
| I.1 | Make interfaces explicit |
| I.2 | Avoid non-const global variables |
| I.4 | Make interfaces precisely and strongly typed |
| I.11 | Never transfer ownership by a raw pointer or reference |
| I.23 | Keep the number of function arguments low |
// P.10 + I.4: Immutable, strongly typed interface
struct Temperature {
double kelvin;
};
Temperature boil(const Temperature& water);// Weak interface: unclear ownership, unclear units
double boil(double* temp);
// Non-const global variable
int g_counter = 0; // I.2 violation| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| F.1 | Package meaningful operations as carefully named functions |
| F.2 | A function should perform a single logical operation |
| F.3 | Keep functions short and simple |
| F.4 | If a function might be evaluated at compile time, declare it constexpr |
| F.6 | If your function must not throw, declare it noexcept |
| F.8 | Prefer pure functions |
| F.16 | For "in" parameters, pass cheaply-copied types by value and others by const& |
| F.20 | For "out" values, prefer return values to output parameters |
| F.21 | To return multiple "out" values, prefer returning a struct |
| F.43 | Never return a pointer or reference to a local object |
// F.16: Cheap types by value, others by const&
void print(int x); // cheap: by value
void analyze(const std::string& data); // expensive: by const&
void transform(std::string s); // sink: by value (will move)
// F.20 + F.21: Return values, not output parameters
struct ParseResult {
std::string token;
int position;
};
ParseResult parse(std::string_view input); // GOOD: return struct
// BAD: output parameters
void parse(std::string_view input,
std::string& token, int& pos); // avoid this// F.4 + F.8: Pure, constexpr where possible
constexpr int factorial(int n) noexcept {
return (n <= 1) ? 1 : n * factorial(n - 1);
}
static_assert(factorial(5) == 120);T&& from functions (F.45)va_arg / C-style variadics (F.55)const T which inhibits move semantics (F.49)| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| C.2 | Use class if invariant exists; struct if data members vary independently |
| C.9 | Minimize exposure of members |
| C.20 | If you can avoid defining default operations, do (Rule of Zero) |
| C.21 | If you define or =delete any copy/move/destructor, handle them all (Rule of Five) |
| C.35 | Base class destructor: public virtual or protected non-virtual |
| C.41 | A constructor should create a fully initialized object |
| C.46 | Declare single-argument constructors explicit |
| C.67 | A polymorphic class should suppress public copy/move |
| C.128 | Virtual functions: specify exactly one of virtual, override, or final |
// C.20: Let the compiler generate special members
struct Employee {
std::string name;
std::string department;
int id;
// No destructor, copy/move constructors, or assignment operators needed
};// C.21: If you must manage a resource, define all five
class Buffer {
public:
explicit Buffer(std::size_t size)
: data_(std::make_unique<char[]>(size)), size_(size) {}
~Buffer() = default;
Buffer(const Buffer& other)
: data_(std::make_unique<char[]>(other.size_)), size_(other.size_) {
std::copy_n(other.data_.get(), size_, data_.get());
}
Buffer& operator=(const Buffer& other) {
if (this != &other) {
auto new_data = std::make_unique<char[]>(other.size_);
std::copy_n(other.data_.get(), other.size_, new_data.get());
data_ = std::move(new_data);
size_ = other.size_;
}
return *this;
}
Buffer(Buffer&&) noexcept = default;
Buffer& operator=(Buffer&&) noexcept = default;
private:
std::unique_ptr<char[]> data_;
std::size_t size_;
};// C.35 + C.128: Virtual destructor, use override
class Shape {
public:
virtual ~Shape() = default;
virtual double area() const = 0; // C.121: pure interface
};
class Circle : public Shape {
public:
explicit Circle(double r) : radius_(r) {}
double area() const override { return 3.14159 * radius_ * radius_; }
private:
double radius_;
};memset/memcpy on non-trivial types (C.90)const or references, which suppresses move/copy (C.12)| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| R.1 | Manage resources automatically using RAII |
| R.3 | A raw pointer (T*) is non-owning |
| R.5 | Prefer scoped objects; don't heap-allocate unnecessarily |
| R.10 | Avoid malloc()/free() |
| R.11 | Avoid calling new and delete explicitly |
| R.20 | Use unique_ptr or shared_ptr to represent ownership |
| R.21 | Prefer unique_ptr over shared_ptr unless sharing ownership |
| R.22 | Use make_shared() to make shared_ptrs |
// R.11 + R.20 + R.21: RAII with smart pointers
auto widget = std::make_unique<Widget>("config"); // unique ownership
auto cache = std::make_shared<Cache>(1024); // shared ownership
// R.3: Raw pointer = non-owning observer
void render(const Widget* w) { // does NOT own w
if (w) w->draw();
}
render(widget.get());// R.1: Resource acquisition is initialization
class FileHandle {
public:
explicit FileHandle(const std::string& path)
: handle_(std::fopen(path.c_str(), "r")) {
if (!handle_) throw std::runtime_error("Failed to open: " + path);
}
~FileHandle() {
if (handle_) std::fclose(handle_);
}
FileHandle(const FileHandle&) = delete;
FileHandle& operator=(const FileHandle&) = delete;
FileHandle(FileHandle&& other) noexcept
: handle_(std::exchange(other.handle_, nullptr)) {}
FileHandle& operator=(FileHandle&& other) noexcept {
if (this != &other) {
if (handle_) std::fclose(handle_);
handle_ = std::exchange(other.handle_, nullptr);
}
return *this;
}
private:
std::FILE* handle_;
};new/delete (R.11)malloc()/free() in C++ code (R.10)shared_ptr where unique_ptr suffices (R.21)| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| ES.5 | Keep scopes small |
| ES.20 | Always initialize an object |
| ES.23 | Prefer {} initializer syntax |
| ES.25 | Declare objects const or constexpr unless modification is intended |
| ES.28 | Use lambdas for complex initialization of const variables |
| ES.45 | Avoid magic constants; use symbolic constants |
| ES.46 | Avoid narrowing/lossy arithmetic conversions |
| ES.47 | Use nullptr rather than 0 or NULL |
| ES.48 | Avoid casts |
| ES.50 | Don't cast away const |
// ES.20 + ES.23 + ES.25: Always initialize, prefer {}, default to const
const int max_retries{3};
const std::string name{"widget"};
const std::vector<int> primes{2, 3, 5, 7, 11};
// ES.28: Lambda for complex const initialization
const auto config = [&] {
Config c;
c.timeout = std::chrono::seconds{30};
c.retries = max_retries;
c.verbose = debug_mode;
return c;
}();0 or NULL as pointer (ES.47 -- use nullptr)static_cast, const_cast, etc.)const (ES.50)| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| E.1 | Develop an error-handling strategy early in a design |
| E.2 | Throw an exception to signal that a function can't perform its assigned task |
| E.6 | Use RAII to prevent leaks |
| E.12 | Use noexcept when throwing is impossible or unacceptable |
| E.14 | Use purpose-designed user-defined types as exceptions |
| E.15 | Throw by value, catch by reference |
| E.16 | Destructors, deallocation, and swap must never fail |
| E.17 | Don't try to catch every exception in every function |
// E.14 + E.15: Custom exception types, throw by value, catch by reference
class AppError : public std::runtime_error {
public:
using std::runtime_error::runtime_error;
};
class NetworkError : public AppError {
public:
NetworkError(const std::string& msg, int code)
: AppError(msg), status_code(code) {}
int status_code;
};
void fetch_data(const std::string& url) {
// E.2: Throw to signal failure
throw NetworkError("connection refused", 503);
}
void run() {
try {
fetch_data("https://api.example.com");
} catch (const NetworkError& e) {
log_error(e.what(), e.status_code);
} catch (const AppError& e) {
log_error(e.what());
}
// E.17: Don't catch everything here -- let unexpected errors propagate
}int or string literals (E.14)errno (E.28)| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| Con.1 | By default, make objects immutable |
| Con.2 | By default, make member functions const |
| Con.3 | By default, pass pointers and references to const |
| Con.4 | Use const for values that don't change after construction |
| Con.5 | Use constexpr for values computable at compile time |
// Con.1 through Con.5: Immutability by default
class Sensor {
public:
explicit Sensor(std::string id) : id_(std::move(id)) {}
// Con.2: const member functions by default
const std::string& id() const { return id_; }
double last_reading() const { return reading_; }
// Only non-const when mutation is required
void record(double value) { reading_ = value; }
private:
const std::string id_; // Con.4: never changes after construction
double reading_{0.0};
};
// Con.3: Pass by const reference
void display(const Sensor& s) {
std::cout << s.id() << ": " << s.last_reading() << '\n';
}
// Con.5: Compile-time constants
constexpr double PI = 3.14159265358979;
constexpr int MAX_SENSORS = 256;| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| CP.2 | Avoid data races |
| CP.3 | Minimize explicit sharing of writable data |
| CP.4 | Think in terms of tasks, rather than threads |
| CP.8 | Don't use volatile for synchronization |
| CP.20 | Use RAII, never plain lock()/unlock() |
| CP.21 | Use std::scoped_lock to acquire multiple mutexes |
| CP.22 | Never call unknown code while holding a lock |
| CP.42 | Don't wait without a condition |
| CP.44 | Remember to name your lock_guards and unique_locks |
| CP.100 | Don't use lock-free programming unless you absolutely have to |
// CP.20 + CP.44: RAII locks, always named
class ThreadSafeQueue {
public:
void push(int value) {
std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mutex_); // CP.44: named!
queue_.push(value);
cv_.notify_one();
}
int pop() {
std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(mutex_);
// CP.42: Always wait with a condition
cv_.wait(lock, [this] { return !queue_.empty(); });
const int value = queue_.front();
queue_.pop();
return value;
}
private:
std::mutex mutex_; // CP.50: mutex with its data
std::condition_variable cv_;
std::queue<int> queue_;
};// CP.21: std::scoped_lock for multiple mutexes (deadlock-free)
void transfer(Account& from, Account& to, double amount) {
std::scoped_lock lock(from.mutex_, to.mutex_);
from.balance_ -= amount;
to.balance_ += amount;
}volatile for synchronization (CP.8 -- it's for hardware I/O only)std::lock_guard<std::mutex>(m); destroys immediately (CP.44)| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| T.1 | Use templates to raise the level of abstraction |
| T.2 | Use templates to express algorithms for many argument types |
| T.10 | Specify concepts for all template arguments |
| T.11 | Use standard concepts whenever possible |
| T.13 | Prefer shorthand notation for simple concepts |
| T.43 | Prefer using over typedef |
| T.120 | Use template metaprogramming only when you really need to |
| T.144 | Don't specialize function templates (overload instead) |
#include <concepts>
// T.10 + T.11: Constrain templates with standard concepts
template<std::integral T>
T gcd(T a, T b) {
while (b != 0) {
a = std::exchange(b, a % b);
}
return a;
}
// T.13: Shorthand concept syntax
void sort(std::ranges::random_access_range auto& range) {
std::ranges::sort(range);
}
// Custom concept for domain-specific constraints
template<typename T>
concept Serializable = requires(const T& t) {
{ t.serialize() } -> std::convertible_to<std::string>;
};
template<Serializable T>
void save(const T& obj, const std::string& path);constexpr suffices (T.120)typedef instead of using (T.43)| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| SL.1 | Use libraries wherever possible |
| SL.2 | Prefer the standard library to other libraries |
| SL.con.1 | Prefer std::array or std::vector over C arrays |
| SL.con.2 | Prefer std::vector by default |
| SL.str.1 | Use std::string to own character sequences |
| SL.str.2 | Use std::string_view to refer to character sequences |
| SL.io.50 | Avoid endl (use '\n' -- endl forces a flush) |
// SL.con.1 + SL.con.2: Prefer vector/array over C arrays
const std::array<int, 4> fixed_data{1, 2, 3, 4};
std::vector<std::string> dynamic_data;
// SL.str.1 + SL.str.2: string owns, string_view observes
std::string build_greeting(std::string_view name) {
return "Hello, " + std::string(name) + "!";
}
// SL.io.50: Use '\n' not endl
std::cout << "result: " << value << '\n';| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| Enum.1 | Prefer enumerations over macros |
| Enum.3 | Prefer enum class over plain enum |
| Enum.5 | Don't use ALL_CAPS for enumerators |
| Enum.6 | Avoid unnamed enumerations |
// Enum.3 + Enum.5: Scoped enum, no ALL_CAPS
enum class Color { red, green, blue };
enum class LogLevel { debug, info, warning, error };
// BAD: plain enum leaks names, ALL_CAPS clashes with macros
enum { RED, GREEN, BLUE }; // Enum.3 + Enum.5 + Enum.6 violation
#define MAX_SIZE 100 // Enum.1 violation -- use constexpr| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| SF.1 | Use .cpp for code files and .h for interface files |
| SF.7 | Don't write using namespace at global scope in a header |
| SF.8 | Use #include guards for all .h files |
| SF.11 | Header files should be self-contained |
| NL.5 | Avoid encoding type information in names (no Hungarian notation) |
| NL.8 | Use a consistent naming style |
| NL.9 | Use ALL_CAPS for macro names only |
| NL.10 | Prefer underscore_style names |
// SF.8: Include guard (or #pragma once)
#ifndef PROJECT_MODULE_WIDGET_H
#define PROJECT_MODULE_WIDGET_H
// SF.11: Self-contained -- include everything this header needs
#include <string>
#include <vector>
namespace project::module {
class Widget {
public:
explicit Widget(std::string name);
const std::string& name() const;
private:
std::string name_;
};
} // namespace project::module
#endif // PROJECT_MODULE_WIDGET_H// NL.8 + NL.10: Consistent underscore_style
namespace my_project {
constexpr int max_buffer_size = 4096; // NL.9: not ALL_CAPS (it's not a macro)
class tcp_connection { // underscore_style class
public:
void send_message(std::string_view msg);
bool is_connected() const;
private:
std::string host_; // trailing underscore for members
int port_;
};
} // namespace my_projectusing namespace std; in a header at global scope (SF.7)strName, iCount (NL.5)| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| Per.1 | Don't optimize without reason |
| Per.2 | Don't optimize prematurely |
| Per.6 | Don't make claims about performance without measurements |
| Per.7 | Design to enable optimization |
| Per.10 | Rely on the static type system |
| Per.11 | Move computation from run time to compile time |
| Per.19 | Access memory predictably |
// Per.11: Compile-time computation where possible
constexpr auto lookup_table = [] {
std::array<int, 256> table{};
for (int i = 0; i < 256; ++i) {
table[i] = i * i;
}
return table;
}();
// Per.19: Prefer contiguous data for cache-friendliness
std::vector<Point> points; // GOOD: contiguous
std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Point>> indirect_points; // BAD: pointer chasingBefore marking C++ work complete:
new/delete -- use smart pointers or RAII (R.11)const/constexpr by default (Con.1, ES.25)const where possible (Con.2)enum class instead of plain enum (Enum.3)nullptr instead of 0/NULL (ES.47)explicit (C.46)using namespace in headers at global scope (SF.7)scoped_lock/lock_guard) (CP.20)'\n' instead of std::endl (SL.io.50)7713cee
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