Introduction

What you’ll learn in this chapter

Code annotations - attributes - are probably not the best-known feature of C++. However, they might be handy for expressing additional information for the compiler and also for other programmers. Since C++11 there has been a standard way of specifying attributes. And in C++17 you got even more useful additions related to attrib​utes.

The topics to look forward to in this chapter are:

• What are the attributes in C++

• Vendor-specific code annotations vs the Standard form

• In what cases attributes are handy

• C++11 and C++14 attributes

• New additions in C++17

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The next lesson sheds light on the need for attributes.