Gain insights into using Modern C++ for embedded programming. Learn about safety-critical systems, optimize performance, manage limited resources, and handle parallel execution effectively.

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C++11

C++ 17

Embedded Programming with Modern C++  is highly valuable for each professional programmer.

In the past, embedded and system programming have had their pitfalls, but modern C++ has been designed to be a better language for this type of development, addressing the previous pitfalls/requirements explicitly. What are these requirements? Embedded systems deal with safety-critical systems, meaning they must guarantee high performance combined with limited resources, while also working in parallel.

The scope of this course goes beyond just embedded programming. Developers who write servers, games, or trading systems may especially benefit from this course because they also have to deal with safety-critical systems, high performance, reduced resources, and parallel execution in their jobs.

To get the most out of the course, you only need a basic understanding of C++. Building off this understanding, this course goes over all the essentials of embedded programming with Modern C++.

Let's get started!

Embedded Programming with Modern C++

Smart pointers are one of the most important additions to C++ because they enable you to implement explicit memory management in C++. Beyond the *deprecated* `std::auto_ptr`, C++ offers three different smart pointers. They are defined in the header `<memory>`.  

Firstly, there is the `std::unique_ptr`, which models the concept of exclusive ownership. Secondly, there is the `std::shared_ptr`, which models the concept of shared ownership. Lastly, there is the `std::weak_ptr`. `std::weak_ptr` is not smart, as it has only a thin interface, and it serves to break cycles of `std::shared_ptr`. It models the concept of temporary ownership. 

The smart pointers manage their resource according to the RAII idiom. Therefore, the resource is automatically released if the smart pointer goes out of scope.

><span style="font-size: 1em">ℹ️</span> **Resource Acquisition Is Initialization**
**R**esource **A**cquisition **I**s **I**nitialization, short RAII, stands for a popular technique in C++, in which the resource acquisition and release are bound to the lifetime of an object. This means that the memory for the smart pointer is allocated in the constructor and deallocated in the destructor. You can use this technique in C++ because the destructor is called when the object goes out of scope.


Smart pointers are one of the most important additions to C++ because they enable you to implement explicit memory management in C++. Beyond the *deprecated* `std::auto_ptr`, C++ offers three different smart pointers. They are defined in the header `<memory>`.  

Firstly, there is the `std::unique_ptr`, which models the concept of exclusive ownership. Secondly, there is the `std::shared_ptr`, which models the concept of shared ownership. Lastly, there is the `std::weak_ptr`. `std::weak_ptr` is not smart, as it has only a thin interface, and it serves to break cycles of `std::shared_ptr`. It models the concept of temporary ownership. 

The smart pointers manage their resource according to the RAII idiom. Therefore, the resource is automatically released if the smart pointer goes out of scope.

><span>ℹ️</span> **Resource Acquisition Is Initialization**
**R**esource **A**cquisition **I**s **I**nitialization, short RAII, stands for a popular technique in C++, in which the resource acquisition and release are bound to the lifetime of an object. This means that the memory for the smart pointer is allocated in the constructor and deallocated in the destructor. You can use this technique in C++ because the destructor is called when the object goes out of scope.


This lesson will introduce you to smart pointers in Modern C++.

Introduction

Safety-Critical Systems

High Performance

Reduced Resources

Several Tasks Simultaneously

Conclusion

Smart Pointers: Introduction

Introduction