Lesson 2	Reusable Code C++ Prerequisites
Objective	Identify the technical and conceptual prerequisites for writing reusable C++ code.

Prerequisites for Designing Reusable Code in C++

Before beginning this module, ensure that you have both the technical setup and the foundational C++ knowledge needed to write efficient, reusable programs. This course builds on intermediate-level C++ topics and emphasizes object-oriented techniques for creating modular, maintainable software.

Knowledge Requirements

You should already be comfortable with the core concepts of C++ programming, particularly:

Creating and using classes and objects.
Writing constructors and destructors to manage resources safely.
Implementing dynamic data structures such as arrays with bounds checking and linked lists.
Understanding pointers, references, and memory allocation using modern C++ features like new, delete, and smart pointers (std::unique_ptr, std::shared_ptr).

If you’re new to these ideas, review foundational material on object-oriented programming and data structures before proceeding. Reusable code relies on clean object design, clear ownership semantics, and a solid understanding of inheritance and polymorphism.

Hardware and Software Setup

To complete the exercises, you will need a modern C++ compiler and an integrated development environment (IDE) or text editor. The compiler should support at least the C++11 standard, though C++17 or later is recommended for features like smart pointers, move semantics, and constexpr functions.

Recommended Development Environments

GCC (GNU Compiler Collection): Fully open-source, with complete support for C++11 and beyond. Available on Linux, macOS, and Windows (via MinGW or WSL).
Clang: Offers fast compilation and excellent static analysis, available on macOS and most Linux distributions.
Code::Blocks: A free, cross-platform IDE that bundles GCC and provides an easy setup for beginners. Download at codeblocks.org.
Visual Studio: Microsoft’s IDE includes the MSVC compiler, which now supports most C++20 features. The free Visual Studio Community Edition is recommended for Windows users.
Visual Studio Code: A lightweight editor that integrates well with GCC, Clang, or MSVC when paired with the official C++ extension. Download at code.visualstudio.com.

Learning Approach

This course is hands-on. You will not master C++ simply by reading — you must write and debug code. Manually typing each example reinforces syntax, helps you notice details, and improves long-term retention. Avoid copying and pasting from downloads; instead, type and modify the examples yourself.

If an example does not compile or produce the expected result, take time to troubleshoot it. The debugging process itself is an essential part of becoming a skilled C++ developer. This problem-solving mindset mirrors real-world software development.

Platform Support

This course is designed to be platform-independent. You can work on Windows, macOS, or Linux, provided your compiler meets the required C++ standard. Be aware that certain libraries or build settings may differ slightly between platforms—especially regarding file paths, case sensitivity, or compiler flags.

By ensuring that both your environment and foundational knowledge are ready, you’ll be fully prepared to explore advanced C++ topics such as polymorphism, templates, and reusable software design patterns introduced in the upcoming lessons.

The C++23 standard, ratified in 2023, has become a cornerstone in modern software development by introducing features that enhance code safety, expressiveness, and performance. Developers leverage modules for better encapsulation and faster compilation times, replacing brittle header files with a more robust import/export model that reduces build dependencies and minimizes name clashes in large-scale projects. Concepts, now fully standardized, allow template metaprogramming to be constrained at compile-time, enabling clearer, more maintainable generic code—such as defining `std::ranges::sortable` for algorithms that require sorting capabilities without runtime overhead. Additionally, coroutines provide native support for asynchronous programming, making it easier to write efficient, non-blocking I/O operations in networking libraries or game engines, while multidimensional subscript operators (`operator[]` with multiple arguments) streamline multidimensional array access, as seen in scientific computing and graphics applications.
In practice, C++23 elevates software development workflows across domains like systems programming, embedded systems, and high-performance computing. Executors and senders/receivers lay the groundwork for customizable parallelism, allowing developers to integrate heterogeneous hardware like GPUs more seamlessly than with prior threading models. Features like `std::flat_map` and `std::mdspan` optimize data structures for cache efficiency and multi-dimensional views, crucial for simulations and machine learning frameworks. Tooling has also advanced with improved Unicode support (`std::u8string_view`) and explicit object parameters for safer constructor calls, reducing bugs in safety-critical applications such as automotive software or financial trading systems. By adopting C++23, teams achieve cleaner architectures, faster iteration cycles, and better portability, with compilers like GCC 14, Clang 17, and MSVC 19.3 providing robust support as of 2025.