ModernCppStarter: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Started with Modern C++ Development

A brief introduction to the project:

ModernCppStarter is a GitHub project developed by TheLartians, aimed at providing a comprehensive guide and template for developers to get started with modern C++ development. With a focus on modern tooling, libraries, and best practices, this project aims to streamline the development process while ensuring code quality and maintainability. It provides a set of guidelines, scripts, and examples to help developers set up a C++ project quickly and easily.

The significance and relevance of the project:
C++ remains a widely used programming language in various industries, especially in performance-critical and resource-constrained applications. However, C++ development can often be complex and challenging due to the language's rich feature set and historical baggage. ModernCppStarter addresses this challenge by providing developers with a set of standardized practices and tools that promote efficiency, reliability, and maintainability. By using ModernCppStarter, developers can focus on writing high-quality code, while relying on industry-best practices and up-to-date tools.

Project Overview:

ModernCppStarter aims to simplify the process of setting up a modern C++ development environment by providing a project template that includes commonly used tools and libraries. The project's goal is to help C++ developers save time and effort, allowing them to focus on core logic and functionality. It provides a clear structure for organizing code, documentation, and build configurations, making it easier to understand and maintain large projects.

ModernCppStarter also emphasizes code quality and maintainability by integrating various tools and practices. It includes modern C++ features, such as CMake for build configurations, Clang-Format for code formatting, and C++17 as the minimum language version. These choices ensure that the resulting codebase is clean, consistent and takes advantage of the latest language features.

The target audience for ModernCppStarter includes both novice and experienced C++ developers who want to adopt modern practices and tooling in their projects. It is suitable for individual developers, small teams, and open-source projects, providing a solid foundation for efficient and scalable code development.

Project Features:

ModernCppStarter offers several key features that enhance the C++ development experience:

- Easy project setup: ModernCppStarter provides a template structure that can be easily customized and adapted to the needs of individual projects. It includes a comprehensive README file with step-by-step instructions on how to set up and configure the project.

- Modern tooling and libraries: The project embraces modern C++ tooling and libraries, such as CMake for build automation, Conan for package management, and Catch2 for unit testing. These tools help automate repetitive tasks, manage dependencies, and ensure the quality and correctness of the code.

- Continuous integration and deployment: ModernCppStarter integrates seamlessly with popular continuous integration and deployment systems, such as Travis CI and AppVeyor. This enables developers to automate the build, test, and deployment processes, ensuring a seamless and efficient development workflow.

- Documentation and examples: The project includes a comprehensive documentation guide that covers various aspects of C++ development, including code organization, best practices, and debugging techniques. It also provides a set of example projects that demonstrate how to use different features and libraries, helping developers quickly understand and adopt the recommended practices.

Technology Stack:

ModernCppStarter utilizes a modern and robust technology stack to support the development of C++ projects. The key technologies and programming languages used in the project include:

- C++17: ModernCppStarter adopts C++17 as the minimum language version, taking advantage of its improved syntax, performance, and library features.

- CMake: CMake is used for build configuration and automation. It allows for platform-independent project setups and simplifies the build process for multi-platform projects.

- Conan: Conan is utilized for dependency management, making it easier to manage and integrate third-party libraries into the project.

- Catch2: Catch2 is a popular C++ unit testing framework that is included in ModernCppStarter. It provides a simple and expressive syntax for writing tests and helps developers ensure the correctness of their code.

By using these technologies, ModernCppStarter promotes code consistency, portability, and performance, making it easier for developers to maintain and extend their C++ projects.

Project Structure and Architecture:

ModernCppStarter follows a well-defined project structure and architecture principles, ensuring clear separation of concerns and modularity. The project structure consists of the following components:

- `src/`: This directory contains the project's source code, organized into modules and subdirectories as necessary. It provides a clear separation between header files (`*.h`) and source files (`*.cpp`).

- `tests/`: This directory includes unit tests for the project using Catch It allows for testing individual components and verifying the correctness of their implementation.

- `include/`: This directory contains public header files that are intended to be shared with external libraries or users of the project.

- `docs/`: This directory includes documentation files, such as the project's README, contributing guidelines, and code documentation.

- `scripts/`: This directory contains helpful scripts and tools that can be used to automate common tasks, such as building, testing, and formatting code.

ModernCppStarter follows a modular architecture, where each component is responsible for a specific functionality or feature. This allows for easier maintenance, testing, and extensibility of the project.

Contribution Guidelines:

ModernCppStarter actively encourages contributions from the open-source community to improve and expand the project. The guidelines for contributing are outlined in the project's README file and include the following:

- Submitting bug reports and feature requests: Developers are encouraged to open issues on the GitHub repository to report bugs or suggest new features. Detailed descriptions and steps to reproduce are highly appreciated.

- Submitting code contributions: The project welcomes code contributions from developers. The preferred process is to fork the repository, create a new branch for the changes, and submit a pull request. The project owners provide detailed guidelines on coding standards, testing, and documentation to ensure that contributed code aligns with the project's goals and quality standards.

- Providing feedback and suggestions: Developers are encouraged to participate in discussions on the GitHub repository, providing feedback and suggestions for improvements. This helps the project evolve and cater to the needs of the community.

ModernCppStarter promotes an inclusive and collaborative environment for developers, making it easy for anyone to contribute and participate in the project's growth.