8.4 Summary


In this chapter, we provided in depth discussions of topics we felt warranted such treatment. These topics included copy on write, caching, explicit keyword usage, const , and pass by reference. We also spent some time showing you exactly how to take the image framework provided in the book and extend it with image processing functions to meet the needs of our application. And, for those of you who have an interest in imaging, we highlight some routines that work particularly well for enhancing your digital photographs.

Throughout the book, we've taken a simple test application and evolved it into a commercial-quality image framework by prototyping and later applying C++ constructs designed to meet the requirements. By following this path , we've been able to have detailed discussions on techniques, such as memory management, handle class idiom, reference counting, and template specialization, as they apply directly to solving real world problems. Some of the techniques we expected would end up as part of the final design, like the handle class idiom, proved to have no benefit; whereas other techniques, like template specialization, proved to have significant benefit. The evolution of the framework gave us a concrete code base in which to compare and contrast the usefulness of various C++ constructs. We would not have been able to accomplish this, with the same level of detail, through an abstract or theoretical discussion.

We hope that, in addition to the C++ discussions, you might also find the software provided with the book useful in your software development efforts. We've touched on a number of the utilities that are provided, including the image framework, a unit test framework, a resource manager for localization, and other third-party libraries and development tools. You will be able to find software updates at http://www.appliedcpp.com. Appendix B provides a detailed description of the contents of the CD-ROM.



Applied C++
Applied C++: Practical Techniques for Building Better Software
ISBN: 0321108949
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 59

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