In this chapter, we will cover some useful recipes for creating our own libraries, including an explanation of the principle of least surprise, which encourages us to implement libraries using semantics that our users are already familiar with. We will also look at how to namespace everything to ensure our custom libraries don't conflict with others. In addition, we will look at how to create header-only libraries, as well as some best practices associated with library development. Finally, we will conclude this chapter with a demonstration of the boost libraries to show you what a large library looks like and how it can be used by users in their own projects.

In this chapter, we will cover the following recipes:

• Understanding the principle of least surprise
• How to namespace everything
• Header-only libraries
• Learning library development...

To compile and run the examples in this chapter, you must have administrative access to a computer running Ubuntu 18.04 with a functional internet connection. Prior to running these examples, you must install the following packages using the following command:

> sudo apt-get install build-essential git cmake

If this is installed on any operating system other than Ubuntu 18.04, then GCC 7.4 or higher and CMake 3.6 or higher will be required.

When either using existing C++ libraries or creating your own, understanding the principle of least surprise (also called the principle of least astonishment) is critical to developing source code efficiently and effectively. This principle simply states that any feature that a C++ library provides should be intuitive and should operate as the developer expects. Another way of saying this is that a library's APIs should be self-documenting. Although this principle is critically important when designing libraries, it can and should be applied to all forms of software development. In this recipe, we will explore this principle in depth.

As with all of the recipes...

When creating a library, it is important to namespace everything. Doing so ensures that of the APIs provided by the library cause name collisions with the user's code or with facilities provided by other libraries. In this recipe, we will demonstrate how to do this in our own libraries.

As with all of the recipes in this chapter, ensure that all of the technical requirements have been met, including installing Ubuntu 18.04 or higher and running the following in a Terminal window:

> sudo apt-get install build-essential git cmake

This will ensure your operating system has the proper tools to compile and execute the examples in this recipe. Once you have done this, open a new...

Header-only libraries are exactly as they sound; an entire library is implemented using header files (usually a single header file). The benefit of header-only libraries is that they are easy to include in your project as you simply include the header and you are done (there is no need to compile the library as there are no source files to compile). In this recipe, we will learn about some issues that arise when attempting to create a header-only library and how to overcome them. This recipe is important because, if you plan to create your own library, a header-only library is a great place to start and will likely increase your adoption rates as downstream users will have less trouble integrating your library into their code base.

When writing your own library, there are certain best practices that all library authors should adhere to. In this recipe, we will explore some higher-priority best practices and conclude with some information about a project dedicated to defining these best practices, including a registration system that provides your library with a grade as to how well it compiles. This recipe is important as it will teach you how to make the highest-quality library, ensuring a strong and vibrant user base.

As with all of the recipes in this chapter, ensure that all of the technical requirements have been met, including installing Ubuntu 18.04 or higher and running the following in...

The boost libraries are a set of libraries designed to work in conjunction with the standard C++ libraries. In fact, a lot of the libraries that are currently being provided by C++ originated from the boost libraries. The boost libraries provide everything from containers, clocks, and timers to more complicated mathematical APIs such as graphs and CRC calculations. In this recipe, we will learn how to use the boost libraries, specifically to demonstrate what a large library looks like and how such a library would be included in a user's project. This recipe is important as it will demonstrate just how complicated a library can get, teaching you how to write your own libraries accordingly.