C++

Write safe C++ avoiding memory leaks, dangling pointers, undefined behavior, and ownership confusion.

Audits

Pass

Install

openclaw skills install cpp

Quick Reference

TopicFile
RAII, smart pointers, new/deletememory.md
Raw pointers, references, nullptrpointers.md
Rule of 3/5/0, inheritance, virtualclasses.md
Containers, iterators, algorithmsstl.md
Templates, SFINAE, conceptstemplates.md
Threads, mutex, atomicsconcurrency.md
C++11/14/17/20, move semanticsmodern.md
Undefined behavior trapsub.md

Critical Rules

  • Raw new without delete leaks — use std::unique_ptr or std::make_unique
  • Returning reference to local — undefined behavior, object destroyed on return
  • == for C-strings compares pointers — use std::string or strcmp()
  • Signed integer overflow is UB — not wrap-around like unsigned
  • Virtual destructor required in base class — otherwise derived destructor skipped
  • std::move doesn't move — it casts to rvalue, enabling move semantics
  • Moved-from object valid but unspecified — don't use without reassigning
  • Data race on non-atomic is UB — use std::mutex or std::atomic
  • vector<bool> is not a real container — returns proxy, use deque<bool>
  • map[key] inserts default if missing — use find() or contains() to check
  • Braced init {} prevents narrowing — int x{3.5} errors, int x(3.5) truncates
  • Iterator invalidation on push_back — vector may relocate, invalidating iterators
  • string_view doesn't own data — underlying string must outlive the view