Q: Why avoid std::endl and plain enums in C++?

std::endl forces a stream flush, hurting performance; use '\n' instead (SL.io.50). Plain enums leak names into enclosing scope and allow implicit conversions; enum class provides scoping and type safety (Enum.3).

Question 1

How do I enforce C++ Core Guidelines in code reviews?

Accepted Answer

Apply the rule-referenced checklist covering sections like R.11 (no raw new/delete), C.46 (explicit constructors), and Enum.3 (enum class). Each violation maps to a specific guideline number with a corrected code example.

Question 2

What C++ coding standards cover modern C++20 features?

Accepted Answer

The C++ Core Guidelines cover C++20 features including concepts for constraining templates (T.10, T.11), std::scoped_lock for multi-mutex locking (CP.21), and constexpr compile-time computation (Per.11, Con.5).

Question 3

When should I use unique_ptr vs shared_ptr in C++?

Accepted Answer

Prefer unique_ptr by default for exclusive ownership (R.21). Use shared_ptr only when ownership is genuinely shared, and create it with make_shared (R.22). Raw pointers should represent non-owning observers only (R.3).

Question 4

Does this apply to legacy C or embedded C++ codebases?

Accepted Answer

The standards target modern C++17/20/23 and are not suited for legacy C codebases that cannot adopt modern features. Embedded or bare-metal contexts should adapt guidelines selectively where hardware constraints conflict.

Question 5

Why avoid std::endl and plain enums in C++?

Accepted Answer

std::endl forces a stream flush, hurting performance; use '
' instead (SL.io.50). Plain enums leak names into enclosing scope and allow implicit conversions; enum class provides scoping and type safety (Enum.3).

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