C++ is an ever-improving language used in almost every corner of computing, from embedded systems, operating systems, browsers, games, and trading systems to the ebook reader you may be using to read this book. A new C++ standard comes out every three years, and compiler vendors are quick to pick up on the latest features. I’ve been writing C++ professionally for over 20 years in the seemingly disparate games and finance industries. I have mostly worried about the performance of my code, which led to me creating Compiler Explorer, and not about every little change to the language.
All the while, at the back of my mind, I was concerned I was missing something. When I heard Fran was writing this book, I was excited to have the opportunity to catch up on the newer parts of the language I’d been ignoring for so long.
I first met Fran at the C++ on Sea conference. She was running the lightning talks—each speaker gets 5 minutes to present, one after another in rapid succession. As the compère of the talks, Fran had to cover while one person got up on stage and the previous left, and in doing so, she invited the audience to play various guessing games, such the higher-or-lower card game or smash quiz, getting us to guess various conference speaker names mixed up with C++ keywords. Little did we know she was trying out some of the games she uses as examples in this book!