Notes
Hi!
One of the first things we worked on was Exercise #6 which involved Vector1. This was a good way to see how a vector actually functions. I learned about the initializer_list class. This class is useful because it allows a vector to be created using a list of values inside curly braces. It makes the code look much simpler. We also looked at heap-allocated arrays. Managing memory on the heap is a big part of C++ and it is important to understand how it works to avoid errors.
We then studied allocator and allocator_traits. These tools are interesting because they separate the process of allocating memory from the process of constructing objects. In many cases, we use the new keyword which does both at the same time. However, using an allocator gives the programmer more control. I learned how to use uninitialized_fill and uninitialized_copy to put objects into raw memory. We also used the destroy function to call destructors without deallocating the memory itself. This level of detail was new to me but it is very useful for performance.
Paper #9 was about the Dependency Inversion Principle. This is a key part of solid software engineering. It suggests that high-level modules should not depend on low-level modules. Instead, both should depend on abstractions. This makes the code much easier to maintain and change in the future. We also started Project #3, which is a voting system. This project required a lot of logic to make sure the votes are counted correctly and that the program runs efficiently.
The collaborative quizzes were a highlight of the week. Talking with my classmates helps me see things from different perspectives. It also helps me identify which topics I need to spend more time studying. The programming challenges were fast, but they helped me practice solving problems when time is limited. I feel like I am making good progress in understanding how these complex systems work together.
My pick of the week is Valgrind. It is a programming tool that helps you find memory leaks and memory bugs in your C++ code. Since we are working with heap-allocated arrays and manual memory management, this tool is very helpful for making sure your program does not waste memory or crash.