Contractual Disappointment in C++

Writing robust software in C++ is challenging. Effective use of modern tools and guidelines helps a great deal. And successive revisions of the language and the standard library add features which help the user prevent problems. But inevitably, upsets happen during program operation. This talk discusses what program developers can do to help.

Contracts and their implications are the main tool used to frame run-time failure. Through their lens I attempt to show that careful understanding of interfaces is the most effective way to ensure usability, efficiency and reliability.