In designing large-scale C++ applications, you are entering a dimension barely skimmed by most C++ books, particularly considering experience with small programming projects does not scale up to larger projects. This book unites high-level design concepts with specific C++ programming details to reveal practical methods for planning and implementing high-quality large C++ systems. You will learn the importance of physical design in large systems, how to structure your software as an acyclic hierarchy of components, and techniques for reducing link-time and compile-time dependencies. Then the book turns to logical design issues-architecting a component, designing a function, and implementing an object-all in the context of a large-project environment.

John Lakos works at Mentor Graphics, a company that has written more large scale C++ programs than most other software companies and was among the first companies to attempt truly large-scale C++ projects. Lakos has been programming professionally in C++ since 1987, and in 1990 developed Columbia University's graduate course in object-oriented programming which he continues to teach.

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As a member of the IC Division at Mentor Graphics Corporation, I am fortunate to have worked with many bright, talented software engineers, developing very large systems.Back in 1985, Mentor Graphics became one of the first companies to attempt a truly large project in C++. Back then no one knew how to do that, and no one could have anticipated the cost overruns, slipped schedules, huge executables, poor performance, and incredibly expensive build times that a naive approach would inevitably produce.Many valuable lessons were learned along the way - knowledge obtained through bitter experience. There were no books to help guide the design process; object-oriented designs on this scale had never before been attempted.Ten years later, with a wealth of valuable experience under its belt, Mentor Graphics has produced several large software systems written in C++, and in doing so has paved the way for others to do the same without having to pay such a high price for the privilege.During my 13 years as a C (turned C++) Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software developer, I have seen over and over again that planning ahead invariably produces a higher-quality, more maintainable product. My emphasis at Mentor Graphics has been on helping to ensure that quality is an integral part of the design process from the very start.In 1990 I developed the graduate course "Object-Oriented Design and Programming" at Columbia University. As the instructor of this course since 1991, I have had the opportunity to share many of the insights that we at Mentor Graphics gained during our industrial-strength software development efforts. Questions and feedback from literally hundreds of graduate students and professional programmers have helped me to crystallize many important concepts. This book is a direct result of that experience. To my knowledge, this is the first text that identifies development and quality issues that arise only in large C++ projects. I hope that this information will be as useful in your work as it is in mine. Audience Large-Scale C++ Software Designwas written explicitly for experienced C++ software developers, system architects, and proactive quality-assurance professionals. This book is particularly appropriate for those involved in large development efforts such as databases, operating systems, compilers, and frameworks.Developing a large-scale software system in C++ requires more than just a sound understanding of the logical design issues covered in most books on C++ programming. Effective design also requires a grasp of physical design concepts that, although closely tied to the technical aspects of development, include a dimension with which even expert professional software developers may have little or no experience.Yet most of the advice presented in this book also applies to small projects. It is typical for a person to start with a small project and then begin to take on larger and more challenging enterprises. Often the scope of a particular project will expand, and what starts out as a small project becomes a major undertaking. The immediate consequences of disregarding good practice in a large project, however, are far more severe than they are for disregarding good practice in a smaller project.This book unites high-level design concepts with specific C++ programming details to satisfy two needs: An object-oriented design book geared specifically to practical aspects of the C++ programming language. A C++ programming book describing how to use the C++ programming language to develop very large systems. Make no mistake, this is an advanced text. This is not the book from which to learn C++ syntax for the first time, nor is it likely to expose you to the dark corners of the language. Instead, this book will show you how to use the full power of the C++ language in ways that scale well to very large systems.In short, if you feel that you know C++ well, but w