C++ project for the summer.?

Question

Hey,

So, I might not have a job this summer because my school is awesome and so I get out about a month after everyone else...

I am a CS major, and I love Java, and HATE C++. So, being this way, I want to force myself to love C++ and actually learn it so that I don't hate it...

But anyways, I need a project, that has to do with C++, that'll require me to work quiet a bit, but come out with some kind of positive outcome. I want something challenging, but useful, and do-able. I am a pretty good programmer, so I can do most anything, but I don't have any idea as to what I should do...

Any help would be great, and thanks,
Justin W.

Answer 1

C++ offers so many features that are so easy to misuse especially if you "HATE" it, that it's easy to spend the summer doing nothing but writing bad code and making bad habits worse.



If you're coming with Java background, you will need to discipline yourself a little bit: make sure to never use arrays, and *never* use the keyword new (or malloc for that matter). Not a single time. Minimize the use of shared pointers (make_shared is not technically "new", but it's still a bad thing when used irresponsibly). Learn the concepts of scope-bound resource management and strict object ownership and use them in practice. Never write an explicit unlock() on a mutex, never write an explicit .close() on a file stream. Use containers, use iterators, use the boost libraries.



As for a worthwhile problem, depends on what you're into. If I were in your shoes, I would write a translator from one of my favorite non-mainstream programming languages, probably something functional. Or I would build yet another real-time priority-inheriting event processing library. Or how about a steganographic file encryption program, for hiding your secret data in the innocent-looking mp3/jpg/avi files on disk, without changing the way they sound/look? In general, consider tasks that are not gui-oriented and are performance-oriented.

Answer 2

It's a bit late to apply for a Google summer of code program, but you could always apply next year, there's even a money reward in case you get enrolled.



In the meantime you could jump into some open source program, that way you would not only get better at programming but you would also help improve free open software. Then you should probably get into something that yourself would want to use or already are using.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Follow any good book for C++ available in the market. It is a very nice and powerful language.