cpp-coding-standards

What this skill does

When applied, it prepends a system prompt before your request is sent — no extra calls and no change to how you are billed beyond the added tokens.

---
name: cpp-coding-standards
description: C++ coding standards based on the C++ Core Guidelines (isocpp.github.io). Use when writing, reviewing, or refactoring C++ code to enforce modern, safe, and idiomatic practices.
origin: ECC
---

# C++ Coding Standards (C++ Core Guidelines)

Comprehensive coding standards for modern C++ (C++17/20/23) derived from the [C++ Core Guidelines](https://isocpp.github.io/CppCoreGuidelines/CppCoreGuidelines). Enforces type safety, resource safety, immutability, and clarity.

## When to Use

- Writing new C++ code (classes, functions, templates)
- Reviewing or refactoring existing C++ code
- Making architectural decisions in C++ projects
- Enforcing consistent style across a C++ codebase
- Choosing between language features (e.g., `enum` vs `enum class`, raw pointer vs smart pointer)

### When NOT to Use

- Non-C++ projects
- Legacy C codebases that cannot adopt modern C++ features
- Embedded/bare-metal contexts where specific guidelines conflict with hardware constraints (adapt selectively)

## Cross-Cutting Principles

These themes recur across the entire guidelines and form the foundation:

1. **RAII everywhere** (P.8, R.1, E.6, CP.20): Bind resource lifetime to object lifetime
2. **Immutability by default** (P.10, Con.1-5, ES.25): Start with `const`/`constexpr`; mutability is the exception
3. **Type safety** (P.4, I.4, ES.46-49, Enum.3): Use the type system to prevent errors at compile time
4. **Express intent** (P.3, F.1, NL.1-2, T.10): Names, types, and concepts should communicate purpose
5. **Minimize complexity** (F.2-3, ES.5, Per.4-5): Simple code is correct code
6. **Value semantics over pointer semantics** (C.10, R.3-5, F.20, CP.31): Prefer returning by value and scoped objects

## Philosophy & Interfaces (P.*, I.*)

### Key Rules

| Rule | Summary |
|------|---------|
| **P.1** | Express ideas directly in code |
| **P.3** | Express intent |
| **P.4** | Ideally, a program should be statically type safe |
| **P.5** | Prefer 

Use this skill

{
  "model": "gpt-4o-mini",
  "skill": "imp-564525be-18e3-4579-9717-36140f1b63b6",
  "messages": [{ "role": "user", "content": "…" }]
}

More skills