Embedded programs are often characterized by special requirements. They often have a special program structure (setup, loop), no heap may be used to avoid memory fragmentation, they must react to interrupts, comply with requirements such as the MISRA or AUTOSAR guidelines, etc.

Traditionally, embedded programs are often written in C. With the advancement of compilers, most language elements of C++ today no longer have any disadvantage over C in terms of code size and speed.

The new C++ standards (C++11, C++14, C++17, C++20 and C++23) have added new language elements to C++ that result in faster and smaller code than the C alternatives.
However, one of the most important arguments in favor of C++ is that embedded programs are becoming more complex and larger. This complexity is often difficult to handle with the C features. Here, C++ offers enormous advantages that save development costs and contribute to the reliability of applications.
Essentially all compilers for embedded programs (Espressif, STM32CubeIDE, Arduino usw.) support the new C++ standards..

Seminar Objectives: In this Embedded C++ basic course, fundamental language elements and concepts of C++ (e.g. data types, statements, object-oriented programming) are introduced. The focus is on the new language features of C++11, C++14 and C++17 and their possible applications for embedded systems. Numerous examples show their possible use for common microcontroller boards (STM32, ESP32, Arduino, Rasperry Pi etc.). Together with the language elements, the AUTOSAR C++14 and MISRA rules for safety-related systems are also presented.

The contents can be adapted to the wishes of the participants.

1. Elementary Data Types and Instructions

Integral types (int, bool, char, etc.)
Floating point types
Standard conversions
Type safe initializations and conversions with initializer lists
Elementary statements (if, for, while, etc.)
Functions
Constants with const and constexpr
Preprocessor instructions (macros, pragmas)
Expressions
Arrays
typedef
Namespaces

2. Functions, Value- and Reference Parameters

Value and reference parameters
Function pointers, Interrupts and Interrupt Service Routines (ISR)
Recursion
Inline functions
Default arguments
Overloaded functions and operators
Functions of the standard library (e.g. math.h and cmath)
The „function type“ std::function

3. The string classes string, wstring etc.

Member functions for string manipulation
Raw string literals
Unicode strings
Conversions between strings and elementary data types
Regular expressions

4. Simple self-defined data types

Classes defined with struct
Weak and strongly typed enumeration types (enum)
Finite state machines
Task scheduling

5. Pointers

Pointer variables and the address operator
Dynamically created variables, new and delete
Dynamic Arrays
Arrays, pointer arithmetic
Function pointers
Linked lists and tree structures
Zero terminated strings and associated library functions

6. Object-oriented programming

Classes, data members and member functions
The rule of zero
Data encapsulation: private, public and protected
The this pointer
Constructors and destructors
OO Analysis and Design
Standard constructor, copy constructor, and assignment operator
Static class members
Inheritance and multiple inheritance
Implicit conversions between classes in a hierarchy
is-a and has-a relationships – inheritance vs. composition
Virtual functions, override and polymorphism

7. Container classes

vector, list, deque etc.
Iterators
The range-based for loop
Algorithms of the Standard Library

About „Embedded C++ Basics Training“

Target audience for this C++ training

Software developers who want to learn C++ for professional use, in particular experienced embedded C programmers who want to move to C++.

Teaching style of the C++ seminar

Lecture with many examples. A balanced combination of theory and practice.

At the beginning of a new topic, an overview of applications, basic ideas and syntax is given.
The concepts and the syntax are illustrated by using carefully selected and proven examples. Often, best practices“ are presented.
The manuscript contains numerous practical exercises.
If desired, tasks from the work of the students can also be dealt with. This should be arranged before the start of the training.

Training Materials

Extensive and detailed training materials (approx. 200 pages) – Full text, no PowerPoint slides containing only keywords. Therefore, the course materials can also be used as a reference at work.

Place and time of this C++ training

This seminar is offered as an inhouse seminar (at your site). The implementation as a face-to-face seminar is preferred, but is also possible as an online seminar. Dates by arrangement.

Duration: 5 days

Lecturer

Prof. Richard Kaiser has been conducting seminars for companies for many years, mainly on software development and the programming languages C#, C++ and C. He knows the requirements of practice and addresses them in detail, both in the basic concepts and in the details. His clients include renowned global corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises. He is the author of several books on C++, most recently „C++ mit Visual Studio 2019“. He was a member of the DIN standardization committee Information Technology NI-22 for many years.