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name: Modern C++ description: Standards for using C++23 features in the codebase

Modern C++ Skill

The AstralRenderer project targets C++23. All new code must adhere to modern standards.

Core Features

1. Standard Library

• std::expected: Use for error handling instead of output parameters or exceptions where appropriate.
• std::span: Use for contiguous memory access instead of raw pointer + size.
• std::string_view: Use for read-only string arguments.
• Modules: (If enabled) Prefer standard imports; otherwise use standard #include.

2. Smart Pointers

• Ownership: default to std::unique_ptr for exclusive ownership.
• Sharing: Use std::shared_ptr ONLY when ownership is truly shared (e.g., Resources used by multiple scenes).
• Raw Pointers: Use ONLY for non-owning views (observers). Never delete a raw pointer.

3. Algorithms & Ranges

Use std::ranges for cleaner loop logic.

Preferred:

Copystd::ranges::for_each(items, [](auto& item) { item.update(); });

Avoid:

Copyfor (auto it = items.begin(); it != items.end(); ++it) { ... }

4. Lambdas

Use captures carefully. Prefer [&] only in short-lived local scopes (like RenderGraph callbacks). explicit captures [this] or [var] are preferred for longer scopes.

5. Formatting

• Indentation: 4 spaces.
• Braces: Same line for functions/classes/control structures (K&R style variation or Allman depending on project .clang-format, check existing files). (Note: Check .clang-format if available, otherwise match surrounding code).