How do you design and document a custom STL map class or adapter?

1 What is a custom STL map class or adapter?

A custom STL map class or adapter is a C++ class that either inherits from the STL map class or wraps around it, and provides additional or modified functionality. For example, you may want to create a custom map that uses a different comparison function for the keys, or that supports multi-threading, or that has a different iterator interface. A custom map class or adapter can be useful when you want to extend or adapt the STL map to fit your application domain or coding style.

2 How to design a custom STL map class or adapter?

The design of a custom STL map class or adapter depends on your goals and requirements. However, there are some general principles and steps that you can follow to ensure a good design. First, you should identify the problem or need that you want to solve or address with your custom map. Second, you should decide whether to use inheritance or composition as the relationship between your custom map and the STL map. Third, you should define the interface and implementation of your custom map, following the STL conventions and guidelines as much as possible. Fourth, you should test and debug your custom map, using unit tests and other tools.

3 How to document a custom STL map class or adapter?

The documentation of a custom STL map class or adapter is essential for its usability and maintainability. The documentation should include the following elements: a brief overview of the purpose and functionality of your custom map, the relationship and differences between your custom map and the STL map, the interface and usage of your custom map, the preconditions and postconditions of each method, the exceptions and error handling, the performance and memory characteristics, the dependencies and compatibility, and the examples and references. You can use tools such as Doxygen or Javadoc to generate the documentation from your source code comments.

4 What are the benefits of a custom STL map class or adapter?

A custom STL map class or adapter can offer several benefits, depending on your needs and preferences. Some of the possible benefits are: increased flexibility and control over the behavior and interface of the map, improved performance and efficiency for specific scenarios or data types, enhanced readability and consistency of your code, reduced code duplication and complexity, and increased compatibility and interoperability with other STL components or libraries.

5 What are the challenges of a custom STL map class or adapter?

A custom STL map class or adapter can also pose some challenges, depending on your skills and experience. Some of the possible challenges are: increased development and maintenance time and effort, increased risk of bugs and errors, decreased portability and standardization of your code, decreased compatibility and interoperability with other STL components or libraries, and increased learning curve and documentation needs for other users or developers.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?