Modern C++ Course (Basics → C++26)

A hands-on C++ course with 56 Google Test exercises organized into 14 modules, from your first functions to modern standard-library features.

Requirements

CMake 3.20+
GCC 16+ with C++26 and contracts support
CLion (recommended) or any CMake-aware IDE
Internet access on first configure (Google Test is fetched automatically)

Install GCC 16 on macOS (Homebrew):

brew install gcc@16

Quick Start (CLion)

Open this folder in CLion (File → Open…).
Use the default CMake profile (GCC 16 + C++26 from CMakePresets.json).
Set the toolchain to GCC 16 (/opt/homebrew/bin/g++-16).
Disable Clang-based analysis (this project targets GCC only):
- Settings → Languages & Frameworks → C/C++ → Clangd → disable, or
- Settings → Editor → Inspections → C/C++ → General → Clang-Tidy → disable
Reload CMake, pick an exercise target (e.g. 02_control_flow_loops), implement TODOs, run tests.

Quick Start (Terminal)

cmake --preset default
cmake --build build
ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

Run a single exercise:

cmake --build build --target 02_control_flow_loops
./build/modules/02_control_flow/02_control_flow_loops

Manual configure (without presets):

cmake -S . -B build \
  -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=/opt/homebrew/bin/g++-16 \
  -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=/opt/homebrew/bin/gcc-16 \
  -DCOURSE_ENABLE_CONTRACTS=ON
cmake --build build

Project Structure

cppc/
├── CMakeLists.txt              # Root project + Google Test
├── CMakePresets.json           # GCC 16 + C++26 preset
├── cmake/
│   ├── CourseExercise.cmake    # add_course_exercise() helper
│   ├── CourseOptions.cmake     # Warnings, standards, contracts
│   └── toolchains/gcc-16.cmake # GCC 16 toolchain file
├── support/                    # Contract violation handler
└── modules/
    ├── 01_fundamentals/
    ├── 02_control_flow/
    └── ...                     # 14 modules total

Each module contains:

README.md — learning goals and exercise list
include/ — function and class declarations
src/ — your implementation (start here)
test/ — Google Test files (do not edit unless extending)

How to Study

Read the module README.md.
Open the exercise header to understand the required API.
Implement TODOs in the corresponding src/ file.
Run that exercise’s test target in CLion or via CTest.
Move to the next exercise only when tests pass.

Course Map

Module	Topic	Exercises	Build standard
01	Fundamentals	4	C++26
02	Control flow	4	C++26
03	Functions	4	C++26
04	Arrays & strings	4	C++26
05	Pointers & references	4	C++26
06	OOP basics	4	C++26
07	STL containers	4	C++26
08	STL algorithms	4	C++26
09	C++11 features	4	C++26
10	C++14 features	4	C++26
11	C++17 features	4	C++26
12	C++20 features	4	C++26
13	C++23 features	4	C++26
14	C++26 frontier	4	C++26

CMake Options

Option	Default	Description
`COURSE_BUILD_TESTS`	ON	Build Google Test exercise targets
`COURSE_WARNINGS_AS_ERRORS`	OFF	Treat warnings as errors
`COURSE_ENABLE_CONTRACTS`	ON	Enable `-fcontracts` on GCC 16+

Example:

cmake --preset default -DCOURSE_WARNINGS_AS_ERRORS=ON

C++26 Contracts

On GCC 16+, the build enables:

-fcontracts
-fcontract-evaluation-semantic=enforce
A shared handle_contract_violation handler in support/contract_handler.cpp

Example:

#include <contracts>

[[nodiscard]] auto factorial(const int n) -> long long pre(n >= 0);

auto factorial(const int n) -> long long
    pre(n >= 0)
{
    // ...
}

CLion Tips

Use the GCC 16 toolchain, not Apple Clang.
Disable Clangd and Clang-Tidy inspections — they use the Clang frontend and do not support GCC C++26 contracts.
Use CLion’s built-in GCC parser/inspections, or rely on compiler errors from the build.
Use Run | Run… and filter by module prefix (e.g. 02_control_flow).
Enable Google Test integration to see individual tests in the tree view.

Notes on C++26

All exercises build with C++26. Module READMEs describe the language feature each exercise teaches (C++11, C++17, etc.), but the toolchain baseline is C++26 throughout.

Happy learning!

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