Refactoring legacy C++ code with modern best practices - improving readability and performance
I tried several approaches but none seem to work... While refactoring a portion of our legacy C++ codebase, I’ve come across several areas where performance and readability could be improved. The project involves a complex algorithm that processes large datasets across a distributed system, and I want to ensure that any changes won’t introduce regressions. The current implementation relies heavily on raw pointers and manual memory management, which has led to some subtle memory leaks in testing. Recently, I started replacing some raw pointers with `std::unique_ptr` for better memory management. Here’s a snippet of the code I’m working on: ```cpp #include <iostream> #include <memory> #include <vector> class DataProcessor { public: void processData(const std::vector<int>& data) { for (auto& value : data) { std::unique_ptr<int> ptr(new int(value)); // Better management // Perform processing... std::cout << *ptr << " "; } } }; ``` In addition, I’ve considered using `std::optional` in places where values may or may not be present, to avoid unnecessary checks for null pointers. However, I'm uncertain whether this might lead to increased overhead in performance-sensitive sections of the code. My team debated about the use of `std::shared_ptr` for objects that need shared ownership, but I’m wary of the potential overhead due to reference counting. Should I prioritize `std::unique_ptr` over `std::shared_ptr`, or are there specific cases where `shared_ptr` makes more sense? Also, for some of the utility functions, I’ve noticed the parameters are often passed by value, which might lead to unnecessary copies. Moving towards passing by reference or using `const` references could be beneficial. Here’s an example of one such function: ```cpp void compute(const std::vector<int>& values) { // Using const reference // Computation logic... } ``` Any insights on balancing modern C++ features with performance constraints would be appreciated. What are some best practices for refactoring this type of code while ensuring it remains efficient and maintainable? Additionally, if there are specific design patterns you’d recommend for this scenario, I’d love to hear about those as well. I'd really appreciate any guidance on this. This is part of a larger API I'm building.