d4d2d4c354
git-svn-id: https://svn.wxwidgets.org/svn/wx/wxWidgets/trunk@51916 c3d73ce0-8a6f-49c7-b76d-6d57e0e08775
125 lines
4.8 KiB
C
125 lines
4.8 KiB
C
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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// Name: strategies.h
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// Purpose: Strategies page of the Doxygen manual
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// Author: wxWidgets team
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// RCS-ID: $Id$
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// Licence: wxWindows license
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/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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/*!
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@page strategies_page Programming strategies
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This chapter is intended to list strategies that may be useful when
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writing and debugging wxWidgets programs. If you have any good tips,
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please submit them for inclusion here.
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@li @ref reducingerrors
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@li @ref cpp
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@li @ref portability
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@li @ref debugstrategies
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<hr>
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@section reducingerrors Strategies for reducing programming errors
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@subsection useassert Use ASSERT
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It is good practice to use ASSERT statements liberally, that check for conditions
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that should or should not hold, and print out appropriate error messages.
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These can be compiled out of a non-debugging version of wxWidgets
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and your application. Using ASSERT is an example of `defensive programming':
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it can alert you to problems later on.
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See wxASSERT for more info.
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@subsection usewxstring Use wxString in preference to character arrays
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Using wxString can be much safer and more convenient than using wxChar *.
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You can reduce the possibility of memory leaks substantially, and it is much more
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convenient to use the overloaded operators than functions such as @c strcmp.
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wxString won't add a significant overhead to your program; the overhead is compensated
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for by easier manipulation (which means less code).
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The same goes for other data types: use classes wherever possible.
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@section portability Strategies for portability
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@subsection usesizers Use sizers
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Don't use absolute panel item positioning if you can avoid it. Different GUIs have
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very differently sized panel items. Consider using the @ref sizer_overview instead.
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@subsection useresources Use wxWidgets resource files
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Use .xrc (wxWidgets resource files) where possible, because they can be easily changed
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independently of source code. See the @ref xrc_overview for more info.
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@section debugstrategies Strategies for debugging
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@subsection positivethinking Positive thinking
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It is common to blow up the problem in one's imagination, so that it seems to threaten
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weeks, months or even years of work. The problem you face may seem insurmountable:
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but almost never is. Once you have been programming for some time, you will be able
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to remember similar incidents that threw you into the depths of despair. But
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remember, you always solved the problem, somehow!
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Perseverance is often the key, even though a seemingly trivial problem
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can take an apparently inordinate amount of time to solve. In the end,
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you will probably wonder why you worried so much. That's not to say it
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isn't painful at the time. Try not to worry -- there are many more important
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things in life.
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@subsection simplifyproblem Simplify the problem
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Reduce the code exhibiting the problem to the smallest program possible
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that exhibits the problem. If it is not possible to reduce a large and
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complex program to a very small program, then try to ensure your code
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doesn't hide the problem (you may have attempted to minimize the problem
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in some way: but now you want to expose it).
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With luck, you can add a small amount of code that causes the program
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to go from functioning to non-functioning state. This should give a clue
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to the problem. In some cases though, such as memory leaks or wrong
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deallocation, this can still give totally spurious results!
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@subsection usedebugger Use a debugger
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This sounds like facetious advice, but it is surprising how often people
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don't use a debugger. Often it is an overhead to install or learn how to
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use a debugger, but it really is essential for anything but the most
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trivial programs.
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@subsection uselogging Use logging functions
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There is a variety of logging functions that you can use in your program:
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see @ref logfunctions.
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Using tracing statements may be more convenient than using the debugger
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in some circumstances (such as when your debugger doesn't support a lot
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of debugging code, or you wish to print a bunch of variables).
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@subsection usedebuggingfacilities Use the wxWidgets debugging facilities
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You can use wxDebugContext to check for
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memory leaks and corrupt memory: in fact in debugging mode, wxWidgets will
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automatically check for memory leaks at the end of the program if wxWidgets is suitably
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configured. Depending on the operating system and compiler, more or less
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specific information about the problem will be logged.
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You should also use @ref debugmacros as part of a `defensive programming' strategy,
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scattering wxASSERTs liberally to test for problems in your code as early as possible.
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Forward thinking will save a surprising amount of time in the long run.
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See the @ref debugging_overview for further information.
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*/
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