Chapter 11: Separate Compilation and Namespaces

Practice flashcards covering the concepts of separate compilation, class interfaces, implementation files, and the management of namespaces in C++.

Separate Compilation

The process where parts of a program are kept in separate files, compiled individually, and then linked together before the program runs.

Interface

Also called the class definition or specification, this file (usually with a $.h$ extension) contains function and operator declarations/prototypes that users can see.

Implementation File

A file (usually with a $.cpp$ extension) that contains the member function definitions of a class and must include the class's header file.

Encapsulation

A basic OOP principle of separating how a class is used by a programmer from the detail of the class's implementation.

include "myclass.h"

A preprocessor directive where quotes indicate the header file is located in the user's working directory rather than a predefined library.

include

A preprocessor directive where angle brackets ($< >$) indicate the header file is a predefined library found in the library directory.

Application File

Also known as a driver file, this is the program file that includes the class header file to use its functionality.

ifndef, #define, #endif

Preprocessor directives used to ensure that a header file is only compiled once, even if it is included multiple times in a project.

Namespace

A collection of name definitions, such as class definitions and variable declarations, used to handle potential name conflicts.

using Directive

A statement, such as "using namespace std;", that makes all definitions in a specific namespace available.

Global Namespace

The namespace used for all code that is not explicitly placed in a named namespace; it is always available without a using directive.

using Declaration

A syntax, such as "using Name_Space::One_Name;", that makes exactly one specific name from a namespace available.

Qualifying Names

The act of specifying exactly where a name comes from using a qualifier and the scope-resolution operator (e.g., $NS1::fun1()$).

Compilation Unit

A file, along with all the files that are included in that file via preprocessor directives.

Unnamed Namespace

A grouping with no name that keeps definitions local to a specific compilation unit, providing a local scope rather than a global scope.

Nested Namespaces

The legal practice of defining a namespace within another namespace, requiring names to be qualified twice (e.g., $S1::S2::sample()$).

Helping Function

A low-level utility function not intended for public use that can be hidden by making it a private member function or placing it in an unnamed namespace.