Title: Bits & Pieces

C and C++ are widely used programming lan-guages, competing with COBOL in overall popu-larity and being the clear winner in the real-time and operating systems sectors. C++ is an extended version of C which seeks to bring the benefits of object-oriented programming and improve on a few specific weaknesses of C, whilst maintaining 98% upwards compatibility with C code.

C is liked for its power, flexibility, and conciseness. However these features make C programs particularly error-prone. In order to produce dependable systems in C we need to apply the highest standards of code development and testing. The purpose of the workshop is to examine what is needed and how it can counteract the inherent weaknesses in the language.

The day will comprise four sessions:

The first two of these are relevant to all C and C++ development projects, whereas the third and fourth sessions look at the issues that arise from the object-oriented extensions in C++.

C allows you to program almost any activity, including directly interacting with the hardware environment. When written by an enthusiast, the resultant code can be brief to the point of being unreadable, with key areas of functionality being hidden in side-effects of the visible statements. Code macros, pointers and aliasing of variables add to the programmer's confusion. The antidote is to adopt good design and implementation practices. We examine the problems and solutions in this session.

Tools provide support for validating C programs in three ways:

We look at what can be achieved by these approaches, and how they work.

Classes are the most important building blocks of object-oriented programs. Classes are not in themselves programs, but rather they are templates which form the blue-print for program components. Classes are themselves defined recursively to extend or incorporate existing class definitions. This session will look at questions such as how far we can mirror the generic definitions of classes with equally generic tests, how much of an existing class needs to be re-tested when an extended class is defined (known as polymorphism), and how a hierarchical class structure can be reflected by a hierarchical test structure.

One of the main motivations for adopting object-oriented development is to re-use classes that have been developed for earlier projects. At the lower levels this strategy has been outstandingly successful, as we see in graphical user interface packages found on Windows and Java computers. The adoption of similar practices for higher level classes, which incorporate more application related logic, has been very much slower. We look at why this is the case, and how we need to extend our existing testing practices to achieve a level of confidence that our code will work correctly in future systems as well as in our current implementation.

This workshop will provide essential guidance for Information Technology strategists, project managers, designers, and team leaders who are using, or planning to use, C or C++ for future developments.

Contact: Julie Valentine, Events Commissioner, UNICOM Seminars, Brunel Science Park, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middx UB8 3PQ. Tel: +44 (0)1895 256 484 Fax: +44 (0)1895 813 095 www.unicom.co.uk