Richard Powell began using C++ 20 years ago to develop a psychoacoustic audio encoder/decoder, and has since continued exploring how to create software that unlocks the potential of hardware to deliver incredible audio experiences. He enjoys both teaching and learning about C++ and programming, and has presented several talks at CppCon as well as at local Bay Area C++ user groups. Beyond computers, Richard plays both the trombone and piano (though not usually at the same time) and performs jazz and classical music at local events.
Declarative programming is the technique of saying “what you want” instead of “how to do”. This talk walks through the lessons and learnings I encountered when developing wxUI, a C++ Declarative UI library built on top of wxWidgets. This talk is not about creating GUIs in C++, but instead breaks down techniques for how to use C++ techniques to give structure and clarity to your code. We will explore using many advanced techniques like CRTP, expression templates, and [insert the C++ buzzword of the week here] to create flexible libraries to convert imperative programming to declarative programming.