Used Features of Modern C++

Used Feature	Required C++ Standard	Description
std::span	C++20	std::span can be used as a container view that does not own the memory it refers to. A std::span can be constructed from a std::vector, a std::array, or even a raw pointer and a size. It is very common in Vulkan functions to accept a pointer to some memory and an integer specifying the number of elements. std::span provides a type-safe abstraction for this pattern.
std::optional	C++17	std::optional represents an object that may or may not contain a value. It is a great tool for expressing optional values directly in code. A std::optional<T> is either engaged (holding a value of type T) or disengaged (holding no value). This is much clearer than using sentinel values like -1 or nullptr to indicate an invalid or missing value.
lambda expressions	C++11	Lambdas are a great feature that allow you to define small, inline functions anywhere in your code.
constexpr	C++11	Constant expressions are powerful for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, anything declared as constexpr or const is thread-safe by default.
thread_local (thread-local storage, TLS)	C++11	The thread_local keyword allows you to define variables that are unique to each thread, which helps to avoid race conditions.
std::move	C++11	Move semantics are an important feature that allow the programmer to optimize performance by transferring resources instead of copying them unnecessarily.
default member initializer	C++11	A simple and convenient way of initializing member variables directly in their declaration, without needing a constructor initializer list.
deleted functions	C++11	Declaring a function as deleted explicitly prevents it from being used.
std::string_view	C++17	A non-owning view into a string.
std::this_thread	C++11	Provides access to thread-related functionality.
auto keyword	C++11	The auto keyword avoids unnecessary repetition of long or complex type names.
std::source_location	C++20	Provides access to information about the source code location (e.g., file name, line number, function name).
aggregate initialization	C++11	Simplifies initializing structs, especially useful for Vulkan structs.
designated initialization	C++20	Allows explicit member initialization using names, making struct initialization clearer and less error-prone.
<random>	C++11	Standard library facilities for generating pseudo-random numbers.
[[nodiscard]] attribute	C++17	Specifies that the return value of a function should not be ignored.
if with initializer	C++17	Useful for defining and initializing a variable that is only used within the scope of an if or switch statement.
std::filesystem	C++17	Provides facilities for interacting with the file system.
enum class	C++11	Defines scoped enumerations, avoiding name clashes and improving type safety.
Smart pointers	C++11	Used for automatic memory management and avoiding manual delete calls. Includes std::unique_ptr, std::shared_ptr, and std::weak_ptr.
std::make_unique	C++14	Safely creates and returns a std::unique_ptr to a new object.
std::make_shared	C++14	Safely creates and returns a std::shared_ptr to a new object.
nullptr	C++11	A type-safe replacement for NULL or 0 when representing a null pointer.
range-based for loops	C++11	Simplifies iteration over containers.
std::forward	C++11	Used in template programming for perfect forwarding of arguments.
std::function	C++11	A general-purpose wrapper for callable objects (functions, lambdas, functors, etc.).
std::shared_lock	C++14	Used for shared (read) access in synchronization primitives like std::shared_mutex.
std::format	C++20	Provides type-safe, modern string formatting functionality (similar to Python’s format).
constexpr if	C++17	Allows compile-time conditional branching, enabling cleaner and more efficient template code.
structured binding declaration	C++17	Declare multiple variables at once by decomposing a returned object, such as an array, tuple, pair, or struct.
concepts	C++20	Allows template parameters to be constrained with compile-time requirements, making templates safer and easier to read and use.
std::ranges	C++20	Generalization of the algorithms and iterator libraries that makes them more powerful by making them composable and less error-prone.