c++ quant developer Interview Questions and Answers

1. What is the difference between a struct and a class in C++?

   • Answer: In C++, both structs and classes define custom data types. The key difference lies in the default access specifier: members of a struct are public by default, while members of a class are private by default. This affects how the members can be accessed from outside the struct or class.

2. Explain the concept of polymorphism in C++.

   • Answer: Polymorphism, meaning "many forms," allows you to treat objects of different classes in a uniform way. This is achieved through virtual functions and inheritance. A virtual function allows derived classes to provide their own specific implementation of a function declared in the base class, enabling runtime polymorphism.

3. What are smart pointers in C++ and why are they important?

   • Answer: Smart pointers are classes that act like pointers but automatically manage the memory they point to, preventing memory leaks. They use RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization) to ensure that memory is released when the smart pointer goes out of scope. Common types include `unique_ptr`, `shared_ptr`, and `weak_ptr`.

4. Explain the concept of move semantics in C++.

   • Answer: Move semantics provide an efficient way to transfer ownership of resources (like dynamically allocated memory) from one object to another without copying the data. This is done using rvalue references and move constructors/assignment operators. It avoids unnecessary copying, improving performance.

5. What is the difference between `std::vector` and `std::list` in the C++ Standard Template Library (STL)?

   • Answer: `std::vector` is a dynamic array that provides fast random access to elements but slow insertion/deletion in the middle. `std::list` is a doubly linked list that allows fast insertion/deletion anywhere but slow random access. The choice depends on the application's access patterns.

6. What are iterators in C++?

   • Answer: Iterators are objects that act like pointers, allowing you to traverse through elements of containers (like vectors, lists, maps) in the STL. They provide a uniform interface for accessing elements regardless of the underlying container type.

7. Explain the concept of templates in C++.

   • Answer: Templates allow you to write generic code that can work with different data types without being rewritten for each type. This is achieved by using type parameters in function or class templates. They promote code reusability and reduce redundancy.

8. What is exception handling in C++? Explain `try`, `catch`, and `throw`.

   • Answer: Exception handling is a mechanism to manage runtime errors gracefully. A `try` block encloses code that might throw an exception. If an exception is thrown, the program control jumps to a matching `catch` block, which handles the exception. `throw` is used to throw an exception object.

9. What is a lambda expression in C++?

   • Answer: A lambda expression is an anonymous function (a function without a name) that can be defined inline. They are often used with standard algorithms or as callbacks.

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