cpp-safety

name	cpp-safety
description	C++ memory safety and undefined behaviour prevention — bounds checking, lifetime management, and sanitizer usage
compatibility	>=1.4

C++ Safety

Skill metadata: version "1.0"; license MIT; tags [cpp, c++, safety, sanitizers, memory]; recommended tools [codebase, editFiles, runCommands].

When to use

• Reviewing C++ code for memory safety and undefined behaviour
• Configuring sanitizers for debug/test builds

File scope

Applies to: **/*.cpp, **/*.hpp, **/*.cc, **/*.hh, **/*.cxx, **/*.hxx, **/*.h

Conventions

• Enable AddressSanitizer (-fsanitize=address) and UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer (-fsanitize=undefined) in debug/test builds.
• Use std::array or std::vector instead of C-style arrays. Access elements via .at() in debug code for bounds checking.
• Never return pointers or references to local variables.
• Avoid dangling references — ensure referenced objects outlive the reference.
• Use std::move explicitly when transferring ownership. Don't access moved-from objects.
• Initialize all variables at declaration. Use braced initialization to catch narrowing conversions.
• Check iterator validity after container modifications (insert, erase, resize).
• Use nullptr instead of NULL or 0 for null pointers.
• Avoid reinterpret_cast — use static_cast or std::bit_cast (C++20) when type punning is needed.
• Run clang-tidy with clang-analyzer-*, bugprone-*, and cppcoreguidelines-* checks.
• Avoid goto — use structured control flow, RAII, or scope guards.
• Use thread sanitizer (-fsanitize=thread) for concurrent code in test builds.